THERE is a particular kind of confidence that does not need to announce itself. It reveals itself quietly in conversation, in the ease with which someone discusses both ambition and uncertainty. That sense of calm assurance comes through almost immediately when speaking to Dr Selva Pankaj, a businessman whose global footprint has expanded rapidly in recent years but who seems curiously unhurried by it all.
At 55, he oversees a portfolio of nearly 15 businesses operating across three continents, dividing his time between London, Dubai and New York. Yet when speaking to the GG2 Power List earlier this year about what has, by any measure, been an eventful period for his organisation, he remained characteristically measured.
Regent Global has launched a fully digital university in the Republic of San Marino, opened AI Regent in Palo Alto, acquired Gulf Indian High School in Dubai, and made a series of senior leadership appointments that signal a group positioning itself for a new phase of growth. On the strategic horizon sits a 2030 target: unicorn status and a billion-dollar valuation.
For Pankaj, however, the numbers themselves are not the central motivation.
“These unicorns and valuations are just on paper,” Dr Pankaj says. “Today it is X, tomorrow it's Y. If your reputation goes down, if you do something wrong, tomorrow your valuation can go to zero.”
By his own admission, financial milestones have begun to feel less compelling over time.
“We have about 1,800 people employed with us globally whose lives we touch and shape. These are the things I care about more,” he explains.
“We will reach the target for sure, but that's not the only thing that I am focusing on. We are focusing on doing a good job, having peace of mind and do our best every day.”
In many ways, the story of Regent Global is the story of a partnership. Pankaj and his wife Tharshiny serve as joint leaders of the group, both having arrived in Britain as refugees during Sri Lanka’s civil war. Today they are proud British citizens, still deeply involved in the organisation they built together.
In 2024, Tharshiny was named CEO of the Year at the GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards and formally stepped up as Group CEO, a transition that recognised both her contribution and the growing complexity of the organisation’s structure.
Their daughters are now entering the family business as well, a sign that the Pankaj name is evolving into something more deliberate: an institution designed to outlast its founders.
Ask Pankaj how the partnership functions after decades of marriage and business collaboration, and his answer is disarmingly direct.
“For Tharshiny and I, our business is like human life,” he says. “We can't segregate parts and departments and say I look after one half of the body, you look after the other.
“After 30 years of marriage and decades of working together, there is no ego between us. Only mutual respect and complete trust.”
At a time when many founders build companies with the intention of selling them, Pankaj speaks about entrepreneurship in markedly different terms.
“Entrepreneurship, for me, is making those associated with me successful.”
The scale of Regent today makes its origins easy to overlook. What now spans several sectors and continents began modestly with tutoring classes priced at “£20 a session”.
Over three decades, Selva and Tharshiny gradually transformed that small educational venture into a diversified international group with interests in education, real estate, travel, artificial intelligence, investments and global impact initiatives.
Education remains the core of the enterprise, but the group’s recent expansion into artificial intelligence represents what Pankaj views as the next logical step.
AI Regent, based in Palo Alto, is already operational. RITA 2.0, an intelligent student support assistant, has been deployed across Regent institutions, while a digital twin of Pankaj himself – trained on his books and capable of holding conversations – now exists as part of the group’s technological experimentation.
He attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai in both 2025 and 2026 as a panellist and strategic partner, and has been working with government bodies on AI and IT law.
Yet his perspective on AI in education is more philosophical than technological.
The problem, he argues, lies in an education system designed for the Industrial Revolution, one that still assesses students through essay writing – a task that artificial intelligence can now perform with remarkable competence.
In what he describes as a “super-intelligence revolution”, Pankaj believes the focus must shift towards cultivating the qualities that make people uniquely human.
“Once you have your own moral values, ethics and character,” he says, “life's going to be fine.”
Several major projects now sit in Regent’s development pipeline. Pankaj House, a new learning campus in Harrow, is due to open soon. Regent Hill University, a proposed British institution centred on mindset and human potential, is progressing through regulatory approvals. Plans for a US university initiative are also underway.
For Pankaj, whose life now involves constant movement between London, Dubai and New York, personal priorities have gradually shifted alongside professional ones.
“Each city is beautiful and has something unique to offer,” he says. “I feel I am fortunate enough to live in three different cities in my own homes.
“And I never count the number of days I spend at any location; definitely not for tax purposes. I am happy to pay taxes in the UK.”
There are also signs that the next chapter may involve a more structured philanthropic focus. The Pankaj family is developing initiatives around conflict resolution and leadership development, with funding intended to support individuals working in those fields.
For someone presiding over a rapidly expanding international organisation, Pankaj’s current ambitions sound almost contemplative.
So what, exactly, is he pursuing now, if not unicorn status?
“Pleasantness within, pleasantness around,” Dr Pankaj says.
“I'm not chasing anything in life. There are only X number of days left. Let's just enjoy what we have.”
ENDS