He has held leadership positions at world’s top universities including at the Harvard University and University of Toronto. Being a Harvard graduate himself, and with over two decades of experience in leading educational institutions and a world’s largest women’s organization SEWA Bharat, Dr. Kumar brings unique experience and exposure. He started his career with SEWA Bharat, a leading women’s organization and served it for about two decades as its director. When Harvard University wanted to start South Asia Institute in India, he joined as the Founding Country Director of The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute of Harvard University. Afterwards, he served as the President of the Corporate Affairs & Public Policy of upGrad, and recently served as the Country Head of University of Toronto centre in India.
 
Even though he was born in a small town to an unschooled parent, he finished his PhD and a master’s from Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University- on a full scholarship. To inspire students, he wrote his autobiography that beautifully captures his educational journey from his small town Katihar to Kennedy School. In the last few paras of his best-selling autobiography named ‘Katihar To Kennedy: The Road Less Travelled’, Dr. Kumar expounds to every student “I have witnessed a sea change in myself on this long road from Katihar to Kennedy and back. At each step, as I kept expanding the concept of bliss beyond my immediate self, I only felt more liberated, lighter, and yet more purposeful. And if this long, impossible road, with unnerving bends and twists, nauseating heights and crippling lows, and unexpected moments of glory and continuing success could be mine, it could be yours too. Being a strong believer of human’s expandable capacity, Dr. Kumar decided to name this initiative as Sohum.