ABOUT MITRAz
At MITRAz (M oulding I ntellect through TR aining And Z eal ), is a Sec.12AA-registered public charitable trust formed in 2017 in Puttaparthi, Anantapur Dist. Andhra Pradesh. The founders and the Director have a rich experience in volunteering and value-based initiatives of Education, under the Sathya Sai group of institutions. As passionate educationists, we provide skill development courses (free of cost) to students from rural backgrounds.
MITRAz Skill aims to uplift young lives by providing standardized skill training for those who have basic education, to become self-sufficient. It is a project that is first of its kind in Puttaparthi which focuses on imparting a blend of technical skills, soft skills and human values.
In essence, MITRAz is not only committed to creating confident/ transformed rural youth but also rural communities.
As an NGO working at the grassroots level in rural India, we continuously identify and initiate numerous service activities to deal with pressing community problems that require immediate attention.
In our pursuit towards social work to serve our community, we launched First Steps- Connect, Grow, Bond Program on 19th January for year 9-12 Government School students with a focus on skilling them. The vision of MITRAz Foundation is to bring about a sustainable change in the lives of young men and women through an innovative curriculum that helps develop careers. We wish to focus on career guidance (through counsellors and personality development modules) so that the participants can chart out their success journey. Link to First Steps – Connect, Grow, Bond page
Starting April 2023, we have extended MITRAz Skills training in IT and Analytics sector co-branding with interested Analytics / Consulting firms in Corporate India. At MITRAz, we see great opportunities in this domain and are keen on creating a program that would help usher change for businesses.
Driven by a determined spirit of seva, we are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to engage meaningfully with our community and make the world a better place.
Our deepest gratitude to our Corporate Sponsors and Well-Wishers for supporting our MITRAz Skills Program. We could not have achieved our goals without your never ending support and encouragement.
1. Tata Trusts for FY 2019-2021
2. Titan Company for FY 2021-2022
3. Zoho Corporation for FY 2022-2024
1. Tata Trusts for FY 2019-2021
2. Titan Company for FY 2021-2022
3. Zoho Corporation for FY 2022-2024
ABOUT MITRAz
At MITRAz (M oulding I ntellect through TR aining And Z eal ) we believe that societal transformation can happen only when we work for change at the grassroots level. As passionate educationists with vast experience in social work, we provide skill development courses (free of cost) to students from rural backgrounds.
- All our technical training is blended with soft skills enhancement and the inculcation of human values for a holistic learning experience.
- Our endeavour is to create a community of self-sufficient and service-driven youth who can secure good jobs, enjoy a better quality of life, and give back to society.
- Since our inception we have spearheaded several green initiatives in and around Puttaparthi and have zealously taken up various social causes for the betterment of our community.
Our Inspiration
- HE taught us that every individual should take responsibility to transform himself first and by example, change the world.
- HE ingrained in us the spirit of seva, for we must be sevaks before we can be leaders.
- HE nurtured in us, a love for the fellowman, as a way of expression of our love for God.
- HE believed in us unconditionally so that we may believe in ourselves and rise to be worthy of the Trust.
- HE exhorted us to give back to the community, it was not an option, it was a duty for we grow by receiving from others.
- Like a drillmaster, he practised what he taught and sowed the values the fruits of which we cherish today.
- To you, Swami, our true Mitr, we dedicate our efforts to bring hope to every home.
- May our work be your Message and your word, our inspiration.
Vision
To build a responsible, caring & service-driven community by channelizing the inherent potential in individuals towards societal transformation.
MISSION
To enrich the lives of individuals by empowering them with skills, a continuous learning approach to life and a larger commitment to serve the society through inculcation of human values.
Values
- We believe in
- Integrity
- Excellence
- Commitment
- Openness
- Caring
Vision
To build a responsible, caring & service-driven community by channelizing the inherent potential in individuals towards societal transformation.
MISSION
To enrich the lives of individuals by empowering them with skills, a continuous learning approach to life and a larger commitment to serve the society through inculcation of human values.
Values
We believe in
Integrity Excellence Commitment Openness
Caring
In addition to the vision and mission, our work is driven by a set of core values. These core values are our foundation and it defines who we are and what we do.
We encourage MITRAites to internalise and practice these core values.
We encourage MITRAites to internalise and practice these core values.
- Commitment
- At MITRAz, we are committed to providing a conducive environment that stimulates learning, empowering the rural youth and the community.
- Excellence
- At MITRAz, excellence is a way of life. We strive to provide best-in-class learning for our participants and finest quality of life for our communities.
