Aakash Educational Services Limited has announced two senior leadership appointments as it sharpens its focus on governance, operational discipline, and long-term growth.
The test-preparation major has appointed Alka Garg as Chief Financial Officer and Kanika Kumar Nijhawan as Senior Vice President. Marketing.
The leadership changes follow a period of transition at the company. Former Managing Director and CEO Deepak Mehrotra stepped down in August last year, 16 months after taking charge.
Strengthening the Finance Function
Alka Garg brings more than 22 years of experience across listed corporations and high-growth ventures. Her background includes working closely with founders and executive leadership teams on financial strategy, enterprise value creation, and sustainable scaling.
At Aakash, she will oversee the finance function, drive financial planning and capital allocation strategy, improve cost structures, and reinforce governance systems. The mandate signals a push toward tighter financial oversight and long-term profitability discipline.
Before joining Aakash, Garg served as CFO at Yum Restaurant India, where she shaped financial strategy for the KFC business in India. Her earlier roles include senior positions at Siemens, GreyOrange, Bharti Airtel, and Deloitte, giving her exposure to manufacturing, telecom, automation, and consulting environments.
Marketing Leadership for a Competitive Market
Kanika Kumar Nijhawan joins with over 17 years of cross-sector experience spanning media, retail, and sports. She is known for brand-building, digital strategy, performance marketing, and omnichannel engagement.
She spent nearly a decade at Adidas India as Director. Brand Marketing, where she led brand positioning and large-scale consumer campaigns. Her earlier experience includes roles at HT Media and Sony Entertainment.
At Aakash, Nijhawan is expected to strengthen brand recall, refine digital acquisition strategies, and deepen engagement with students and parents in an increasingly competitive test-prep landscape.
Aakash’s National Footprint
Aakash Educational Services Limited specializes in preparation for high-stakes examinations, including NEET and JEE, along with NTSE and Olympiads. The company operates more than 415 centers across India and serves over 400,000 enrolled students.
The appointments come at a time when the education sector is balancing physical classroom expansion with digital delivery models. Governance scrutiny and operational efficiency have become central themes across India’s edtech and test-prep industry.
By reinforcing finance and marketing leadership simultaneously, Aakash appears to be aligning internal controls with growth ambition, aiming to consolidate its position in India’s competitive entrance-exam preparation market.
