Arvind Kumar is an independent publisher, and convener of Publishers’ Action Group – ensuring quality publishing for children (PAG-E), formed by a group of eminent publishers of children’s books to ensure transparency in book selection. Since 2006, as an authorized independent business associate of Scholastic Inc., he is also responsible for identifying and producing select Scholastic titles in various languages of India and South-East Asia.
In 1997, Arvind founded Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Scholastic Inc., and headed it till 2005, initially as the managing director, and later the chairman. Earlier, he worked as the Director, National Book Trust, India (1987-1997), and an independent publisher of books in Hindi & English (1968-1987). Due to his interest in promoting books and reading, in 1985, he was nominated to a 5-member working group that drafted the document, Towards a National Book Policy.
Along with his partner, Arvind spends a good part of his time in a village of the central Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, serving the village community by running a community library, and holding classes in conversational English.