Learning becomes truly meaningful when it goes beyond textbooks and lectures. Practical experience, mentorship, and a student-focused approach give students the guidance, support, and real-world exposure they need to grow. When students have hands-on opportunities and personalized guidance, they develop the skills, confidence, and mindset to succeed in their careers and life. Without these elements, education can feel like memorizing facts with no real purpose, leaving students unprepared for real-world challenges.
Bringing this philosophy to life, Dr. Kamaljeet Kaur Siddhu, Executive Vice President at Ajeenkya D Y Patil Group (ADYPG), plays a key role in transforming education by bridging the gap between academia and industry. She leads large-scale operations, optimizes campus infrastructure, implements performance-driven systems, and introduces innovative, student-centric initiatives such as mentorship programs, real-world projects, and flexible learning opportunities. By addressing challenges like outdated teaching methods, inefficient administration, and vacant admissions, she fosters collaboration among faculty, promotes a customer-focused mindset, and aligns programs with industry needs and sustainable development goals.
She has successfully improved campus operations and student admissions—merging colleges and filling previously vacant seats—which has helped position the institution as one of the most preferred educational destinations in Pune.
From Corporate Sector to Academic-Industry
Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu began her career in the corporate sector, where she gained over 25 years of diverse experience across Corporate Affairs, Legal, HR, and Financial Management. She serves as Executive Vice President at the Ajeenkya D. Y. Patil Group within D.Y. Patil Knowledge City, Pune, leading large-scale operations and driving institutional growth. Earlier, she held leadership roles at Tata BlueScope Steel Limited, City Corporation Limited, Ethix Group of Companies, and Federal-Mogul Anand Sealings India Limited. She has also served as a nominee director in multiple companies and remains actively involved in arbitration, mediation, and conciliation networks.
During her tenure, she:
- Managed budgets exceeding ₹500 Cr across 12 institutes and 1 university, achieving 15% year-on-year revenue growth.
- Designed real-time performance reporting systems, enabling 20% faster decision-making and 85% KPI tracking accuracy.
- Supported the implementation of NAAC, NBA, and NIRF strategies.
- Established over 10 strategic alliances in education and research, enhancing institutional reputation and funding.
- Optimized infrastructure use and led campus upgrades to improve ROI per square foot.
- Championed sustainability through 10 SDG-aligned initiatives, benefiting student well-being and the environment.
Recognizing a significant gap between academia and industry, Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu also engaged with educational institutions as a visiting faculty. This led her to collaborate with Dr. Ajinkya DY Patil on a branding consultancy project, after which she was invited to join the Ajeenkya D. Y. Patil Group. For the past five years, she has been an integral part of the group, taking responsibility for the technical campus, which includes two engineering colleges, two polytechnics, and MBA, MCA, and architecture programs.
Leveraging her corporate experience in greenfield and brownfield transformations, she approached challenges in admissions and campus operations with a strategic mindset. She successfully optimized campus functioning, fostered collaboration among faculty, and introduced student-centric initiatives, laying a strong foundation for educational leadership and institutional growth.
Multidisciplinary Expertise
Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu has an extensive academic background that underpins her contributions to education, mentorship, and community development.
She holds:
- A Doctorate in Marketing
- Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India
- Master’s in Commerce (HR & Business Finance)
- Masters in Law (LL.M.)
- Certifications in Psychology and CSR/ESG
- Alumna of IIM Kashipur
Beyond her corporate leadership, she actively contributes to education by:
- Serving as faculty for MBA programs and PMQ courses of ICSI
- Acting as a Ph.D. guide in Management
- Frequently presenting at national and international seminars
She is also a Distinguished Toastmaster, author of several books, and is currently serving as Club Growth Director for District 125 of Toastmasters International.
In the community, Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu has demonstrated strong leadership and social impact by:
- Serving as President of the Rotary Club of Pune Hadapsar (2018–19), focusing on Peace, Environment, Literacy, Youth, and Women Empowerment
- Providing freelance career and psychological counseling, combining professional expertise with mentorship to guide emerging leaders
Her work reflects a seamless blend of academic excellence, practical mentorship, and meaningful community engagement, creating a lasting impact on students, professionals, and society.
Mastering Educational Regulations
Transitioning from the corporate world to education was a significant challenge for Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu, as principals and directors already had deep technical knowledge of educational regulations. She approached this learning curve like a management trainee, spending two months thoroughly studying UGC and AICTE guidelines and understanding the latest updates. She recognized that recent amendments provided more flexibility and proposed merging two engineering colleges and two polytechnics. While the team initially resisted, understanding the updated regulations helped them accept the change, shifting the campus culture from competition to collaboration and improving overall efficiency.
