At Business Outreach, we believe true leadership is not defined by titles or power, but by the courage to act when it matters most. Some people overcome the odds; others use their story to change the odds for millions. Anoop Maurya belongs to the latter. A changemaker whose journey is redefining leadership from the grassroots, Anoop represents a rising wave of hope and action in India’s youth-led transformation. His work bridges the forgotten villages with the nation’s power corridors, crafting a future where every child, no matter their background, can dream audaciously—and find the support to achieve it.
Today, we are proud to feature Anoop Maurya—a name that is steadily becoming synonymous with grassroots transformation and leadership in India. Hailing from a small village in Uttar Pradesh, Anoop grew up witnessing the powerful role of government schemes like MGNREGA and the Public Distribution System (PDS) in sustaining families around him. This early exposure seeded in him a lifelong belief: government, if steered wisely, can be a force for dignity, opportunity, and justice.
He is a first-generation learner in every sense—no family legacy in education, no financial cushion—and yet, he has blazed a trail of excellence entirely on scholarships. Motivated by a burning desire to uplift others, Anoop came to Delhi on 17th June 2011 with a dream and a ₹152 train ticket in hand. He stood in the train’s general coach for 11 hours, and with no money for food or lodging, took shelter at a Gurdwara. Eventually, scholarships gave him access to a hostel, nutritious food, and world-class education for the first time. These experiences didn’t make him bitter—they made him determined.
“When I sit on a plane or sign cheques worth lakhs today, I still feel deeply grateful,” Anoop reflects. “I think of everyone who helped me get here—and feel that the only real way to give back is to help others rise too.”
And that’s exactly what he’s done. Today, Anoop personally mobilizes over ₹5 crores annually to support education, women, and youth development initiatives. Through his leadership, over 100 high-potential students from underserved communities gain access each year to the most expensive and prestigious colleges in India—institutions they would never have imagined reaching on their own.
But Anoop didn’t stop at individual success. In 2015, he founded Bharat Navodaya Abhiyan (BNA)—a national movement to identify, support, and prepare high-impact leaders from India’s most marginalized communities. As National President of BNA, he leads a growing network of changemakers across rural India, built on the belief that no child should be denied opportunity just because of where they were born. With over 12 lakh alumni of Navodaya schools forming the base, BNA is now shaping the next generation of leaders in public service, leadership, and civil society.
Anoop’s own educational journey took him from a rural Navodaya school to Delhi University, and then to the prestigious Young India Fellowship (YIF)—India’s premier leadership program. There, he was mentored by experts from the World Bank, IMF, and NITI Aayog, and taught by world-class professors. His professional growth continued through programs at Ashoka University and the University of Chicago.
One of his most transformative innovations is the National Law Scholars Program (NLSP)—India’s only full-time, fully-funded residential leadership program that prepares government school students for admission into the country’s top law schools. Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, NLSP offers not just coaching but also mentorship, life skills training, and a deep focus on justice and ethics. It aims to produce not just lawyers—but grassroots justice warriors and ethical leaders.
Anoop is now working with the Ministry to design a national fellowship for law graduates who can mentor youth in underserved regions and act as bridges between communities and justice institutions. Simultaneously, he is building partnerships with top institutions and donors to create a ₹100 crore scholarship fund—ensuring that no talented student from an underserved background is ever denied access to quality education due to lack of funds.
At BNA, he leads with rare clarity and quiet intensity. From crafting vision to forging strategic partnerships and steering on-ground operations, Anoop embodies a leadership style that is humble, inclusive, and unshakably focused on impact. BNA now has active chapters nationwide, and he plans to expand globally—especially in countries with a strong Indian diaspora and shared values, to build cross-border support for social transformation.
Anoop’s heart, however, remains in Uttar Pradesh—his home state. His next big mission? To work with civil society, district collectors, IAS officers, elected leaders, and corporations in Lucknow and across UP, to build a powerful ecosystem of opportunity, justice, and dignity for all.
Anoop has been widely recognized for his work, receiving the prestigious and highly selective national and global fellowships including the Acumen India Fellowship, Mother Teresa Fellowship, Young India Fellowship. He was invited to be an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Ashoka University, along with professional training at the University of Chicago. Anoop was also recognised by Harvard’s Professor V. Kasturi Rangan for his exemplary and innovative intervention in the Navodaya ecosystem—bringing together students, alumni, and government institutions to build a stronger grassroots leadership pipeline.
What makes Anoop stand out isn’t just his resume—it’s the trust he has built with people. From students to teachers, mothers to bureaucrats, everyone who encounters him sees the same thing: a man who listens without judgment, acts with purpose, and leads without ego.
As he says:
“A nation’s true strength lies not only in its economy or armies, but also in the dignity and empowerment of its people. My work is about restoring that dignity, especially for those who’ve long been overlooked. Because when the most vulnerable rise, we all rise.”
Anoop Maurya is not just a rising leader. He is a movement. And he’s just getting started.
