Dr. Daphne Pillai is the co-founder of the Pillai Group of Institutions and Chairperson, Management Board, Mahatma Education Society. The Pillai Group of Institutions has over 48 institutions including 5 schools, 11 degree colleges, 5 teacher training institutes and 6 professional colleges in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. In her role as the co-founder in the Pillai Group expansion program, Dr. Daphne Pillai sees herself as both, a custodian of old-world values and an initiator of new-generation change. She is responsible for many collaborative programs with reputed universities in US and other countries. She set up the Research Forum in several Campuses of the Pillai group and is actively involved in implementing curriculum and policy changes, and in ushering in community initiatives for meaningful social change. Prior to this, she was Head, Department of English at Hinduja College, Mumbai. She holds a doctorate in English Literature from Mumbai University. She, along with her husband, Dr. K M Vasudevan Pillai, had the honor of being invited as a part of the Prime Ministerial business delegation at the BRIC-IBSA summit in Rio-de-Janeiro in April 2010. She is well travelled and has a deep understanding of the socio-economic issues affecting women and girls. She is the Founder President of Soroptimist International Bombay Chembur and has initiated and implemented several projects for the upliftment of women including a literacy drive for women in slums. She was awarded the SI- Achiever Award by NASI in December 2012.