Another major challenge was changing the mindset of treating students as subordinates. Coming from a corporate background, she viewed everyone—including students and parents—as customers. She conducted training sessions for faculty across all experience levels to adopt a customer-focused approach. This shift filled previously vacant seats and positioned the campus among the most preferred colleges in Pune. Even faculty who initially resisted the changes later appreciated the transformation. Recently this same college is recipient of ISTE National Award for the Best Private Engineering College 2025.
Focused On Improving Key Skills
Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu believes that students and parents should be seen as key decision-makers, not just end users. With so many educational options available today, families look for the best quality at a reasonable cost. Her approach focuses on being cost-effective while maintaining excellent service. Understanding that parents invest heavily in their children—sometimes even through loans—she emphasizes achieving real outcomes, such as good jobs, higher studies, or success in competitive exams.
From the first-year admission interview, each student’s goals are identified, and they are placed in groups accordingly. Their strengths and weaknesses are assessed from day one, and efforts are made to improve areas like communication, mathematics, or conceptual understanding. The fact that families return with their second child reflects the success and trust in her approach.
Direct Industry Mentorship and Professional Guidance
Ajeenkya D Y Patil Group provides students with industry mentors, giving them the chance to learn directly from experienced professionals. It offers real-world projects through an innovation-driven university model and earn-and-learn opportunities. All programs are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, and students can choose minors in areas like musical instruments or cyber laws, even while pursuing engineering.
The university emphasizes practical learning, with coding introduced from the first semester, participation in hackathons from year one, and courses taught by industry-experienced professors. Extracurricular activities are also a priority, ensuring students have equal opportunities to engage in sports, cultural events, and the arts, creating a well-rounded, “happy university” experience.
Honored with the Astral Academia Award at Maharashtra Education Awards 2025 at the hands of Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Dada Patil
Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu’s dedication to empowering people, strengthening systems, and elevating standards has resulted in notable recognitions—for herself and for the institution.
Recent Achievements Earned by Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu:
- Honored with the Astral Academia Award at Maharashtra Education Awards 2025, presented by the Education Minister of Maharashtra.
- Recipient of the Stri Shakti Award 2025 from Lokmat, acknowledging her influential leadership and contributions to the education sector.
- Awarded as “Woman of Substance” in recognition of her extraordinary contributions by Deeksha Centre of Excellence.
- Record holder of India book of records for maximum female candidates recruited on a single day on the occasion of International Women’s day 2025.
- Recipient of the Trailblazer in Institutional Excellence Award at National Education Conclave 2025, New Delhi sponsored by Govt of India, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, NSDC and IBM
Achievements Earned by Ajeenkya D Y Patil Group:
- Business Titan Award from Radio City, highlighting the university’s excellence in institutional performance.
- NAAC Accreditation with an A Grade, demonstrating robust academic quality and governance standards.
- NBA Accreditation, a distinction held by very few state private universities.
- Great Place to Work Certification, reflecting a strong organizational culture, employee satisfaction, and people-centric practices.
Strategic Collaborations
Ajeenkya D Y Patil Group is expanding into healthcare through a partnership with Mulk Virtual Hospitals in Dubai. On the academic front, it collaborates with companies like Microsoft, Deloitte, and Paytm, giving students the opportunity to work directly on real projects. It also offers industry-focused programs with leading IT companies and runs a special program with DRDO, where officials teach students about defence technology.
Advice for Educators and Academic Leaders
Dr. Kamaljeet Siddhu advises young educators, academic leaders, and professionals to stay prepared for the future and be flexible as the education world keeps changing. She explains that with foreign universities coming to India, competition will increase—but this should be seen as a positive change. Students will now get access to global-quality education at affordable prices, which will raise the overall standard of learning in the country.
She also points out that even though AI, online learning, and digital tools are growing, good and skilled teachers will always be important. With new policies like the Academic Bank of Credits and NEP, students can easily move between universities. This means institutions with strong and updated faculty will attract the best students and Ajeenkya D Y Patil University is constantly updating itself for these Challenges She is now all set to lead the Online Programs in this University.
Dr. Kamaljeet Kaur Siddhu’s 5 Impactful Business Mantras
- Make learning practical and meaningful: Real growth happens when theory connects with real-world skills, mentorship, and hands-on experience.
- Build strong systems that drive performance: Efficient processes, data-based decisions, and clear KPIs help institutions grow faster and operate smoothly.
- Treat students and parents as customers: Focus on delivering value, ensuring satisfaction, and meeting real outcomes—whether jobs, higher studies, or skill development.
- Encourage collaboration over competition: Unified teams, shared goals, and open communication improve campus culture and overall efficiency.
- Keep upgrading and stay future-ready: Continuous learning, adapting to new policies, and aligning with industry needs ensure long-term success for institutions and leaders alike.
