Rajesh AR

Rajesh A R is a nationally recognised leader in India’s workforce and skilling ecosystem, whose work over the past three decades has reshaped how livelihoods are created, sustained, and dignified at scale.

As Co-founder and CEO of LabourNet, Rajesh has been instrumental in enabling more than 10 million individuals to transition from vulnerable, informal work into sustainable livelihoods by bridging the gap between informal labour markets and formal industry demand. His work has consistently focused on building systems that place dignity, capability, and long-term opportunity at the centre of economic participation.

A founding member of TeamLease Services and a trusted advisor to industry bodies such as CII and FICCI, Rajesh has contributed to the design of several foundational elements of India’s labour and skilling architecture — including apprenticeship frameworks, labour reforms, and national qualification systems.

In recent years, his work has focused on advancing work-integrated education aligned with the National Education Policy, creating pathways where young people learn within real workplaces while building future-ready skills and earning potential. His vision extends beyond skilling to creating holistic worker ecosystems that integrate housing, finance, health, and technology-enabled productivity.

An alumnus of the Goa Institute of Management, Chicago Booth, and the Stanford SEED Transformation Program, Rajesh exemplifies the power of purpose-driven leadership — demonstrating that inclusive growth is not only socially imperative, but central to India’s long-term economic future.