New Delhi: Hailed as one of the most powerful thought-leadership gatherings of the year – The Sanawar Success Summit 2026, was held on a crisp, sunlit Saturday at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC), 15 Janpath, New Delhi. Organised by The Old Sanawarian Society (OSS), the alumni association of The Lawrence School, Sanawar, one of the world’s oldest co-educational boarding schools, the Summit brought together exceptional minds for a day of high-impact conversations, insights, and inspiration.
The Summit commenced with a warm and elegant Chhota Haziri, a traditional high tea, setting the tone for the day ahead. This was followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the Board of Governors of the Sanawar Society. The formal proceedings began with a welcome address by Pankaj Sapru, Immediate Past President, OSS, followed by a keynote address from Vipin Sondhi, Former MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland; Ex-Chairman, JCB India & TAFE. The gathering was further enriched by remarks from the Chief Guest, Sanjay Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, and Chairman, Board of Governors.
The Summit witnessed an energetic and impactful start with one of Sanawar’s distinguished alumni, emcee of the programme and also a prominent name in the business world, Gaurav Bhagat, Founder and Managing Director, Consortium Gifts, and a leading skill-training expert, who set the momentum with his engaging presence and insightful observations.
The first panel featured an eminent line-up of speakers, including Vandana Mohan, Founder & Director, The Wedding Design Company; Armeet Sandhu, Managing Partner, MSB Docs; Former CEO, Stoneware Systems Inc.; Ajeet Bajaj, Padma Shri Awardee, renowned mountaineer and Managing Director, Snow Leopard Adventures; renowned agripreneur Jang Bahadur Singh Sangha, widely recognised as the Potato King of India and leader of one of India’s largest potato and maize farming enterprises; and Dushyant Chautala, Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana (2019–2024).
Subsequent sessions throughout the day featured an extraordinary roster of speakers spanning defence, diplomacy, policy, business, academia, healthcare, technology, sustainability, and the arts. These included Lt Gen Ajai Singh, Former Commander-in-Chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command and Independent Director, DLF Ltd; Yashish Dhaiya, Founder & Group CEO, Policybazaar; critically acclaimed Bollywood costume designer and National Film Award winner Niharika Bhasin; Dr Tarun Batra, Cancer Surgeon and Associate Professor, Banaras Hindu University; Rajeev Ahal, Director, Natural Resource Management & Agroecology, GIZ India; Taranjit Sandhu, Diplomat and Former Ambassador of India to the United States and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka; Shaila Brijnath, Founder & Chairperson, Aasraa Trust; Arun Maira, Former Member, Planning Commission of India; Akshay Dalal, Head of Regional Risk, Compliance and Ethics – Google (Middle East, Turkey & Africa); Gaurav Raina, Professor, IIT Madras and Research Fellow, Cambridge University; Ruby Garg, Director, Indus Group; Surbhi Garg, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax; Vivek Mehra, Senior Partner, PwC (Retd.) and Director on the boards of HT, DLF, Vaillant Pharma and Chambal Fertiliser; and Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group.
The day-long Summit stood out for its depth and diversity of discourse, featuring insightful discussions on education, leadership, the future of work, youth mentorship, governance, and the intersection of creativity with institution-building. The event concluded with a closing address by Brigadier Adarsh Butail, President, The Old Sanawarian Society, bringing to a close an intellectually enriching and purpose-driven gathering that reaffirmed Sanawar’s enduring legacy of leadership and excellence.