POSH training in India has changed how workplaces handle safety, and Sarita Sinha, founder of Countrywide Learning Systems, has been one of the pioneers shaping this shift for over two decades. From a small classroom in Kerala to a fifty-lakh-rupee enterprise, her journey reflects how purpose-driven POSH education can build real impact.
About Early Life of Sarita
Sarita’s journey began in Kannur, a small town in Kerala, far removed from boardrooms or conference stages. As a child, she was quiet and deeply shy, often afraid to speak to people. Her father served in the Indian Air Force, which meant frequent transfers. To ensure continuity in her education, Sarita was eventually sent back to Kerala to live with her grandmother and aunt. She studied in a municipal school with limited exposure and simple classrooms. Public speaking terrified her. She avoided competitions and tried to escape whenever teachers pushed her forward.
Yet her teachers noticed potential she could not see. One moment stayed with her. When she tried to withdraw from a competition, her teacher told her that she might leave that day, but one day she would return to win. She did. Sarita went on to participate in national-level events.
Her mother supported her in quieter ways, encouraging her to speak to people repeatedly until fear slowly turned into familiarity. Life later took Sarita across India, finally to Gujarat, where she studied sociology and psychology, followed by a master’s in social work. At the time, she did not realize this education would shape her professional path so deeply.
How POSH training ventures Started
While studying in Baroda, Sarita met her future husband, a confident trainer and speaker. She preferred to stay in the background. One day, while he was conducting a training session, Sarita stood outside the room listening. He asked her to step in and take the class. Panicked, she walked in and announced that the class was cancelled.
That uncomfortable moment marked the real beginning of her journey.
In 1998, Sarita joined Junior Chamber International and formally entered the training world. She progressed from zone trainer to national trainer and later into international training roles. By 1999, she had started working with corporate organizations.
After marriage, the couple made a bold decision. Her husband resigned from his job the very next day, deciding they would build something of their own. People questioned their choice. They had no savings and no financial cushion.
They started with spoken English and personality development classes, arranging chairs and basic infrastructure themselves. The initial investment was ₹25,000, spent on setting up a small classroom.
Sarita’s POSH Training Work
Sarita’s work centers on people, behavior, and workplace culture.
She conducts training programs in communication, stress management, leadership, and prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace. She entered the POSH space in 2009, even before the law formally came into effect, using the Vishakha Guidelines.
One early POSH session deeply unsettled her. A participant openly dismissed the topic, making it clear why such training was necessary. Instead of stepping back, Sarita committed herself more strongly to the work.
Over the years, she has trained 50,000 to 60,000 people on POSH and more than three lakh participants across all her programs.
Her clients include government bodies such as India Post, NACIN, and narcotics departments, as well as corporates like GE Vernova, Panasonic, Microsoft, and several Fortune 500 companies.
Alongside this, Sarita co-built Mehndi Culture, a social enterprise that supports mehendi artists, especially underprivileged and differently abled women. Sarita does not apply mehendi herself. She focuses on building systems, training structures, and sustainable livelihoods.
Achievements
Sarita’s work has received national recognition. She received a National Award as one of India’s most impactful POSH trainers at a conference held in Delhi. She was also honored with the Navratna Award in Baroda for her contribution as an impactful professional.
She has mentored startups at Namita Thapar’s Entrepreneurship Academy, is an active member of FICCI FLO, and has been selected for global scale-up programs through international initiatives and consulates, chosen among hundreds of women entrepreneurs across India.
Despite this recognition, Sarita remains grounded. She often says she never imagined reaching these platforms.
Business Growth of Countrywide Learning Systems
Countrywide Learning Systems began with a personal investment of ₹25,000 and has grown steadily over time into a premium, high-impact learning and compliance enterprise, built on credibility, trust, and long-term relationships rather than external funding or headline numbers.
Today, the organization partners with organizations across sectors on POSH and learning initiatives, delivering work through POSH consulting, compliance audits, internal committee training, corporate workshops, leadership development programs, and government training projects, in India as well as internationally.
A significant portion of the organization’s work comes from repeat client engagements, with organizations continuing their association due to consistency, depth of involvement, and visible cultural impact.
Mehndi Culture operates alongside as a parallel social enterprise through training programs, workshops, curated DIY kits, and online learning formats. During the COVID period, when in-person engagements were disrupted, timely reinvention through digital offerings helped stabilize operations.
Both ventures have been built organically and sustainably, without external funding, reflecting a philosophy of growth rooted in resilience, purpose, and long-term value creation.
Next Steps
On 19th January, Sarita inaugurates her own offline office—moving from rented spaces to an owned workspace. Designed as a dedicated POSH Resource Centre, the space brings together learning, advisory, and prevention efforts under one roof. Its walls carry a visual narrative of her journey, reflecting years of steady progress and purposeful work.
Her focus now is clear. She seeks to move organizations beyond compliance and help build workplaces where safety, dignity, and respect are lived values. For Sarita, POSH education must engage men as much as women, because prevention begins with shared understanding and conscious behaviour.
One line anchors her through everything: “I am God’s favorite.”
From a quiet girl in Kannur to shaping safer workplaces across India, Sarita Sinha’s journey is a story of consistency, courage, and purpose.
Connect with Sarita Sinha:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/saritasinha/
If you’d like your journey to be featured in our Meet The Mahilas series, write to us at hello@mahila.money.
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