- Integrity
- At MITRAz, we serve a variety of stakeholders and are accountable to all. We demonstrate integrity in every word, action and deed. We also demonstrate through the unwavering commitment to the community through a host of community initiatives.
- Caring
- At MITRAz, we demonstrate caring by developing a shared purpose, mission and vision with our stakeholders. We also aim to provide outstanding developmental opportunities for our people.
Our team
Our Foundation is entirely driven by us, MITRAites, on the strategic direction by Trustees, wisdom of our Advisors, supportive donors and our motivated staff and volunteers, all of them committed towards our vision.
Prof Sharada Subramanian
She is the founding Trustee and Chairperson of the Foundation. With a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Central University, Pondicherry, she is currently an Associate Professor in Philosophy at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Puttaparthi, of which she is also an alumna. Additionally, she is also the Warden of the Institute’s women’s campus at Anantapur. For over 25 years, she has been associated with an integrated approach to free education and has been a mentor to young girl students in the campus.
Seshu Prasad
- Trustee
Seshu is currently the Senior Manager (Supply Chain) at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield, Bangalore. He has been Executive Assistant to the Director of Sri Sathya Sai Super-specialty Hospital at Puttaparthi. He believes in the value of relationships and networking and brings the combination of quality, team spirit and leadership to the team.
Dr Kavitha Ranganthan
- Trustee
Kavitha is the Associate Dean of Research and Chairperson of the Doctoral Program at T.A.Pai Management Institute, Manipal and an alumna of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. She worked at NISM, Mumbai, in policy research, initiated by SEBI and was Research Officer, Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission of the Ministry of Finance. She brings a deep analytic rigor and academic mentoring skills for the developmental needs of youth.
Prof Madhu Veeraraghavan
- Trustee
Prof Madhu Veeraraghavan is the Pro Vice Chancellor of [Management, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences], MAHE Manipal and MAHE Bengaluru Campus since April 01, 2023. He also holds the position of T A Pai Chair Professor of Finance at T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) and Dr. TMA Pai Endowment Chair in Management Research. He held the position of Director, TAPMI from 2017 to 2023.
Professor Veeraraghavan’s research interests are in the areas of Behavioural Finance, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance and the interplay between Auditing and Finance. He is a referee for several leading accounting and finance journals. He has published over 50 papers in international journals and has presented his work at top conferences in finance and accounting.
He is a member of the Editorial Advisory and Review Board of the Accounting Theory and Practice (Elsevier) and Co-Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics (JCAE). Professor Veeraraghavan has won many awards for his work in both National and International Conferences. Recently, he has been ranked 180 (Breadth 12, meaning the ranking is based on publications in the top accounting journals in the last 12 years) in the World in the Brigham University 2022 Accounting Research Rankings for his contributions to accounting research.
Professor Veeraraghavan’s research interests are in the areas of Behavioural Finance, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance and the interplay between Auditing and Finance. He is a referee for several leading accounting and finance journals. He has published over 50 papers in international journals and has presented his work at top conferences in finance and accounting.
He is a member of the Editorial Advisory and Review Board of the Accounting Theory and Practice (Elsevier) and Co-Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics (JCAE). Professor Veeraraghavan has won many awards for his work in both National and International Conferences. Recently, he has been ranked 180 (Breadth 12, meaning the ranking is based on publications in the top accounting journals in the last 12 years) in the World in the Brigham University 2022 Accounting Research Rankings for his contributions to accounting research.
Dr Madhuri Jagadeesh
- Trustee
Dr. Madhuri Jagadeesh has worked as a Senior Physiotherapist for 27 years in the US and is currently a freelance Physiotherapist in Puttaparthi.
She brings a strong people connect, professional approach and
visualization abilities for the conception of projects. She has a keen understanding of the needs of specially-abled children and youth and has a fervent drive for community development.
Prof U.S. Rao
- Advisory Panel
He is the former Dean of the School of Business Management and Finance and a former Principal of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthi Nilayam. Having worked in senior management capacities with Jyoti Labs, Alfa Laval, L & T etc, he brings a unique combination of consulting experience from the industry and academic expertise. He is the chief advisor to the team.
Shyam Mohan
- Advisory Panel
Shyam Mohan is the Founder & CEO of Tier 1 Network, an agribusiness company built around smallholder farmer communities. A gold-medalist from the Oberoi School of Management and an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, he was the President and Managing Director for Griffith Foods Inc. for India and the Middle East. With a global footprint of leadership roles in F & B, hospitality and agriculture, he was responsible for backward integration program to the farms and sustainable sourcing of spices. His main focus is to improve the lives of smallholder farmers and making their contributions rewarding and fulfilling.
