ETS India Strengthens South Asia Leadership to Drive TOEFL and GRE Growth

Karan Lalit joins as Executive Director, South Asia, TOEFL & GRE, while Pallavi Gupta has been appointed Director, Marketing, South Asia, TOEFL & GRE. Together, they will lead efforts to scale ETS’ regional presence, sharpen market relevance, and deepen customer and test-taker engagement in the region.

Karan Lalit is a senior leader with extensive experience in international education. He brings deep expertise in channel management, institutional partnerships, and market expansion, having led complex portfolios across North America, South Asia, and other key regions. Prior to ETS, Karan has been in leadership roles at the Study Group and Shorelight. 

The appointments come at a time when the study-abroad landscape is being reshaped by policy changes, shifting destination preferences, and a stronger focus on jobs and employability. Following the launch of the enhanced TOEFL iBT in January 2026, ETS is repositioning its regional strategy to drive its next phase of growth. As part of this, ETS is evolving its TOEFL approach to better align with how students prepare, apply, and succeed today, with a stronger focus on accessibility, relevance, and real-world academic and career outcomes.

Commenting on the appointments, Mr Omar Chihane, Global General Manager – TOEFL, ETS said, “South Asia is one of the most dynamic markets for global education today, with students placing greater emphasis on outcomes, speed, and flexibility in their study-abroad decisions. For ETS, this is a clear priority market. Karan and Pallavi bring the kind of leadership we need at this point, combining deep experience in international education with strong brand and consumer marketing expertise. Their focus will be on building sharper market connections, responding faster to student needs, and ensuring TOEFL and GRE remain relevant in a rapidly changing landscape.”

Karan Lalit said, “South Asia is a high-growth, high-potential market for international education, with increasing demand for trusted, globally recognized assessments. My focus will be on strengthening our institutional partnerships, expanding student access, and building a more responsive and scalable ecosystem for our world-leading assessments, TOEFL and GRE”

Pallavi brings strong brand and consumer marketing experience across technology, mobility and lifestyle sectors, having led marketing at organizations such as Hero Cycles, Samsung, Panasonic, Harman, Logitech, and Sennheiser. As a strategic marketer, she’s successfully driven brand transformation, category growth and digital acceleration. 

These appointments signal ETS’s continued focus on growth and scale in the region by driving value to the international assessment eco-system. 

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