Atul Temurnikar is the founding Chairman of Global Schools Group (GSG), an initiative of Global Schools Foundation (GSF), a Singapore-based not-for-profit community foundation that currently operates 64 international campuses across Far East, South East Asia, India and Middle East (through presence in 11 countries) to provide high quality international education for Primary to High Schools. 

He also serves as a founding Trustee and Chairman of Singapore-based charitable foundation GLOBAL INDIAN FOUNDATION (GIF) & GLOBAL SCHOOLS FOUNDATION (GSF), a not-for-profit organisation.  

Under his chairmanship GSG has been committed to its mission of providing exceptional education to students in diverse parts of the world through its network of 12 international schools and 64 campuses spread across 11 countries.  

The network educates more than 45,000 students from over 70 nationalities from all over the world. 

A Visionary Leader in Education 

Mr. Atul Temurnikar’s journey in global education began in Singapore in 2002 with the establishment of Global Schools Group with the aim of establishing world-class educational institutions that adhere to the educational needs of expatriates, including the Indian diaspora, and an unwavering commitment to provide opportunities for holistic development.  

The GSG campuses are spread across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, UK and India which provide world class education to over 45,000 students from 70+ nationalities. Japanese students are the 2nd largest group of students at GSG schools followed by Koreans, Americans, Chinese, Emiratis, Saudis, Indians and Vietnamese.  

GSG schools offer the British Cambridge education IGCSE, the International Baccalaureate (IB) education, American curriculum, National Curriculum of England, and Asian curriculum like ICSE and CBSE.   

School results are exceptional with over a 100 students having scored World Topper positions  (45/45) and Near Perfect Scores (44/45). In the IGCSE Cambridge exams, over 900 students have scored A*s and As in 7 or more subjects. GSG students receive offers from world’s leading universities including some of the Ivy League colleges such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, UC Berkeley and others. 

Global Indian International School (GIIS) was the first school to be established in Singapore with CBSE curriculum. GIIS has now grown into a global network of 17 schools in 5 countries that offer a wide array of educational programmes, including the International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), Montessori programme etc. The schools have built a reputation for their academic excellence, all-around development, and commitment to producing globally competitive students. 

As the reach of this premium quality education grew among communities, the schools under GSG grew to include:  

One World International School which offers a rich multicultural and co-educational environment to students to follow in their learning journey in 4 countries;  

Dwight School, Seoul which is the first fully authorised IB continuum school in Seoul with accreditations from Council of International Schools (CIS), East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCS) and New England Association of Schools;   

Heath House Preparatory School, UK which has campuses in London for early childhood and primary students; 

Glendale International School which has presence in 2 countries and teaches American, European, British and Indian curriculum;  

Emirates International School which provides American Common Core curriculum to students in the UAE 

Witty Group of Schools which has presence in 3 Indian cities and teaches Cambridge, ICSE and CBSE curriculum to students;   

Vikaasa Group of Schools which has 5 campuses in India and provides ICSE education  

Regent International School which has presence in four cities in Malaysia with emphasis on virtues, knowledge and competencies of student; 

Harrods International School which has 8 campuses in Cambodia, which strives to develop its students into analytical thinkers and problem solvers;  

Chinese International School Manila which is also accredited by CIS and EARCS offers American Core Curriculum with a unique second language programme in Mandarin across all grades;   

Domuschola International School which became an IB world school in 2017 

In addition to the conventional curriculum, GSG schools place a strong emphasis on value-based education, ensuring that students are not only academically proficient but also well-rounded individuals capable of making meaningful contributions to society. This is done through state-of-the-art facilities, skills-based studios, a diverse cultural environment, and a robust extracurricular programme, all designed to nurture young minds into leaders of tomorrow. 

GSG schools have been recognised by the industry through more than 650 awards in excellence from various reputed organisations including Enterprise Singapore, Malaysia IMC, Asia Pacific Quality Organisation and India’s IMC assessment agencies.  