Jagadeesh
- Advisory Panel
Jagadeesh has worked as a Senior Software Consultant for CISCO Systems, US and brings technical expertise and mentoring ability for youth. He has a strong detailing ability, an avid interest in DIY/vocational skills and a passion for philanthropy. His relentless determination and unconditional support has been instrumental in nurturing the project from the beginning.
Hari Narayan
- Advisory Panel
He is the CEO of Manipal Foundation and Sr VP, MEMG International India Ltd. He has over 37 years of experience across various industries in Investment Management, Corporate Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions including divestitures, Investment Banking, Corporate and Structured finance. As part of the Manipal Group Chairman’s office, he currently oversees and mentors early-stage Investments, is leading the initiative to set up a school of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, drives special initiatives and is a board member of investee companies in Home Care, Diagnostics. These years of expertise in the field of health and education has made him equipped him in curating innovative initiatives for the CSR wing of the group in areas of rural education and healthcare.
Dr. Mrutyunjay Mahapatra
- Advisor
He is a senior Banker, Digital Transformer, Strategic Advisor, Public Speaker, Professor of Practice, Fintech Mentor, Governance and Strategic consultant, Member of Corporate Boards. Last full-time employment was as CEO of one of the oldest and trusted large Banks of India and is credited with all-round transformation of the Bank. Member of the Governing Council of RBI Innovation Hub and Board of Supervision of NABARD, Member of Insurance Advisory Council of India.
As Head of Strategy and Chief Digital Officer, he headed global strategy, payments, transactions, and transformation programmes of SBI. Prior to that he was CIO of the bank and led IT, Data and Analytics, innovation of India’s largest Bank and SBI Group. He is active in Public speaking, writing columns in newspapers and periodicals, working on boards, long distance running and mentoring. A violin enthusiast and he plays Hindustani classical style of violin.
As Head of Strategy and Chief Digital Officer, he headed global strategy, payments, transactions, and transformation programmes of SBI. Prior to that he was CIO of the bank and led IT, Data and Analytics, innovation of India’s largest Bank and SBI Group. He is active in Public speaking, writing columns in newspapers and periodicals, working on boards, long distance running and mentoring. A violin enthusiast and he plays Hindustani classical style of violin.
Murali Sundararajan
- Advisor
Murali Sundararajan is the Chief Information Officer for Victoria’s Secret & Co., where he provides strategic vision and direction for all global technology efforts across stores, e-commerce, infrastructure, security and enterprise operations.
Murali has an established career in retail technology. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President for digital, stores, web infrastructure and technology innovation for VS&Co. He played an integral role in developing the business’ e-commerce platform, mobile and store applications, as well as support for stores nationally and internationally.
Prior to this, Murali held various leadership positions at L Brands, where he was responsible for the development of e-commerce platforms, mobile and store applications for Victoria’s Secret, PINK and Bath & Body Works. He also spent 15 years at Lowe’s Inc. as the director of infrastructure and integration architecture. During his tenure at Lowe’s, the retailer grew from $10B in annual revenues to nearly $70B.
Murali has served on the Board of Victoria’s Secret India Private Limited, the company’s Bangalore home office location, Board member in ANSR since 2023, and is a Customer Advisory Board member for Mad Street Den, computer vision and Artificial Intelligence Company.
Murali has an established career in retail technology. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President for digital, stores, web infrastructure and technology innovation for VS&Co. He played an integral role in developing the business’ e-commerce platform, mobile and store applications, as well as support for stores nationally and internationally.
Prior to this, Murali held various leadership positions at L Brands, where he was responsible for the development of e-commerce platforms, mobile and store applications for Victoria’s Secret, PINK and Bath & Body Works. He also spent 15 years at Lowe’s Inc. as the director of infrastructure and integration architecture. During his tenure at Lowe’s, the retailer grew from $10B in annual revenues to nearly $70B.
Murali has served on the Board of Victoria’s Secret India Private Limited, the company’s Bangalore home office location, Board member in ANSR since 2023, and is a Customer Advisory Board member for Mad Street Den, computer vision and Artificial Intelligence Company.
Savitha Ranganathan
- Secretary
She is an alumna of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Puttaparthi, is the Secretary of the Foundation and heads the Skill Development project as Director. She has been a teacher and a Course Co-ordinator for training the unskilled youth in communication skills and personality development. During this phase, the passion to train youth towards success in life was kindled. She feels strongly about the needs of under-skilled youth for good jobs and also for a general positive direction in life.
