After her journey from a modest railway colony to key roles at Infosys and Dell, this woman entrepreneur empowered hundreds of girls through education

Born in Rajapur and raised in a modest Mumbai railway colony, Dr Rao grew up in a lower-middle-class family. Her father worked for the railways; her mother was a school principal who insisted education was non-negotiable. When a few girls chose technical fields, her mother pushed her toward Computer Science at IIT Bombay.

Financially stretched, the family relied on a National Merit Scholarship. “That one decision didn’t just shape my career,” Dr Rao says. “It defined my purpose.”

After her daughter’s birth, she took a two-and-a-half-year career break, then joined Infosys in 1997 during its early days. Starting at the newly opened Pune office, she soon led the development centre. Over the next decade, she helped build the campus in phases as Infosys grew from a $200 million company to a $4 billion company.

The Pune centre eventually reached 20,000 employees. Later, as vice president of Global IT Services at Dell India, she thrived in male-dominated boardrooms. Yet one question never left her: what if more girls had the same chance education had given her? The answer became Aatmaja Foundation.

School visits

Dr Rao spent years visiting government schools, listening to teachers, parents, and students. She discovered that bright girls were dropping out not because they lacked ability, but because they lacked support—financial, emotional, and aspirational. Many had never met a woman engineer, doctor, or entrepreneur.

Aatmaja girls in group with Dr. Rao. (Express Photo)

“Their dreams were limited to what they saw around them,” she says.

Aatmaja’s model goes far beyond scholarships. Its flagship six-year Udaan programme provides school fees, academic coaching, digital literacy, life-skills training, corporate exposure visits, and one-on-one mentoring. The shorter Aasha programme offers vocational training and job placement for girls facing immediate financial crises.

“We focus on the three Cs: confidence, capability, and career direction,” Dr Rao explains. “Empowerment is not charity; it is connection.”

Building trust was the first hurdle. Many parents feared education would not yield returns for daughters. Consistency and family involvement changed minds. Once parents saw their girls speak confidently, score better, and land jobs, they became Aatmaja’s strongest advocates.

Today, over 450 girls across Maharashtra are enrolled, and more than 125 alumni hold professional jobs—many of them the first graduates or earners in their families. “When one girl stands taller, her entire family stands taller with her,” Dr Rao says.

Deepshikha Sharma, 19, is now pursuing computer engineering at Bharati Vidyapeeth. When her father lost his job for nearly a year, the family almost returned to their village. Deepshikha thought her dreams were over. Aatmaja stepped in with fees, counselling, and exposure visits to Infosys and Eclerx.

“They didn’t just pay my fees,” she says. “They gave me belief.” Today she mentors younger girls and aims to become an AI entrepreneur who helps others like her.

Samruddhi Pawar, 20, a third-year microbiology student, faced a different battle. Sent to boarding school when her mother was diagnosed with last-stage tuberculosis, she grew up fast. Financial struggles persisted, but her parents prioritised studies. Aatmaja provided funds, public-speaking workshops, interview training, and financial-literacy sessions. The once-shy girl now speaks confidently in public and volunteers as a paid co-mentor.

“Aatmaja taught me things school never did—how to save, communicate, and believe in myself,” she says. Her dream: a master’s degree and mentoring the next generation.

Measure of success

For Dr Rao, these transformed lives are the true metric of success. “We don’t measure impact only in grades or jobs,” she says. “We measure it when a girl who once doubted herself now declares she will become a doctor—and truly believes she can.”

Founded in 2015, Aatmaja Foundation has now completed 10 years. In the next three years, she aims to reach 1,000 girls, expand digital learning and industry partnerships, and turn Aatmaja into a replicable Centre of Excellence for girls’ education across India.

“My mother believed education would change my life—and she was right,” Dr Rao reflects. “Now, through Aatmaja, I want every girl we touch to receive that same belief, dream without limits, and light the way for others.”

One educated girl can uplift generations. Dr Rao is making sure hundreds get that chance.

Alister Augustine is an intern with The Indian Express.