Entrepreneurial Initiatives 

Atul is a strong advocate of high-quality education that transcends socio-economic boundaries. In the past two decades, Mr Temurnikar has been invited to speak about his entrepreneurial ideas on expert forums as follows:  

• Keynote Speaker at Institute of Directors Webinar, 2020 on Sustainability in the Pandemic Era; Keynote Speaker at Institute of Directors 2019 in London on ‘Board’s Opportunities and Challenges for Corporate Governance’  

• Chairing the digital boardroom panel for Horasis India 2020 meeting on ‘Supporting New Education Ideas’ 

• Thought-leadership articles on New Age Education, Virtual Schools and Schools of the Future 

• Expert Guest on XL Podcast with Graham Brown on Leadership and Agile Thinking in Education
  

Mr Temurnikar is a strong advocate of accessible, high-quality education that transcends socio-economic boundaries. His significant efforts in the education sector include 

• Proposal of metrics-oriented education including the integration of a national education module in all international schools in Malaysia, in his capacity as a Member of the education committee formed by the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia; and  

• Recommendation of changes to the Indian Embassy in Foreign Direct Investment’s (FDI) policies for India’s education sector, which were then implemented by the Government of India. These changes were instrumental in streamlining foreign education providers’ investment in real estate for schools.  

• Appreciated by Singapore authorities for Community-based projects and assistance during Covid-19 pandemic. 
  

He has also been advocate of new emerging education frontiers and his significant efforts in the education sector include: 

• Supporting Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) for development of specialised curriculums for students from weaker sections and other SINDA initiatives with funding of over S$1.25 million 

• Participate as a member of the Schools Sub-committee of the National Integration Committee (NIC) set up by the Government of Singapore to strengthen & reinforce integration initiatives within singapore. 

• To support relocating expats in Singapore and the region, recommendations to India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) & CBSE to introduce an international version of CBSE, which was subsequently approved and a new curriculum called CBSE international was introduced in 2013. 

Awards and Achievements 

Mr Temurnikar’s accolades include:  

• Recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2025 by the President of India for his contributions to International Education and Connect with the Community Read More 

• Recipient of Global Nagpur Awards (GNA) in 2023 Read More 

• APQO President’s award of Excellence (2015) Read More 

• Walter L. Hurd Executive Medal, awarded by the Walter Hurd Foundation USA for demonstrating exceptional adherence to quality within and outside an organisation; 

• Status of Distinguished Fellow from the Institute of Directors, India; and  

• Award of recognition for SINDA in 2006 by Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, for outstanding efforts in social services for the underprivileged in Singapore.  

• Distinguished Fellow” of Institute of Directors (2014)
  

CSR and Philanthropy Activities 

Philanthropy has been high on the GSG agenda under Mr Temurnikar. Under his leadership, the foundation has contributed generously to the cause of education, and to help vulnerable sections of the society. Some of the measures taken include: 

• Setting up and operating residential school for tribal students in Gujarat (Tilakwada near Baroda) which has become a role model of the PPP schools for tribal education that has not only delivered 100% pass results but also produced national level champions in Archery sports.  

• Donations to the tune of S$1,300,000 towards assisting Indian community students in Singapore from underprivileged backgrounds, and who need support to continue their education.  

• Contributions of over S$300,000 towards Community Centres in Singapore  

• Contributions of over S$200,000 to  PM CARES FUND in India, to assist in the fight against Covid-19 and related problems. 

• Global Financial Assistance Scheme for employees, who may have experienced loss of income during this Covid crisis, resulting in a financial setback for the family.  

• Annual charity drives by GIIS schools in each country of domicile, to encourage universal values among students and help the underprivileged. 

Personal Information 

A qualified engineer, Mr Temurnikar graduated from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in Nagpur, India before completing a Masters in Management from the University of East London. He ventured into the education sector after a 14-year corporate stint with highly reputable global organizations such as IBM and HCL Technologies. 

At IBM, he served as Country Manager for retail industry solutions and led e-commerce applications across South East Asia, capturing 70% market share.  

In addition to his role as an influential educator, Mr. Temurnikar has worked relentlessly to strengthen the ties between India and its diaspora, making this award a fitting tribute to his far-reaching impact.