Atul Khosla
Vice Chancellor, Shoolini University

An alum of IIT-Kanpur and the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, with work experience in high-end consultancy firms including McKinsey & Co, New York, Atul Khosla is Vice Chancellor of Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh (estb.2009).

What are the major objectives set for Shoolini University until India’s freedom centenary year?

We aspire to be among the Top 10 universities globally — on a par with elite institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford.

How satisfied are you with your progress thus far?

Shoolini University has rapidly established itself as India’s highest-ranked private university across all globally respected ranking systems, including QS, Times Higher Education (THE), and US News & World Report. Despite these significant achievements, we remain driven and ambitious. Our focus is on enhancing student success, producing world-class research, fostering entrepreneurship, and creating measurable impact in the communities we serve.

To reflect this bold aspiration, we have revised our institutional vision. By 2030, we aim to be among the top 100 universities globally in the QS and THE rankings.

What are your major initiatives to  contemporise Shoolini U’s syllabus /curriculum?

We have radically transformed our curriculum to embed artificial intelligence, data science, and digital tools across all disciplines — from sciences and engineering to liberal arts and business management. We’ve moved beyond traditional pedagogy to adopt flipped classrooms, project-based learning, and immersive labs.

How satisfied are you with your connect with Indian industry and business?

We have actively built strong industry connections through collaborations, internships, live projects, and industry-led courses. Aware of the need for deeper engagement, we are embedding industry-relevant skills directly into our curriculum to ensure students are future-ready. We have launched advanced research and innovation centres, including the state-of-the-art R.C. Oswal Nanotechnology Lab sponsored by Vardhman, and a cutting-edge AI and Futures Centre modelled on the Edinburgh Futures Institute, to incubate startups. Strengthening our connect with industry remains central to our global vision and real-world impact.

R&D and innovation are widely perceived as Indian academia’s infirmity.  What’s your institutional response to create new knowledge?

Great institutions and universities cannot be built without research and innovation deeply embedded in their culture and vision. Our vision is bold: to be ranked among the top 100 global universities in research and innovation by 2030. I’m especially proud that Shoolini is now India’s # 1 private university in research citations according to QS 2026, and a national leader in patent filings with over 1,500 patents. But we’re just getting started.

What’s your prescription for transforming India into a $30 trillion GDP economy by 2047?

For India to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047, we need bold and purposeful initiatives. Among them: heavy investment in research and innovation to drive long-term economic growth; transform our higher education system into one of the best in the world; preserve our Indian values and spirituality; encourage entrepreneurship across every region and sector to unlock innovation and opportunity; cut red tape drastically, allowing ordinary Indians to build and scale capital-intensive enterprises with ease, and support Indian companies to go global, positioning them not just as service providers, but as innovators, creators, and global leaders.

With courage, clarity, and collective action, we can shape a prosperous and purpose-driven future for India and the world.

Also Read: Shoolini University joins AWS Academy, offers cloud computing curriculum