Guest bio
- Founding Vice Chancellor of Nayanta University in Pune, conceived to fuse Western liberal arts with India's social diversity.
- An engineer and former management consultant, he was dean of SPJIMR and founding dean of BITS School of Management.
- Brings behavioural science and design thinking into business and education, and has published research in Harvard Business Review.
Dr Ranjan Banerjee is the founding Vice Chancellor of Nayanta University in Pune, conceived by some of India's most influential industrialists to fuse the best of Western liberal arts with India's social diversity. Trained as an engineer, he began in management consulting, working with Fortune 500 multinationals and fast-growing Indian start-ups, and moved on through marketing into academic leadership. He was dean of SPJIMR in Mumbai, known for innovative programme design and experiential learning, and founding dean of BITS School of Management in Mumbai. He is respected for bringing behavioural science and design thinking into business and education, and his research has appeared in Harvard Business Review. At Nayanta he has built the university around four Cs: care, curiosity, confidence and careers.
Show notes
Dr Ranjan Banerjee brings a rare blend of empathy, intellect and visionary leadership to this XTRA episode of Money Majlis recorded in Mumbai. As founding Vice Chancellor of Nayanta University, he is pioneering an audacious experiment in Indian higher education-one that elevates inclusion, curiosity, and purpose above conventional metrics. Banerjee’s own eclectic journey, travelling from consulting and marketing to academic stewardship and institution-building, sets the stage for a riveting conversation on how universities can shape not just careers, but character and citizenship.
In this episode, Banerjee evokes the founding vision of Nayanta, a university conceived by some of India’s most influential industrialists determined to build a world-class institution-one that fuses the best of Western liberal arts with India’s vibrant social diversity. He illuminates the “four Cs” at the heart of Nayanta’s philosophy: Care, Curiosity, Confidence, and Careers. For Banerjee, true transformation happens when faculty spend meaningful time with students outside the classroom, and when learning turns from rote memorisation into a journey of discovery. His stories of personal impact-unlocking a student’s self-worth, or fostering radical approachability-reveal an ethos where every learner is seen as special, their stories respected and nurtured.
Banerjee unpacks the power of behavioural economics-how subtle changes in context can dissolve hierarchy and foster a culture of collaboration and care. Through vivid anecdotes, he shows how student achievement can be measured not with a single number, but by curiosity and ambition, and how resilience and purpose have become the most valued skills in the age of AI.
Listeners will hear Banerjee’s reflections on leadership, his insights on equipping students for a world where AI and automation are rewriting the rules, and his belief that excellence arises from pursuing what you truly care about-with money as a happy side effect. Above all, this conversation is an invitation to reimagine education-not as a conveyor belt to jobs, but a movement to inspire changemakers and contributors. You will be challenged to see learning as a lifelong adventure, and legacy as a culture of care, curiosity and impact.
And do remember to join the giving movement of this podcast by visiting moneymajlis.com and redeeming your complimentary GiveCard for a charity closest to your heart.
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