Four Schools and 3,500 Students Later, Christel House India Plans Next Decade of Expansion

Jaison C. Mathew, CEO, Christel House India, and David Harris, President and CEO, Christel House International, outlined plans to widen access as the organisation considers another school next year and three additional campuses over the coming decade

Christel House India is preparing for its next phase of school expansion after growing from a single Bengaluru campus with 320 students into a four school network that has served more than 3,500 students since 2001.
The nonprofit opened schools in Pune and Thane in 2026 and is now in discussions to add another school in the coming year. It also plans three additional campuses across India over the next ten years.
Its existing network covers Bengaluru, Atal Nagar in Raipur, Pune and Thane. At full capacity, Christel House India says the network has the potential to reach more than 7,000 students annually.

Expansion is also taking place at the organisation’s founding Bengaluru campus, where capacity increased by 50% over the past year. The school added 70 students each in Kindergarten and Grade 1, taking the number of students per grade from 70 to 105.
At full capacity, the Bengaluru expansion is expected to affect nearly 1,400 children and families.
Growth across the network has involved public and private partnerships, including the Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Vikas Pradhikaran in Atal Nagar, Pune Zilla Parishad in Pune and Thane Municipal Corporation in Thane, alongside corporate partners.
Christel House India marked its expansion at an event at its Bengaluru campus attended by global leadership, board members, students, alumni, families and donors.

Participants included David Harris, President and Global CEO, Christel House International; Martha Lamkin, Chair of the Board, Christel House International; and Rajeev Ram, six time Grand Slam champion, Olympic medalist and Global Ambassador, Christel House International.
Jaison C. Mathew, CEO, Christel House India, said, “For children growing up in poverty, education is often the most powerful pathway to break free from cycles of generational poverty. Once a child is educated, that impact does not stop with them; it carries forward to the next generation.”

He added, “Twenty-five years ago, we began with one school and a belief that every child deserves the opportunity to realise their full potential. Today, that belief is what is driving us to reach even more children, even faster.”
Christel House India said donor contributions have supported academics as well as nutrition, healthcare and counselling. According to the organisation, all donations are directed towards student programmes and services, while administrative and fundraising expenses are separately covered by its founder led trust.
The organisation’s Bengaluru campus has recorded a 100% Grade 12 pass rate for eight consecutive years. Christel House India also reports that 99% of its graduates are pursuing higher education, employed, or combining both.

An independent impact assessment by Deloitte cited in the supplied information found that Christel House India graduates earn 72% more than the Karnataka state per capita average and contribute 73% of their household income.
David Harris, President and CEO, Christel House International, said, “Expanding access to quality education for children in under-resourced communities in Urban and Rural settlements is essential to building an inclusive and progressive global community. Education continues to remain one of the most powerful tools for social transformation, and India is one of the clearest examples of what happens when a model like ours is given time to mature. One school became four in twenty-five years, reaching over 3,500 children along the way. That is the result of having a team that has stayed focused and disciplined about outcomes since day one.”

The organisation’s alumni are also taking roles within its school network. Shiva Sagar R., who belonged to the first graduating cohort from the Bengaluru campus, pursued engineering before returning to Christel House India as a teacher. After taking on leadership responsibilities, he now serves as Principal of the Pune campus.
“Coming back to Christel House, this time as Principal, is not something I imagined when I was a student here. But everything I know about education, patience, and what it takes for a child to succeed, I learned first as a student in this very building,” Shiva said.
Mathew added, “Twenty-five years in, our work is far from done. Every new school, and every additional seat in an existing one, is another child who gets the chance to change the course of their family’s future.”

Christel House India provides English medium education alongside nutrition, healthcare, transportation, counselling, character development and college and career guidance. Uniforms, learning materials and scholarships for education after school are also provided without charge.
Students can enter the programme from Kindergarten and receive support through Grade 12. Alumni continue to receive assistance for five years through the College and Careers programme, including scholarships, academic assistance, counselling, career guidance and job placement support.
Admissions are based on evidence of poverty rather than academic merit

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