Steward Leaders

Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia is Chairman of the Apeejay Stya and Svran Group and Apeejay Education and Chancellor of Apeejay Stya University. She is a distinguished leader whose life’s work spans industry, education, and public service. With vision, integrity, and deep commitment to nation-building, she has brought together enterprise, learning, and social responsibility into a single purposeful journey.

As Chairman of the Apeejay Stya and Svran Group, she has guided a diverse set of global enterprises in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, real estate, IT, publishing, and media.

At the helm of Apeejay Education, Mrs. Berlia has championed the cause of quality education with a global outlook. Apeejay Education established more than five decades ago, runs 26 not-for-profit institutions across India, comprising schools and institutions of higher learning. With over 40,000 students, more than 5000 educators and staff members, 85+ programmes, and 60,000 alumni, it provides quality education from Pre-Nursery to Doctoral level.

A woman of many firsts, Mrs Berlia was also the first to lead a multi-state apex chamber of commerce in India, serving as President of PHDCCI in 2005–06. She became the country’s first woman to head her own pharmaceutical company before the age of thirty, leading it through innovation, research, and expansion into new frontiers.

Through her work with ASSOCHAM and other national industry bodies, she has helped shape policies that promote competitiveness, ethical governance, and sustainable growth.

Her leadership has enabled Apeejay institutions to nurture generations of students rooted in values and prepared for the challenges of a changing world.
Equally committed to social causes, she has initiated programmes in skill development, healthcare, and women’s empowerment, and has supported efforts to preserve India’s cultural heritage through education and the arts.

Mrs Berlia has represented India on major global platforms — delivering the keynote address on The Role of Women at the Workplace at the UN World Social Summit in Copenhagen (1995) and addressing the London Global Convention on Corporate Governance and Sustainability at the House of Lords, UK (2022 and 2023).

Her work has been recognised with numerous honours, including the Legendary Shiromani Award for Excellence in Education (U.K., 2022) and the Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors (2023).

She got Lifetime Achievement award by ASSOCHAM and by Universal Mentors Association – both for Promoting Education for Social Cause. Also, Lifetime Achievement Award – by SEPC, Ministry of Commerce & Industry in 2024; and by Times Now in 2025.

Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia has abiding interests beyond the realms of work. She is a voracious reader and loves to travel to new destinations. She is highly reflective and her spiritual pursuits are intertwined in her busy schedules. She is as much focused on achieving as she is on the joy of living and giving.