Gitanjali J Angmo
Gitanjali in 2018
Born	(1972-12-27) 27 December 1972 (age 52)
Education	M.B.A (Master of Business Administration) BASc (Bachelor of Applied Science)
Alma mater	Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, India Faker Mohan University, Balasore, India
Occupation(s)	Social Entrepreneur, Educationist.
Organization	Himalayan Institute of Alternative Ladakh (HIAL)

Gitanjali J Angmo (born 27 December 1972) is a social entrepreneur and educationist.^[1][2][3] She is setting up Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), Ladakh, as its Founding CEO & Dean with an Indian engineer, innovator and education reformist Sonam Wangchuk. HIAL is an alternative institute for mountain development that aims to revolutionise higher education in India through the pedagogy of contextual and experiential learning that is trans-disciplinary. She is a Chevening fellow and is the recipient of the Women Transforming India national Award from the Government of India ^[4].

Gitanjali was born in Balasore, Orissa in a Punjabi Jain family. She studied in St. Vincent's Convent School till class 7th and then in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Balasore till class 10th. At the age of 16, she visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry which was to change her life forever. It was during this time she met her mentor, K.D. Sethna, (Amal Kiran),  an 88 year old poet, writer and philosopher who, along with Sri Aurobindo & his spiritual collaborator, Mirra Alfassa also called The Mother became an important influence, in her life.

Gitanjali is the founder & publisher of Helios Books, an independent English publishing house founded in 2009. The vision of Helios Books is bringing out quality books in various genres, in order to showcase the best of India and its forgotten glory and other universal human values to the world ^[5]. Some of the titles published by Helios Books are Wind and the Rain ^[6], Back to the BCs, Sivagami Sapatham, Poorva, First Edition of Savitri and Bot. Kalki's Sivagamiyin Sapatham was translated by author and journalist Pavithra Srinivasan for English readers to enjoy, the English translation of the book was published by Helios Books.^[7] A series of historical fiction based on Ashoka, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana titled "Back to the BCs" was published by Helios Books to kindle interest in Indian History amongst younger generations.^[8]

Gitanjali acquired a majority stake in Auromed (AUM) Hospitals in Pondicherry in 2012 in order to provide affordable, holistic and quality healthcare to all. Since its acquisition AUM Hospitals has developed into a multi speciality transplant & tertiary care centre. Gitanjali has bold dreams to bring about a convergence of alternative & indigenous preventive and curative practices into modern medicine to make healthcare holistic.^[9]

The Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL) is an alternative university located in Leh, Ladakh, India^[10]. Founded in 2017 by Sonam Wangchuk and Gitanjali J Angmo, HIAL aims to inspire learners to explore both external and internal knowledge through innovative education methods^[11].

HIAL emphasizes "Learning by Doing", encouraging students to solve problems using the principles of Bright Head, Kind Heart, and Skilled Hands instead of traditional academic methods^[12]. The institute focuses on sustainable living and environmental harmony, addressing issues faced by mountain communities through research and development.

Courses at HIAL are designed to be highly relevant to the lives of people in the Himalayan region, promoting out-of-the-box solutions to local and global challenges. The institute is known for its unique approach to education, which includes practical application of knowledge and assessment through real-world projects^[13].