Alka Garg Takes CFO Role; Kanika Kumar Nijhawan Appointed SVP – Marketing at Aakash Educational Services
Aakash Educational Services Limited appoints Alka Garg as Chief Financial Officer and Kanika Kumar Nijhawan as Senior Vice President – Marketing to strengthen leadership and growth strategy.
Punita Thakur 
Alka Garg Takes CFO Role; Kanika Kumar Nijhawan Appointed SVP – Marketing at Aakash Educational Services
Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Alka Garg as Chief Financial Officer and Kanika Kumar Nijhawan as Senior Vice President – Marketing. The appointments reflect the company’s focus on strengthening financial governance, brand strategy, and long‑term growth. AESL is one of India’s leading providers of test preparation services for engineering and medical entrance examinations, with a large network of learning centres across the country.
Strengthening Financial Leadership
Alka Garg Takes Charge as CFO
As Chief Financial Officer, Alka Garg will lead AESL’s finance function and oversee financial strategy, operational efficiency, governance, and long‑term business planning. She brings more than two decades of strategic and operational experience across listed companies and high‑growth startups. Her professional background includes leadership roles across sectors where she worked closely with executive teams to drive sustainable growth and enterprise value. Prior to joining AESL, Garg served as Chief Financial Officer at Yum Restaurants India. She has also held senior positions at Siemens, GreyOrange, Bharti Airtel, and Deloitte.
Focus on Financial Strategy and Governance
In her new role, Garg is expected to strengthen financial discipline, streamline operations, and support AESL’s expansion plans. Her appointment comes at a time when the organization is focused on reinforcing its management structure and improving operational performance.
Driving Brand and Marketing Growth
Kanika Kumar Nijhawan Joins as SVP – Marketing
Kanika Kumar Nijhawan joins the company as Senior Vice President – Marketing, bringing over 17 years of experience across media, retail, and sports sectors. She has extensive expertise in brand building, strategic marketing, digital marketing, and omnichannel engagement. Her role will focus on strengthening the company’s brand presence and deepening engagement with students and parents. Before joining AESL, Nijhawan spent nearly a decade at Adidas India as Director – Brand Marketing. She has also worked with organizations such as HT Media and Sony Entertainment.
Leadership Perspective
Commenting on the appointments, the company’s leadership expressed confidence that both executives will contribute significantly to AESL’s next phase of growth. The organization believes that Garg’s financial expertise combined with Nijhawan’s brand development experience will help accelerate business performance while continuing to deliver high‑quality education to students across India.
About Aakash Educational Services Limited
A Major Player in Test Preparation
Aakash Educational Services Limited is widely known for providing coaching for competitive exams such as NEET and JEE. The company operates hundreds of centres across India and serves hundreds of thousands of students.
Focus on Expansion and Excellence
With a growing student base and expanding national presence, AESL continues to invest in leadership, academic quality, and operational efficiency. The addition of experienced executives to the leadership team reflects the company’s commitment to scaling responsibly while strengthening its brand and academic impact.
