Shaping People Strategies, Smart Hiring, and Growth-Ready Teams in EdTech
Extramarks just promoted Sungkriityayann Khaann to Senior Vice President of Human Resources. It’s a well-deserved nod to how he’s built one of India’s most adaptable HR setups in the fast-changing EdTech world. With years under his belt in grabbing top talent, revamping organizations, and crafting HR plans, he’s been the driving force behind Extramarks’ people strategy–both in India and abroad.
This isn’t your standard title bump. It’s about elevating a leader who’s nailed massive hiring pushes, shifted company culture, and synced HR with business goals across a sprawling, multi-country operation.
Taking the Helm on HR at Extramarks
In his new role, Sungkriityayann oversees the full HR spectrum for over 4,500 employees–permanent and contract alike. The company spans 29 Indian states, 9 union territories, and spots in South Africa, Dubai, Indonesia, and Singapore.
He’s charged with:
- Steering company-wide people strategies and big-picture transformations
- Handling global hiring and workforce planning
- Boosting engagement and keeping talent on board
- Revamping the culture from the ground up
- Creating HR systems that scale with growth
Thanks to him, HR’s now a real growth partner for Extramarks in EdTech.
Revolutionizing Hiring and Team Building
As VP before this, Sungkriityayann ramped up hiring across key areas like B2B/B2G sales, tech and product, animation, academics, strategy, and finance. His team pulled off 90+ high-volume hires in 24 days flat, landing big names like:
- President of Sales
- Business Heads for Sales
- Head of Purchase
- VP of Animation
- Head of Marketing
He also nailed 124+ hires in 35 days for school sales, while expanding tech, strategy, and customer teams.
Setting Up HR from Scratch for New Ventures
He didn’t stop at the main business. Sungkriityayann built HR foundations for fresh group companies like NX Block Trades, Tuktuki Entertainments, Tryangle42 Labs, and Daffodil Hotels. From zero, he rolled out:
- Hiring strategies
- HRMS via Keka
- Policies and oversight
- CXO-level recruits
These setups let them hit the ground running and scale fast.
Turning Around Culture and Retention
One standout win? Slashed attrition from 45% to 10% through smarter policies, fun engagement programs, and a cultural refresh. He pushed through a five-day workweek too, which employees love for better balance. Plus, he managed a huge restructure smoothly–no drama, no bad press.
Building EdTech’s Biggest Hiring Machines
Earlier at Extramarks–as Assistant VP of Talent Acquisition and Assistant GM of HR–he created a recruitment powerhouse. Highlights:
- 3,000+ sales execs hired in one month
- Grew sales team from 10 to 2,000
- 1,000+ yearly joiners for field sales roles
- 125 tech pros in three months
He kicked off campus drives, pulling from IIM Ahmedabad, ISB, MICA–and pioneered virtual hiring there.
Roots in Sales and Early Talent Wins
Before HR leadership, he cut his teeth as Head of Talent Acquisition at Airblack, Territory Sales Manager at Business Octane Solutions, and Business Development Associate at BYJU’S. That mix gave him the business savvy to make HR click with real goals.
A True People Champion and Innovator
Sungkriityayann‘s track record screams scalable leadership, fresh hiring ideas, and real change. He excels in enterprise HR ops, massive recruitment pipelines, culture shifts, startup HR builds, workforce planning, engagement, and C-suite searches. Today, he guides a 19-person team handling HR, admin, and travel across India and beyond.
Why This Move Hits Big
EdTech’s booming, but it needs nimble, skilled teams to innovate and expand. HR leaders like him deliver by:
- Forging talent pipelines
- Evolving cultures
- Fueling global pushes
- Uplifting employee vibes and loyalty
His promotion shows Extramarks doubling down on people-first growth, solid governance, and talent smarts.
CXO Gateway View
From where we sit at CXO Gateway, Sungkriityayann‘s rise mirrors top-tier internal talent shining through. Going from recruitment wizard to global HR strategist proves HR pros today blend grit with vision. For Extramarks, it’s a clear bet on a people-powered future in worldwide EdTech.