MUMBAI: In an era where chaos is the new constant and ambiguity is a daily affair, a Hyderabad-based startup is turning eastward for answers to leadership. Aaroha, launched today, is on a mission to reshape leadership development in India through a human-centric lens rooted in Indian philosophy.

Founded by Kalpana Sinha, Haritha Kandalla, and Ketaki Kadekar industry veterans with over 70 years of collective experience, Aaroha brings together wisdom from the Vedas with practical frameworks to help leaders navigate the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world and its newer cousin, BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear, and incomprehensible).

“Traditional leadership models tend to emphasize the individualistic leader, while Indian philosophy talks about a leader as someone who takes the collective along, and that is the need of the hour given the VUCA-BANI world we live in,” said Aaroha co-founder and managing partner Kalpana Sinha. “Our approach redefines a leader to harness their natural strengths of adaptability and flexibility and also embrace an other-in approach towards leadership, which can enable organizations to create sustainable growth, retain key talent and foster innovation in increasingly complex business environments.”

Aaroha’s launch is backed by insights from its India Business Leaders Survey 2025, which drew responses from CXOs of both family-run and professionally managed firms more than half of which clock over 1 billion dollars in revenue. The top concern? Talent acquiring it, retaining it, and building a culture future-ready enough to keep it engaged.

The report revealed that leaders are struggling with tech adoption, accountability, and driving change, even as business expectations evolve faster than annual budgets. The call for leadership that goes beyond KPIs and job descriptions is growing louder.

Aaroha’s flagship offerings include leadership assessments, coaching, capability workshops, and organisational culture interventions. At the heart of it all is a proprietary framework that melds ancient Indian thought, think interdependence, self-awareness, dharma with modern tools for measurable business results.

The firm also focuses on fostering intergenerational collaboration, empowering next-gen talent, and addressing attrition by making purpose and learning part of the everyday leadership experience.

By tapping into India’s philosophical legacy and applying it to modern leadership challenges, Aaroha is scripting a new playbook, one that balances heart and hustle, vision and value. It’s not just about climbing the ladder anymore; it’s about knowing which one to lean on.