Monica Malhotra Kandhari of MBD Group identifies a critical shortage of teachers as India's primary educational challenge, asserting that technology like AI cannot compensate for inadequate student-teacher ratios which hinder personalized attention, and advocates for increased government-private collaboration to establish more quality schools, train more teachers, and improve access to affordable education, further detailing MBD Group's commitment to this vision through initiatives like the AASOKA Science Kit Distribution and plans for their own school chain, while MBD Alchemie CEO Praveen Singh emphasizes that printed textbooks will remain relevant due to affordability and accessibility barriers to a fully digital education, and that AI should augment, not replace, traditional learning methods.

Monica Malhotra Kandhari of MBD Group identifies a critical shortage of teachers as India's primary educational challenge, asserting that technology like AI cannot compensate for inadequate student-teacher ratios which hinder personalized attention, and advocates for increased government-private collaboration to establish more quality schools, train more teachers, and improve access to affordable education, further detailing MBD Group's commitment to this vision through initiatives like the AASOKA Science Kit Distribution and plans for their own school chain, while MBD Alchemie CEO Praveen Singh emphasizes that printed textbooks will remain relevant due to affordability and accessibility barriers to a fully digital education, and that AI should augment, not replace, traditional learning methods.

Monica Malhotra Kandhari of MBD Group identifies a critical shortage of teachers as India's primary educational challenge, asserting that technology like AI cannot compensate for inadequate student-teacher ratios which hinder personalized attention, and advocates for increased government-private collaboration to establish more quality schools, train more teachers, and improve access to affordable education, further detailing MBD Group's commitment to this vision through initiatives like the AASOKA Science Kit Distribution and plans for their own school chain, while MBD Alchemie CEO Praveen Singh emphasizes that printed textbooks will remain relevant due to affordability and accessibility barriers to a fully digital education, and that AI should augment, not replace, traditional learning methods.

Artificial intelligence may be transforming classrooms across the world, but Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director of MBD Group, believes India's biggest education challenge is far more fundamental: the country does not have enough teachers to provide meaningful attention to every child.

Speaking exclusively to THE WEEK, Kandhari said that while AI, digital platforms and blended learning will increasingly shape classrooms, technology cannot compensate for an inadequate student-teacher ratio.

“The teacher remains the person who can change learning outcomes. Technology can support the classroom, but it cannot replace a teacher's understanding of every child's needs,” she said, stressing that improving the student-teacher ratio should be a national priority if India wants better educational outcomes.

Kandhari pointed out that even many of the country's better schools have classrooms with 40 to 50 students, while several government schools continue to grapple with overcrowding and limited teaching staff. She said the challenge is not unique to India, but India's vast student population makes it significantly more complex.

Calling for greater collaboration between the government and the private sector, she argued that India needs more quality schools, more trained teachers and wider access to affordable education. She also advocated greater private participation in school education, saying increased capacity would improve access and make quality education more affordable over time.

“We need more schools, more colleges and, above all, more trained teachers,” she said.

The remarks came as MBD Group launched Ashok Samvad, a national leadership conclave organised on the 81st birth anniversary of the group's founder, Ashok Kumar Malhotra. Held under the banner of Ashok Karya, the company's social impact movement, the conclave brought together educators, entrepreneurs, innovators and school leaders to deliberate on leadership, education and social transformation.

Alongside the conclave, the group announced the Rs 2.5-crore AASOKA Science Kit Distribution Initiative, which aims to reach 400 schools across India and benefit around 25,000 Grade VI students. Designed primarily for budget schools lacking laboratory infrastructure, the initiative will provide hands-on science kits, printed learning material, digital support videos and teacher training. The company is also considering expanding the programme to 800 schools in the coming years.

Kandhari also outlined MBD Group's next phase of growth, revealing plans to establish the company's own chain of schools while expanding its hospitality business with 15 new hotels, including Radisson Blu and Radisson Collection properties managed under its master franchise arrangement. She said the group would continue investing in AI-supported educational products, digital learning platforms and updated curriculum resources to keep pace with changing classroom needs.

While Kandhari focused on structural reforms in education, Praveen Singh, CEO of MBD Alchemie, argued that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence does not signal the end of printed textbooks.

“Print will continue to win in India over the next ten years,” Singh told THE WEEK, saying affordability and accessibility remain the biggest barriers to an entirely digital education ecosystem. Although smartphones are widespread, he noted that millions of students still do not have individual access to digital devices, making printed books indispensable for the foreseeable future.

Singh said the AASOKA Science Kit initiative evolved from MBD's earlier “Robotics Lab on Wheels” programme and was designed to ensure that every child, not just a handful of students, can perform science experiments individually. He added that AI should complement education rather than replace it, while parents and teachers must help children develop responsible technology habits.