Geeta Dharmarajan has spent her life championing education and social equity. A journalist by training, she became one of India’s foremost educators when she founded Katha in 1988, driven by her belief that stories have the power to change lives.
1988 – 2024
Katha, Founder & President
Continues as President of Katha guiding the mission and impact, transforming the lives of over 1 million underserved children and 80,000 teachers across India through quality education and the love of reading
2016 – 2024
300 Million Citizens Challenge, Founder
A Katha initiative aimed at bringing quality education to 300 million underserved children across India by empowering communities through reading and literacy programs.
2016 – 2024
StoryPedagogy®, Creator
Pioneered the StoryPedagogy® method, empowering underserved children and women through education, and continues to champion social equity by fostering sustainable change in communities through storytelling and learning.
1988 – 2016
Katha, Founder & Executive Director
Founded Katha, with a vision to bridge the literature-literacy divide by publishing quality books and by bringing quality education to underserved children
Her early work as an editor and writer allowed her to craft narratives that would later be used to address real-world problems such as illiteracy, gender inequality, and poverty.
1966 – 2024
Writer
Published over 400 titles, making literature accessible to diverse audiences, especially children and women from marginalized communities.
2011 – 2013
Bal Bhavan, Chairman [Honorary]
Directed national programs for children, fostering creativity, arts, and cultural education at Bal Bhavan, India’s premier institution for children’s development.
1985 – 1987
INTACH, Project Manager
Led cultural heritage initiatives with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), focusing on preserving India’s diverse cultural legacy.
1983 – 1985
Pennsylvania Gazette, Assistant Editor
Wrote on mavericks and scholars doing fresh and interesting research at UPenn. As also on path-breaking work of Penn Alumni.
1981 – 1983
Target Magazine, Assistant Editor
Wrote engaging, youth-centric stories to nurture young minds.