Born and raised in Jabalpur on the banks of the Narmada, Devika Nadig grew up close to forests that nurtured her lifelong empathy for both nature and learning. With an M.A. in English Literature and B.Ed. from Mumbai University, she began her journey as a teacher in Mumbai and Pune, eventually leading one of Pune’s largest schools—Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao School—as Principal and Academic Director for over 12 years.
In 2008, she co-founded Shikshangan Education Initiatives, an organization dedicated to building teacher capacity and leadership excellence across India’s schools. Over the years, she has trained more than 10,000 teachers and 700 school leaders in urban, rural, and international contexts. Her work focuses on curriculum design, reflective pedagogy, classroom discourse, assessment literacy, and instructional leadership—always guided by her belief that great teaching must be reflective in nature and it should be imbued with coherent understanding of how learning happens in the cognitive brain.
Devika’s practice blends educational research with real-world relevance, drawing on the insights of trailblazing educationists and contemporary thinkers such as John Dewey, Carol Dweck, Robert Marzano, Suzie Pepper Rollins, Suzan Brookhart, John Hattie, Angela Duckworth, Charlotte Danileson , Arthur Costa and Howard Gardner to name a few. She has been a keynote speaker and facilitator at national conferences organized by EduExcellence (IIT Delhi), Wipro Applying Thought in Schools, CBSE Sahodayas as well as the CISCE Council, and has contributed to curriculum development, textbook authoring, and academic audits for schools seeking sustainable growth.
Today, Devika lives in the Sahyadri hill range near Pune, where the Shikshangan Campus hosts residential coaching programs for educators and school leaders. The serene setting reflects her conviction that learning must stay rooted in reflection, nature, and community.
Beyond her professional life, she remains deeply engaged with wildlife conservation, Indian classical music, theatre, and the arts—all of which continue