Padma Bhushan Shri Karamshi Jethabhai Somaiya's first initiative in education was the founding of a school in 1942 in rural Maharashtra, to provide quality holistic education.

It was founded on the belief that education is an important pillar of nation-building with the power to change lives, and that it is the duty of the privileged to provide education to the needy.

He later founded the Girivanvasi Pragati Mandal, The K J Somaiya Medical Trust, Girivanvasi Education Trust and sister institutions to make great citizens of India and the World. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, "We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet." We have now grown into a multi-disciplinary and multi-campus education institution with over 1500 faculty, and 39000+ students.