Built, not inherited

Lakshita Raya Ankem

Global Chairperson & CEO, Ankem GroupMarketing Director, Kiwaro

A first-generation entrepreneur, Lakshita Raya Ankem founded Ankem Group from the ground up: a self-made business empire raised on values that her family lived for generations.

She draws her inspiration from the Raya dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire and its most illustrious sovereign, Sri Krishnadevaraya, and more closely from a family that chose service over enterprise. Her father and grandfather devoted their lives to public service; her grandfather, Shri Rayalu, presided over a school and over the life of his community, exacting in his standards and known for leading far beyond the call of his office. From a line that served, she is the first to build, carrying forward the conviction that leadership is measured by what it gives.

An international business strategist working at the intersection of marketing, organisational sociology and digital enterprise, she turns trust, perceived expertise and credibility into measurable commercial performance. She speaks English, Hindi and French.

Her work is aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda: quality education, gender equality and reduced inequalities (SDG 4, 5 and 10).