Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), one of India’s leading test preparation companies for medical and engineering entrance exams, has announced two senior leadership appointments as part of its efforts to strengthen its management team. The company has appointed Alka Garg as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Kanika Kumar Nijhawan as Senior Vice President – Marketing. These appointments are aimed at further professionalising the organisation and supporting its next phase of growth.
Alka Garg Takes Charge as CFO
Alka Garg brings over 22 years of experience across listed companies and high-growth startups. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with founders, CEOs, and executive teams to drive business expansion, improve profitability, and build sustainable growth models. At AESL, she will lead the finance function and focus on financial strategy, operational efficiency, governance frameworks, and long-term growth planning.
Before joining Aakash, Garg served as CFO at Yum Restaurant India, where she played a key role in shaping the financial strategy for the KFC brand and improving business performance. She has also held leadership roles at Siemens, GreyOrange, Bharti Airtel, and Deloitte, gaining cross-industry experience.
Kanika Kumar Nijhawan to Lead Marketing
Kanika Kumar Nijhawan joins AESL with more than 17 years of experience across media, retail, and sports sectors. She brings strong expertise in brand building, digital marketing, performance marketing, and omnichannel engagement strategies.
Prior to joining Aakash, she spent nearly a decade at Adidas India, where she served as Director – Brand Marketing. She has also worked with HT Media and Sony Entertainment earlier in her career.
Leadership Changes at AESL
These appointments come months after Deepak Mehrotra, Managing Director and CEO of Aakash, resigned from his position in August last year. He had taken on the role in April 2024 and exited after 16 months.
About Aakash Educational Services
Aakash Educational Services specialises in preparing students for competitive exams, including medical entrance exam NEET, engineering entrance exam JEE, and other competitive exams such as NTSE and Olympiads. The company operates a nationwide network of more than 415 centres and currently has over 400,000 enrolled students across India.
With new leadership in finance and marketing, AESL appears focused on strengthening its operational foundation while continuing to expand its footprint in India’s competitive test preparation market.
-By Shivani Solanki
