Archana Surana — Managing Trustee, Surana College
A successful woman with a positive attitude and great leadership qualities, Archana Surana was recently awarded as India’s most valuable Woman Educationist and Reformist of the year at the 6th Annual India Leadership Conclave & Indian Affairs Business Leadership Awards 2015. Also, Surana College bagged the “Most Promising & Valuable Business Management Institution 2015”award at the event under her leadership. Archana belongs to Jodhpur and graduated in Psychology with a National Scholarship from Ministry of Education & Culture, Government of India for meritorious accomplishment. She is an educationist by choice managing the Bangalore-based trust-run Surana College which offers pre-university and higher education in two campuses. (www.suranacollege.edu.in)
With a passion for entrepreneurship from the early days of her career, she opted for a life beyond just being a homemaker. She joined the pharmaceutical giant Micro Labs Ltd as one of the Board of Directors, but her true passion lay in social entrepreneurship. She joined hands with G.C. Surana and became the Managing Trustee of Surana College.
Within a short span of time, she took Surana College to greater heights evolving it into a Centre for Academic excellence. She was instrumental in achieving the recent NAAC Grade A with a top CGPA of 3.44 for Surana College during this time.
While in Surana College, she became an active philanthropist, involving herself in many social activities across charitable trusts, other educational institutions, hospitals and temples apart from caring for the economically deprived section in the society. Apart from these, she has been active on the platform of NEEDZ Foundation supporting for the cause of AIDS affected children.
High point in career
“Taking over the position of a growing educational institution as its Managing Trustee has been a high point. Also, recently it was a double delight when Indian Affairs conferred the “Most Promising and Valuable Business Management Institution 2015” Award on Surana College and I received the “India’s most valuable Educationalist and Reformist of the year 2015 Award”.
Most challenging assignment so far
“Running a self-financing institution which does not collect any donation and facing increasing competition is in itself a continuous challenging assignment providing value based education.”
Greatest inspiration
“My mother, father and father-in-law have been my greatest inspiration. My mother was a hard working lady with lot of discipline and instilled values in me which are my guiding force even now. My father was a great doctor and he charged low consultation fees so that even the poor could afford medical attention. He was an embodiment of humility. My father-in-law was a great visionary who built a pharma giant from the scratch and always believed in providing quality medicine at an affordable cost. It was his vision to start the education institution which offered quality and affordable education to all.
Most important milestone in life
“Success is sweet when we strive for it. Receiving the highest CGPA of 3.44 and being awarded the A grade by NAAC was a great milestone. This one is really memorable as the whole college came together to work as one team and this ensured great success.”
Women are the better halves. What does it mean?
“Women have lot of tolerance, patience and perseverance. Both man and woman are the better halves in a relationship and complement each other.”