Designing Future: Dr. Niyati Chitkara’s PhD to Playway Revolution

India, October 27, 2025: Featured in Forbes India as one of the nation’s Visionary Entrepreneurs in Education, Dr. Niyati Chitkara stands as a transformative force in modern schooling. As Vice President of Chitkara International Schools, she has crafted ecosystems where learning seamlessly blends play, research, innovation, and global exposure. A dynamic thought leader, she has shared platforms with leading industry experts, policymakers, and educators at prestigious forums, including the Google Viksit Bharat Summit.

In 2014, Dr. Chitkara was chosen as a Bill Gates & Melinda Gates Scholar at TEDActive in Canada, recognition that placed her among the world’s most forward-thinking education reformers. Born on Teacher’s Day, she embodies the vocation of teaching itself, turning education into a mission where learners evolve from curious explorers to capable innovators.

Reimagining Assessment

Her book Assessment Quotient, published internationally by Lambert (Germany), reflects her commitment to reshaping assessment into a multi-dimensional and human-centric process. Her breakthrough also lies in the pioneering PhD to Playway model, a reverse integrated framework that revolutionizes the linearity of traditional schooling. Instead of reserving research, entrepreneurship, and real-world exposure for higher education, she introduces them from the earliest years. Under her leadership, students and teachers have collectively filed more than 18 patents, proof of the innovation that emerges when curiosity is nurtured from the very beginning.

The Four Quotients Philosophy

Equally central to her philosophy is the belief that education must balance intellect with humanity. Dr. Chitkara advances a framework of four quotients, including Intelligence (IQ), Emotional (EQ), Skill (SQ), and Happiness (HQ), ensuring that students emerge not only as skilled professionals but also as empathetic and grounded individuals. This ethos is embedded into the very architecture of her schools, where Knowledge Walkways, Joy Hubs, Learning Studios, and Sustainable Centres inspire creativity, inquiry, and well-being.

Building a Global Footprint

Her vision is global in scope. She has facilitated over 250 international collaborations, building a powerful network of academic and industry partnerships. Through UNESCO MGIEP, she introduced programs on empathy, social-emotional learning, and digital pedagogy. Partnerships with the World Design Council, UK, have integrated design thinking and sustainability into curricula, while alliances with Google, Canva, Adobe, Microsoft, IDP, and Access USA provide her students with exposure to cutting-edge global tools, platforms, and opportunities, preparing them to thrive in a connected, future-ready world.

The Legacy of a Trailblazer

Dr. Niyati Chitkara’s journey is a confluence of scholarship, innovation, and empathy. By crafting progressive policies, designing future-ready curricula, and creating a culture of inquiry, she has nurtured generations of learners who are prepared not just to achieve but to lead. Her legacy lies in ensuring that education is no longer a linear process but a living blueprint, one that shapes the architects of tomorrow.