The Somaiya School

The Team

  1. Home
  2. The Somaiya School
  3. The Team

Our Leadership Team

Ms. Jyothi Malhotra

Principal

Ms. Jyothi Malhotra holds an MA in English, an MSc (Statistics) with Honors with a B.Ed. She has a total of 15 years of experience in the field of education, serving as an IB PYP Coordinator and Middle School Coordinator for 4 years and teaching in Primary, Secondary and Sr. Secondary sections for 12 years at various institutions, including Meridian School (Hyderabad), W.C.W. Arya Vidya Mandir (Mumbai), and The Somaiya School.

She believes that a teacher must first and foremost be a learner. It takes immense courage, grit and perseverance to learn. Effective educational leadership requires a deep understanding and empathy for students’ experiences and challenges. By establishing meaningful connections with learners, the school creates an inclusive educational environment where students across all grade levels feel valued, supported, and empowered to express themselves authenticallyTo empathise with students, it is important to be able to relate to their struggles and feelings.

Creating a safe space where students of all ages can express themselves freely, where they learn more about who they are, and helping them to explore avenues to become who they aspire to be – that is what The Somaiya School is all about.

Ms. Jasmine Shah

Pre-Primary Coordinator

Jasmine Shah is a passionate and dedicated early childhood educator with over 15 years of experience in the field. An engineer by qualification, she initially worked in the corporate sector for four years before discovering her true calling in education after becoming a mother.

Following her completion of the Early Childhood Care and Education (E.C.C.Ed) program, she began her journey in teaching preschoolers and training aspiring educators. She served as the Academic Head of Beehive, a preschool franchise venture of the Garodia Group of Schools. She later took on the role of School Head at Vivero International Preschool, Powai.

Since 2017, Jasmine has been the Pre-Primary Coordinator at The Somaiya School, where she continues to bring creativity, structure, and care to early years education. In 2018, she participated in a teacher exchange program in Owego, New York, gaining valuable insights into best practices in district schools and the Common Core curriculum.

She has also contributed to school improvement efforts as an internal and external assessor with Adhyayan, an education movement committed to enhancing leadership and learning outcomes in Indian schools.

Ms. Avni Mehta

Primary Coordinator

Avni Mehta is an educator committed to nurturing young minds and creating learner-centric, inclusive, and collaborative environments. With over a decade of experience in education, she has held diverse roles across international schools as a teacher, team leader, and academic coordinator.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, alongside a Bachelor’s in Education and a Teacher Training Certificate in Educational Remedies. Her academic background reflects her deep interest in understanding human behavior and ensuring mental well-being in the learning process.

Avni firmly believes that education must foster equity, empathy, and compassion, particularly for children with special needs, and that schools play a vital role in shaping a just and kind society.

In 2017, she was honored with the Nation Builder Award by the Rotary Club of Mumbai West Zone for her remarkable contributions to the field of education.

For Avni, teaching is both a passion and an art form. She is dedicated to equipping children not just with academic knowledge but with life skills and moral values. Her goal is to develop holistic learners who are socially aware, emotionally resilient, and prepared for global citizenship.

Mr. Mahesh Jain

Secondary School Coordinator
(Grade 6 - 8 )

Mahesh Jain is the Middle School Coordinator at The Somaiya School, Mumbai, bringing over 15 years of teaching experience across CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, and State Boards. He holds a Master’s degree in Physics, B.Ed., M.A. in Education, and Post Graduate Diploma in Management of Education (PGDME).

As a CTET-qualified educator and CBSE Resource Person (2025), Mahesh has trained over 5,000 teachers nationwide through workshops and capacity-building programs. He has also contributed as a school reviewer with Adhyayan Quality Education Services and co-authored a chapter in the book “Futuristic Role of Teachers.” He has also been the Faculty Head of the Science Department and Coordinator of the School Innovation Council, fostering inquiry-based learning and scientific curiosity.

His achievements include winning the Creative Teaching Aid Hackathon (2023, 2020), ranking in the top 10% globally in the Teacher Olympiad (2023), receiving the ICT Award for Academic Enrichment (2021), being named Outstanding Teacher of the Year (2018), Promising Teacher of the Year (2016), and receiving the Excellence in Teaching Award (2015).

Mahesh initiated CRED Talk in 2016, a student-led platform now integral to school culture, empowering learners from Grades 1-12. He currently represents the school as an Innovation Ambassador under the Ministry of Education’s School Innovation Ambassador Program.

Beyond academics, Mahesh holds a certification in Indian classical music (Vocals). He is committed to holistic student development through innovative pedagogical approaches.

Ms Kalyani Vinod

Secondary & Senior Secondary School Coordinator
(Grade 9 - 12 )

Currently serving as the Secondary and Senior Secondary School Coordinator at The Somaiya School, Mrs. Kalyani Vinod brings over a decade of experience in education. Committed to lifelong learning, she holds Master’s degrees in Economics and English, a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration with specialisation in Finance, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Education in Economics and English. She also possesses DOEACC ‘A’ Level -Advanced Diploma in Computer Applications along with a Diploma from the Startup School India Program.

Mrs. Kalyani Vinod was honoured with the Outstanding Excellence and Global Leadership in Quality Education Award (2025), presented by Mr. Nihal Gunarathna, Hon. Secretary, Ministry of Education, Uva Province, Sri Lanka, in the presence of Indian education leaders and change-makers. She has also contributed as a presenter on  virtual platform for the International Project on Capacity Development in Education and has been recognized as a Mentor in the Firki Leadership Program for guiding and inspiring school leaders in their professional learning journeys.

As a CBSE Resource Person, Mrs. Kalyani has led numerous teacher development workshops for in-house faculty and educators from other CBSE-affiliated schools, contributing meaningfully to the professional growth of the teaching community.

Mrs. Kalyani Vinod is committed to delivering practical, meaningful and holistic learning experiences that promote experiential learning and empower students to become confident, responsible and capable individuals.