A life of quiet ambition and steely resolve has been the blueprint of Niru Agarwal’s life. Proving that stereotype is just a word in the dictionary, she wears several hats with ease, balancing each role with grace and dignity. Be it in the boardrooms of the leading real estate giant, Sattva Group, where she is a director, or among the students of Greenwood High International school, Bengaluru, where she is the Managing Trustee, or on the lawns of her beautiful home, where she is the gregarious hostess to her girl gang, Niru Agarwal has the rare quality of embracing the present and taking life head-on.
The many roles that Niru plays to perfection, is a reflection of her multi-faceted personality. Like the proverbial phoenix she has resurrected herself within her several ‘avatars’, determined to rise above the ordinary circumstances of her childhood, to grab her spotlight on the larger stage that she was destined to shine on. Moving to Bangalore in 1993 post her marriage, the stage was set for her true calling, education, and her tryst with real estate alongside her husband Bijay Agarwal, Managing Director of the Sattva Group.
Indeed, Niru Agarwal is the quintessential small town girl, from a middle class family, who grew up in a small town in Assam, majoring in Economics from Tinsukia University. The serene greenery of her hometown still holds a special place in her heart and she is committed to nature conservation, having planted more than a lakh trees. The verdant greenery of Sattva Group’s own residential projects and Greenwood High’s green campuses, showcase her love for nature. There are two men in her life who shaped her dreams and understandably, it was her father and her husband. Her father a businessman, took inputs from his young daughter who displayed a keen interest in the vagaries of his business. While her husband Bijay Agarwal, was instrumental in honing these early skills, letting her spread her wings and taking her into the echelons of power.
Today, she is a leading educationist and a business leader with several awards to her credit, putting Greenwood High into the spotlight as she takes it to new heights, as one of India’s leading international schools. A passionate educationist, she has dedicated her life to nurturing young minds and raising the bar for academic excellence. The school has 8000 students and two major campuses at Sarjapur ( 40 acres) offering ICSE and IB syllabus and Bannerghatta ( 21 acres) and 7 pre-schools, with many more in the offing across India.
Niru Agarwal has ignited a spirit of creativity and critical thinking among students. By fostering a culture of collaboration and open communication, she has engendered a supportive environment where both students and faculty thrive. Small wonder, that Greenwood High continues to be a trail blazer in education in the country.
Ask her about the significance of Women’s day and Niru Agarwal articulates: “To me, feminism is a philosophy that advocates for the social and economic equality of all genders. Feminism aims to address inequalities and strives to create an equitable society for people of all genders”. Says she, “men and women bring their own unique strengths to the table and one cannot do without the other. Let us create a world where everyone has the freedom to make choices about their own lives, has access to opportunities and resources, and is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their gender. I am indeed fortunate to be in a place where I can help other women, be their voice and flag-bearer and I will continue to do the best I can for them”.
