Team Detail

She is married to Mr Samir Somaiya, Chairman and Managing Director, & Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, she feels extremely grateful to be mother to her three children who have always been her first priority.

Mrs Amrita Somaiya graduated from Mount Carmel High School and St Xavier’s Loyola Hall, Ahmedabad, she went on to graduate in Economics from Simmons College, Boston.

She is passionate about providing equal opportunity for all students and has been instrumental in promoting the love of reading in children of all ages. Mrs Somaiya is the Director of Somaiya Agencies Pvt Ltd and the co-owner of Kitabkhana, a boutique bookstore in Fort, Mumbai. She is the Trustee of Somaiya Trust, Somaiya Medical Trust and Somaiya Vidyavihar. She is also on the governing council of The Somaiya School, a CBSE school based in Ghatkopar at the Somaiya Vidyavihar campus. She has led the “Help-a-child to Study Project”, which sponsors students from extremely challenged backgrounds for their higher education. Amrita loves Indian textiles, art and craft, and is actively involved in Somaiya Kalavidya, an institution based in Kutch for design education for Artisans. Her passion for textiles translates in her wearing handmade and handloom sarees on a regular basis.

She loves to cook and knit. It is her way to relax and recharge. She loves to read books on history and historical fiction. She is spiritual and prayer is part of her daily routine. A quote she has always loved from one of her favourite books is: “You're never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true.” ― Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Dr. Yamini A. Shah is the Assistant Director and Assistant Professor, Centre for Kachchh and Desert Studies, Somaiya School of Civilization Studies at Somaiya Vidyavihar University. She has been the Curator at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival for 7 years. She has won the President’s award for service to humanity. She was the judge for Tata Litlive and on the jury for Laadli media awards. She was invited as a writer-in-residence at Tubingen University, Germany. She was invited as a research scholar at Concordia University, Canada. She has presented and published various research papers at international conferences. Her poetry book ‘Abstract Oralism’ is a culmination of seven years of research in Kachchh. She is currently working on a literary theory and doing academic, cultural and development work on Kachchh.

Dr. Urmi Thakkar is a passionate microbiologist and dedicated educationist, driven by the vision of making education a means of true freedom for every student. Her philosophy blends modern, quality education with a deep focus on values, culture, environmental awareness, and physical development.

She holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Microbiology from the University of Mumbai, along with a Bachelor's and Master's in Education from Shivaji University. She earned her Ph.D. in Education, with her research focused on Health Literacy—a subject on which she has published two papers and continues to explore further through ongoing research.

Since 2011, Dr. Thakkar has served as the Coordinator for Somaiya Schools located in rural regions of Karnataka (Sameerwadi) and Maharashtra. She has played a vital role in the holistic development of these institutions, upholding the Somaiya Group’s core mission of delivering quality education to underserved communities.

Prior to joining the Somaiya Group, she worked with the D. Y. Patil Group of Institutions in Kolhapur as a Biology teacher, contributing significantly across various academic and administrative domains for five years.

Currently, Dr. Thakkar is the Dean of Student Welfare and Head of Campus Administration at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, overseeing student services for over 35,000 students and heading all Somaiya Vidyavihar hostels operations too. Her commitment remains unwavering—to give her best in ensuring a nurturing, responsive, and enriching environment for all students. Her goal is of giving hundred percent to our students in all the areas and have freindly flexible campus for all.