Anand Kumar is one of India’s most inspiring educators and social reformers, globally renowned for his revolutionary Super 30 initiative. From a modest home in Patna to recognition on international platforms, his journey is a compelling narrative of resilience, purpose, and transformation through education.
A mathematics genius with a heart rooted in service, Anand Kumar has made it his mission to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. In 2002, he launched Super 30, a unique and pathbreaking program that selects 30 meritorious students from underprivileged backgrounds every year and provides them with free, world-class coaching, food, and lodging to help them crack the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), India’s most prestigious engineering institutions.
His track record is extraordinary: by 2018, 422 out of 510 students coached by him had successfully entered IITs. What makes this achievement remarkable is not just the academic rigor, but the socio-economic adversity these students rise above with Anand Kumar’s mentorship lighting the path forward.
Despite receiving offers of support from governments and private entities, Anand Kumar has consistently declined external funding to ensure the purity and independence of his mission. Super 30 is sustained solely by the modest tuition fees from his Ramanujan School of Mathematics, and the unwavering support of his family where his mother cooks for the students, and his brother handles administration.
Anand Kumar’s work has captured global attention. He has been invited to speak at prestigious institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford University, IIM Ahmedabad, Tokyo University, and Cambridge University ironically, a place where he was once selected for admission but couldn’t attend due to financial hardship. He has been featured by the Discovery Channel, BBC, The New York Times, and Newsweek, which included Super 30 in its list of the world’s four most innovative schools. Time Magazine listed him in the Best of Asia 2010, and his initiative was praised by President Obama’s envoy as the “best institute” in the country.
In 2023, Anand Kumar was honored with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards, for his outstanding contribution to literature and education. He has also received accolades such as the Limca Book of Records, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar, Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar, and the Ramanujan Mathematics Award.
His personal story is equally powerful. Born into a financially challenged family, Anand lost his father at a young age and was unable to pursue his dream of studying at Cambridge due to poverty. Instead of succumbing to life’s setbacks, he chose to uplift others. In recent years, he has battled acoustic neuroma, a rare brain tumor, yet continues his mission undeterred proving that true leadership is built on sacrifice, not status.
His life inspired the 2019 Bollywood film “Super 30”, starring Hrithik Roshan, which brought his story to millions across the globe.
Anand Kumar is not just a speaker, he is a storyteller, a change-maker, and a movement in himself. His sessions are a masterclass in grit, purpose-driven action, and social innovation. With warmth and humility, he brings alive the untapped potential that lies in the margins of society and how belief, compassion, and perseverance can rewrite destinies.
From Chalkboard to Change: The Super 30 Story
Social Innovation: Empowering India’s Hidden Geniuses
Resilience and Purpose: Lessons from My Journey
Rethinking Education for Inclusion and Equity
Building Grit: How to Succeed Against All Odds
Entrepreneurship of the Heart: Creating Impact with Integrity
Corporate CSR Events
Educational Conferences
Youth Summits
Leadership Retreats
DEI Panels
Inspirational Keynotes
Anand Kumar continues to travel globally, sharing his vision of an inclusive, compassionate, and excellence-driven society. His presence at your event will not just inspire, but ignite a call to action for lasting change.
