NIIT Appoints Pankaj Jathar as New CEO

NIIT Limited, a leading skills and talent development corporation, today announced the appointment of Pankaj Jathar as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2024. Pankaj takes over from Sapnesh Lalla, who will continue as a non-executive director at NIIT Ltd while remaining CEO of NIIT Learning Systems (NIIT MTS).

NIIT has been a pioneer in technology-driven learning solutions long before "Edtech" became a common term and with the demerger in 2023, NIIT Limited will focus on India’s flourishing skills & careers landscape. Pankaj brings a wealth of experience in consumer-focused businesses, spanning E-commerce, startups, and D2C ventures. Under his leadership, NIIT will further strengthen its position as a leading player in the segment, capitalizing on new opportunities through the integration of GenAI to drive innovation and growth.

Pankaj brings over 25 years of expertise and experience in leading global corporations in eCommerce, consulting, technology solutions, the training industry, business development, and governance. He began his career as a Management Trainee at NIIT, followed by a four-year stint at Tata Interactive Systems in London. He later joined Accenture as a solution architect, building IT solutions in the banking and finance sector for five years.

He was part of the launch team for Amazon India, managed the FMCG division at Cloudtail, and ascended to the role of CEO of Prione (Amazon's joint venture with Catamaran) in 2020. He has had a ringside view of ecommerce growth in the country through the last 13 years. 

"Top of FormBottom of FormBottom of FormWe are excited to welcome Pankaj Jathar back to the NIIT family,” said Rajendra S. Pawar, Chairman and Co-founder of NIIT Limited. "His experience and knowledge of technology-driven industries make him the perfect leader for NIIT Ltd. With his leadership, we are committed to building talent for the nation and driving forward our vision of excellence at NIIT."

Speaking on the appointment, Pankaj Jathar said, “I am honored to come back to NIIT Ltd. and share its unwavering dedication in the field of education and technology. I look forward to working closely with the talented team at NIIT to build on our strengths, leverage emerging opportunities, and help to realize the true potential of our learners and partners,”.

He completed his BE from Pune University, pursued GNIIT in Pune, and earned an MBA from IIM Calcutta in 1998.