New Delhi: Six of India’s top industry leaders have come together to establish India’s first privately funded leadership institution—the School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL)—in Gujarat to train future leaders in politics, social and public policy.
Former finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia has been appointed the chairman of the executive committee of SOUL, a brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Adhia, known to be close to Modi, is currently principal adviser to Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel.
The prime minister will formally announce the launch of the institute in New Delhi Friday during the inauguration of a two-day SOUL leadership conclave. SOUL will start offering formal leadership programmes from March 2027.
The initial six promoters of SOUL include Sudhir Mehta, Chairman Emeritus, Torrent Group; Deepak Parekh, ex-chairman, HDFC; Dilip Sanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharmaceuticals; Pankaj Patel, Chairman, Zydus Lifesciences; Sajjan Jindal, Chairman, JSW Group; and Uday Kotak, Non-Executive Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank. Mehta has also been appointed chairman of the board of governors.
“The institute is funded through donations from individuals, trusts and CSR contributions. Initial funding commitments have been received from Torrent Power Limited, DSP Investment Managers, HDFC Bank, JSW Foundation, K F Trust, Sun Pharma, and Zydus Lifesciences Limited,” the institute has said in response to a query from ThePrint.
During his Independence Day speech last year, Modi had called for bringing 1 lakh youth into the political system, specifically those with no history of politics in their families.
Modi said this initiative was aimed at fighting the evils of nepotism and casteism and inducting fresh blood into India’s polity.
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‘No affiliation to any govt agency or university, token fee will be charged’
SOUL was conceived in 2020 and construction of its campus will start soon.
The campus will come up over the next two years in a 22-acre site near Gujarat Biotechnology University on GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec) City Road at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore.
The institute says it isn’t affiliated with any government agency or university.
“The aim is to broaden the landscape of political leadership in India through formal training and to include those who rise through merit, commitment, and passion for public service and not just from political lineage,” the institute said in a statement to ThePrint.
The institute’s website says SOUL is designed to equip government and public sector leaders with access to tools, skills and expert insights necessary to navigate the complex challenges of leadership in today’s world.
Until the campus is ready, the institute will initially offer only short-term courses and seminars.
The institute will eventually offer short and long-term specialised leadership programmes ranging from nine to 12 months designed to shape future leaders.
The institute said on its website a “token fee” will be charged to young aspirants to ensure participants’ commitment, with the majority of costs subsidised through donations and sponsorships.
In-service training for public service officials and elected representatives will be free.
The bhoomi poojan, or groundbreaking ceremony, for SOUL’s campus was done by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on 14 February.
While formal programmes will start in 2027, the institute has already started hosting workshops and seminars bringing together public servants, senior bureaucrats and politicians.
It hosted a one-day Chintan Shibir at IIM Ahmedabad to enhance the strategic thinking, leadership and governance capabilities of the Gujarat chief minister’s office staff.
Last February, SOUL held a one-day workshop in the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha to enhance financial literacy among MLAs through an in-depth analysis of the state budget.
It also held a two-day policy workshop in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in July 2024 to discuss the advancement of school education through leadership development, policy implementation and innovation.
It has held lecture series featuring cabinet ministers like railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and industry bigwigs such as Ajay Piramal.
SOUL leadership conclave
Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay will be the guest of honour at the 2-day SOUL leadership conclave where Modi will formally launch the institute Friday.
This event will bring together leaders from across politics, sports, arts and media, the spiritual world, public policy, business and the social sector to talk about their personal leadership journeys in an effort to inspire a new generation of change-makers and leaders.
The speakers include Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, former Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das, and a host of other business leaders.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)