- Aaroha’s CXO survey, based on inputs from business leaders—over half from billion-dollar firms—reveals talent and accountability as top challenges for Indian businesses
- New leadership consulting firm brings humanistic approach to help organizations unlock their full potential
Aaroha, the humanistic leadership project, was officially launched today to help businesses strengthen leadership and organizational capability through frameworks inspired by Indian philosophy. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the firm has been founded by three seasoned professionals—Kalpana Sinha, former Director of People and Organisation Capability at Microsoft and Director at YSC Consulting, part of Accenture; Haritha Kandalla, a renowned executive coach with 22 years of experience, including a decade at Microsoft Global Delivery; and Ketaki Kadekar, former Insights India Head and Customer Success Director at UpGrad, and co-founder of The Leadership Project. Together, they bring over 70 years of collective experience in coaching, capability-building, and organizational transformation.
As businesses face growing complexity, rapid change, and shifting expectations, leaders are increasingly called upon to make decisions amid ambiguity. Aaroha addresses a critical gap in leadership development—offering Indian-origin frameworks that move beyond conventional Western models, helping leaders build cultures of adaptability, resilience, and purpose.
The firm’s India Business Leaders Survey 2025, based on inputs from CXOs of large family-run and professionally managed companies—over half with revenues exceeding USD 1 billion—identified quality talent as the most pressing business challenge. Respondents also highlighted persistent struggles with retention, technology adoption, and building future-ready cultures. Developing a growth mindset and enhancing accountability emerged as key focus areas for leadership interventions.
“Traditional leadership models tend to emphasize the individualistic leader, while Indian philosophy talks about a leader as someone who takes the collective along, and that is the need of the hour given the VUCA-BANI world we live in,” said Kalpana Sinha, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Aaroha. “Our approach redefines a leader to harness their natural strengths of adaptability and flexibility and also embrace an other-in approach towards leadership, which can enable organizations to create sustainable growth, retain key talent and foster innovation in increasingly complex business environments.”
Aaroha’s human-centric leadership model is designed to help organizations unlock the full potential of their people by fostering cultures of trust, adaptability, and continuous learning. It encourages employees to bring their whole selves to work, supports intergenerational collaboration, and enables empowered decision-making across all levels. By integrating Indian philosophical principles, the model also builds leadership mindsets that are rooted in accountability, resilience, and openness to change—crucial qualities for navigating today’s fast-evolving business environment.
Aaroha offers services including leadership assessment, coaching, capability development workshops, and organizational culture transformation. Its proprietary models blend Indian philosophical wisdom with practical tools for measurable business outcomes.
To learn more, visit www.aaroha.co.in.
