Dr. S. K. Rathor: Building a Stronger Beginning Through Early Childhood Education

For Dr. S. K. Rathor, entrepreneurship has always been closely connected with education and the belief that the early years of a child’s life can shape how they learn, think and understand the world. His journey began with an interest in making preschool education more engaging, experiential and child centric.

Alongside his wife and Co Founder, Mrs. Kavita Rathor, he worked on a vision to create a stronger foundation for young learners, which eventually became Sanfort Group of Schools.

When Sanfort began, preschool education in India was still developing, and Dr. Rathor saw an opportunity to move beyond conventional teaching methods. His aim was to create an environment where children could ask questions, participate, experiment and learn through experiences. For him, early education should not become a race for academic achievement, but should help children develop academically, emotionally, socially and personally.

Today, Sanfort Group of Schools has grown to more than 300 schools across India and neighbouring countries. The institution focuses on early childhood education through a child centric and experiential model. Technology has also been introduced into the learning experience through initiatives such as Touch 'n' Learn and an Augmented Reality based curriculum. Dr. Rathor believes technology should remain a tool that encourages curiosity while human interaction continues to remain central to a child's development.

One of the biggest challenges has been maintaining the original philosophy while growing across hundreds of locations. For Dr. Rathor, expansion brings questions around consistency, teacher development, quality and the learning experience offered to every child. His answer has been to keep returning to the fundamentals and ask what is genuinely best for the child.

Family has remained an important part of his journey. The original vision for Sanfort came from Mrs. Kavita Rathor, whose desire to give children a stronger educational foundation became the starting point for the institution. Their shared purpose has helped the organisation grow over the years.

Dr. Rathor places strong importance on teachers, believing they are central to how children experience education. Teacher training, responsibility and understanding each child's needs form an important part of the Sanfort philosophy.

His future vision is to take quality early childhood education to smaller cities and rural areas while also entering international markets. For Dr. Rathor, success is not simply about the number of schools, but about creating better learning experiences for children.

His message to entrepreneurs is simple: find a genuine need, remain patient, keep learning and never lose sight of the purpose behind the work. As he puts it, “The first few years play an important role in shaping how children learn, think and understand the world around them.”