Vishal Anand

Vishal Anand is an accomplished socio-entrepreneur & investor with over 22 years of diverse experience across education, research, media, automotive, hospitality, and real estate. He is the Founder and Pro-Chancellor of Shoolini University.

As a Stanford University LEAD graduate, he brings advanced business acumen and strategic expertise pivotal for steering transformative growth. His journey as an entrepreneur began at the age of 28 when he founded Shoolini University in his hometown, Solan. What initially started as Shoolini Institute of Life Sciences and Business Management evolved into India’s first biotechnology university in 2009. 

Under his leadership, the university has grown into a high-impact research and academic institution with the ambition of becoming one of the top 100 global universities by 2030.

In addition to his leadership at Shoolini University, Vishal Anand is the CEO & Director of RNAVAXBIO. He is also the Managing Director of Anand Investments, a diversified investment firm with business interests spanning education, research, media, retail, automotive, hospitality, and real estate. 

Vishal’s entrepreneurial endeavours extend beyond education. In 2007, he led an investment in Pen Pundit, a content and publishing startup founded by a renowned journalist and editor. Through its flagship portal TechThirsty.com, the company promotes flexible work opportunities for women, enabling them to remain in the workforce. 

His ventures in the automotive sector began after 2008 when Anand Investments partnered with Toyota and Daimler India to distribute their product lines in Himachal Pradesh. This initiative created significant employment opportunities, particularly in smaller towns. 

Vishal, driven by his commitment to research and innovation, founded the Centre of Automotive Excellence and Design in 2011 to advance technology within the automotive industry.

Apart from automotive ventures, he has significantly contributed to hospitality and housing development in the Himalayan region. Today, his initiatives support over 2,000 student residences and 200+ residential housing units in the Shivalik Hills, catering to students and professionals. His firm, Shoolini Lifesciences Ltd., launched in 2014, became Himachal Pradesh’s first food testing laboratory and is actively involved in patent development.

Vishal Anand is an alumnus of Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he completed the LEAD Program in Business & Leadership in 2020. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Investment Banking from IBS, New Delhi (2001-2003), a BA (Hons) in Economics from Panjab University (1999-2001), and completed his schooling at The Lawrence School, Sanawar (1996-1998). His association with YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization) since 2017 highlights his role as a thought leader in global business networks.