KLAY (Founding Years Learning Solutions), one of India’s leading preschool and daycare chains, has appointed Abhishek Joshi as its new Chief Executive Officer. The leadership appointment marks a significant step in the company’s growth strategy as it aims to strengthen its position as India’s most comprehensive early childhood education and care ecosystem.
As CEO, Joshi will lead KLAY’s vision of expanding access to high-quality early learning while deepening its integrated approach to education, childcare, and parenting support. The company aims to set new benchmarks in India’s early childhood education sector by making world-class preschool education more accessible to families across the country.
KLAY’s mission is built on the understanding that nearly 90% of a child’s brain develops before the age of six, making early childhood education one of the most critical stages of lifelong development. The organisation believes that investing in these formative years goes beyond childcare, laying the foundation for children’s future learning, confidence, and overall development.
Joshi brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across some of India’s most recognized consumer brands. Before joining KLAY, he held senior leadership positions at Licious, Jubilant FoodWorks (Domino’s India), Hindustan Unilever (HUL), and GCMMF (Amul), where he played key roles in business transformation, customer-centric growth, and brand building.
An alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) with a PGDM in Sales & Marketing, Joshi also holds a B.Tech degree from Govind Ballabh Pant University. Beyond his professional career, he is passionate about fitness, trekking, surfing, travelling, and spending time with his family.
Commenting on the appointment, Sandeep Reddy, Chairman of Founding Years Learning Solutions, said that India is at a pivotal moment in recognizing the importance of early childhood education.
“India is at an inflection point in how it thinks about the early years. The science is settled—what happens before a child turns six shapes the rest of their life. Our ambition is to make world-class early childhood education the norm, not the privilege, for Indian families. Abhishek has spent his career building brands that millions of Indians trust, and scaling them without ever compromising on quality. That is precisely the leadership KLAY needs to take its mission to its next chapter.”
Expressing his enthusiasm for the new role, Abhishek Joshi said that KLAY’s trusted relationship with parents inspired his decision to join the organisation.
“Few things matter more than how a child experiences the first years of life. KLAY has earned something rare—the deep, daily trust of parents. I am joining to build on that trust and widen our impact: to ensure that more children across India begin life with the strongest possible foundation, and that more parents have a partner they can count on through their parenting journey. This is a mission worth giving the best years of one’s career to.”
The appointment comes as KLAY continues to expand its footprint across India and reinforce its commitment to providing quality early childhood education and childcare solutions. The company currently serves more than 80,000 families through a network of 180+ self-managed centres spread across 20+ cities. It also partners with 500+ corporate organizations and is supported by a workforce of over 3,500 professionals dedicated to delivering holistic learning and care experiences for young children.
With Joshi at the helm, KLAY aims to accelerate innovation, expand its reach, and continue building a trusted ecosystem that supports both children and parents during the most critical years of development.
