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Journalism of Courage
Written by Neha Rathod
Dr Ankita Sangahvi once held a senior role in the global automobile giant Mercedes-Benz —one of the few women on the shop floor—commanding the space between design and delivery of luxury cars. Today, she runs something entirely different: a preschool for children with special needs.
One decision—made from reflection, not ambition—drove this former global sourcing manager and a proficient German speaker to build Innocent Times pre-school, a space that promises deep commitment to conscious childhood.
Dr Sanghavi spent over seven years navigating high-pressure projects, international collaborations, and fulfilling steep expectations of the corporate world before she realised her calling. “I wanted to be in a place where I could touch individual lives,” she says.
That place, unexpectedly, became the preschool where she started after bidding farewell to her high-paying job.
“When I started the school, I found a very different rhythm,” she says.
“There is no race. Each child grows at their own pace, and the smallest spark of progress feels like the loudest applause. That was the recognition I had been looking for all along.”
Practised homeopathy
Looking back, it was not an abrupt pivot. Before her corporate chapter, Dr Sanghvi had been a practising homoeopath—a role that had already tuned her instincts toward care, empathy, and presence, which drew her back to her expertise.
Initially, she was co-facilitating her sister in a regular preschool. But gradually, began shaping its philosophy, its systems, and its soul. The turning point came when a four-year-old child with special needs—rejected by more than 15 schools—arrived at their doorstep.
Dr Sanghvi recalls, saying “The mother was distressed as the child was diagnosed with autism and they both needed support.”
Where most saw a challenge, she posed a question: “Why do we keep trying to fit children into systems, instead of creating systems that fit children?”
That question became the foundation of Innocent Times preschool, which is now a specialised space designed for children with neurodevelopmental needs and an onboard partner for autism management training at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune.
“Here every programme is tailored to the child’s pace and potential.”
The school has now grown into a dignified space for over 70 children and a support centre for hundreds of parents. Along the way, Dr Sanghvi has also worked as an early interventionist and parent counsellor at Balkalyan Sanstha in Aundh.
Mother’s role in development of children with special needs
“Each case reaffirmed to me that it takes a mother’s grit to raise a special child, and their parents also need supportive teachers and a strong community.”
Pointing to real cases, Dr Sanghvi says, “While not all fathers take up responsibility for a special child, it is often the mother who carries the heavier burden.”
“Some women are even divorced for having a ‘differently-abled’ child. They juggle work, therapies, childcare, and household responsibilities, often burning out. What they truly need is systemic support, not stigma.”
One reform she strongly advocates is renaming the government’s UDID (Unique Disability ID) card to a Unique Special Ability card. “Right words bring dignity. Children are being labelled in 45-minute trainee assessments—one mother even tore up her son’s card after he was wrongly marked ‘Profoundly Intellectually Disabled,’ despite doing fairly well in our school.”
Even during the Covid Pandemic, when only three children showed up in six months, Dr Sanghavi kept the school open. “It was never about numbers—it was about standing by families who needed us.”
Recognition has followed—Dr Sanghvi was awarded Best Principal by the Maharashtra government and invited to speak on national platforms, including a Doordarshan live programme on autism in March 2025. But for her, the real reward is simpler: “One smile—on a child’s face or a mother’s—is enough to remind me why I do this.”
Her greatest achievement, she adds, is ensuring that every child finds a place to learn and thrive.
If the corporate world taught her precision, Innocent Times gave her purpose.
“No high-flying job can compare to the joy of seeing these children complete their basic education and pass with NIOS, and their mothers breathe easier knowing they are not alone in raising these children.”
Neha Rathod is an intern with The Indian Express.
