Additional Director
DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools · Varanasi
Since October 2021
A CBSE school group in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, founded in 1972.
Maahir Madhok
Additional Director, DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools, Varanasi
Founder and CEO, Dalimss News, Gurugram
Maahir Madhok is Additional Director of the DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools in Varanasi and founder and CEO of Dalimss News, a digital newsroom headquartered in Gurugram.
About
Maahir Madhok works where school education and digital news meet, and divides his time between Varanasi and Gurugram.
Since October 2021 he has been Additional Director of the DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools, a CBSE school group in Varanasi whose story began in 1972. As part of the group's leadership, he is involved in how its schools are run and how they adopt new ideas.
He is also the founder and CEO of Dalimss News (dalimss.news), a digital newsroom he launched in February 2024 that is headquartered in Gurugram, publishing original reporting from Varanasi, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram and Delhi-NCR.
Much of his recent work concerns artificial intelligence in schools. In June 2025 he started Dalimss AI, an in-house school project, and led the small team that built it. Since its rollout in March 2026, about 300 teachers have used it for lesson plans, worksheets and parent circulars. A chat-based home tutor for students, Dalimss AI Teacher, launched at Dalimss Sunbeam School, Sigra, in February 2026 with a Class 8 cohort, and he set up an AI and eSports lab at the same school. That February he also led a Dalimss AI delegation to the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. On a panel at Education Today's North Educators' Summit in September 2026, he put it plainly: “teachers don't fear AI, they fear looking like beginners.” His answer is to make it safe to be a beginner.
He is also a director of Dalimss Sunbeam Educomp Ltd, Bob's Gym Ltd and PAMF Digimedia Private Limited, the company that publishes Dalimss News.
Roles
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Dalimss News · Gurugram
Founded Dalimss News, which launched in February 2024
A digital newsroom headquartered in Gurugram, publishing original reporting from Varanasi, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram and Delhi-NCR. Published by PAMF Digimedia Private Limited.
Director
Company director, as listed in Ministry of Corporate Affairs records.
Director
Bob's Gym Ltd
Company director, as listed in Ministry of Corporate Affairs records.
Director
PAMF Digimedia Private Limited
The company that publishes Dalimss News. Registered in Haryana in 2026 (CIN U63910HR2026PTC141447). In May 2026 it launched a publishing imprint, Dalimss Ink Publications.
Dalimss AI
Dalimss AI is an in-house school project of the DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools, built on open-source AI models. Maahir Madhok started the project in June 2025 and led the small in-house team that built it. After a closed beta with different sets of teachers over many months, it was rolled out to all teachers in March 2026, and about 300 teachers have used it for lesson plans, worksheets and parent circulars. A student strand, Dalimss AI Teacher, a chat-based home tutor, launched at Dalimss Sunbeam School, Sigra, on 9 February 2026 with a Class 8 cohort. It has never been sold or licensed to any school; it is free and used only within the group's own schools. A company, Edusmark, was set up in early 2026 to commercialise the tool. Maahir Madhok chose not to, resigned as a director before it began operating (April 2026) and gave his shares back free of charge; he has no financial interest in it. In February 2026 he led a Dalimss AI delegation to the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. He also set up an AI and eSports lab at Dalimss Sunbeam School, Sigra.
Timeline
Selected work, and milestones of the schools and companies he helps lead. Most recent at the top. Each item links to its source.
Upcoming · 7 November 2026 · Varanasi
Organiser, TEDxDalimss Sunbeam Schools Youth
He is organising TEDxDalimss Sunbeam Schools Youth, an independently organised TEDx event for young speakers, to be held at Dalimss Sunbeam School, Rohania, Varanasi, on 7 November 2026.
10 September 2026 · Gurugram
Two campuses honoured at Education Today's North School Merit Awards 2026
Dalimss Sunbeam Global School, Ramkatora, received the award for Most Effective Blended Learning Model, and Dr. A. L. Ishrat Memorial Sunbeam School & Hostel, Rohania, received the award for Improving Student Learning and Progress, at a ceremony at The Westin Gurgaon.
The school's report (Ramkatora) · The school's report (Rohania)
6 September 2026 · Varanasi
The Kachori Run: Bob's Gym at 31
Bob's Gym, where he is a director, marked 31 years since it first opened in September 1995 with the Kachori Run, a 1.5 km community run in the Varanasi Cantonment area that launched Bob's Run Club. Around 100 people took part. Dalimss News co-organised the event with the gym's Sigra, Lanka and XL branches.
Dalimss News report, 6 September 2026 · History of Bob's Gym
August 2026
Let's Not Pretend, a parenting talk show
Dalimss News Education launched Let's Not Pretend, a talk show about parenting with honest conversations between parents, doctors and educators. He is its executive producer. Episode 1 came out on 10 August 2026, and the show streams on the Dalimss News OTT page.
Watch on dalimss.news/ott · Source: Instagram post, 8 August 2026
24 to 26 July 2026 · Varanasi
Host school for the AFS North Zone Meet 2026
Dalimss Sunbeam School, Rohania, hosted the AFS North Zone Meet 2026, a three-day meet that brought 51 schools from across North India to Varanasi. The theme was "Bridging Divides: Education for Peace and Harmony".
Source: Instagram post, 24 July 2026 · DPS Bathinda's report · YPS Chandigarh's report
May 2026
Dalimss Ink Publications
PAMF Digimedia Private Limited, the company that publishes Dalimss News and where he is a director, launched Dalimss Ink Publications, a publishing imprint registered with India's national ISBN agency. Its website is not yet open.
14 March 2026 · Varanasi
Inspire Women Award 2026
Dalimss Sunbeam School & Hostel, Rohania, held the second Inspire Women Award, which honours women achievers in Varanasi, with a panel discussion on inspiring the next generation of women leaders. The first edition, in March 2025, was held with the support of Dalimss News.
The school's announcement · His post on the first edition, March 2025
22 January 2026 · Varanasi
Chief guest at the Varanasi Press Club sports festival
He was chief guest at the start of the second phase of the Varanasi Press Club's sports festival for journalists, and opened the chess, carrom and table tennis events.
December 2025
Young Author Quest 2025
Students from DALIMSS Sunbeam Global School won their categories at the national level of Britannica Education's Young Author Quest 2025, a storytelling competition.
November 2025 · New Delhi
DIDAC India 2025
Represented the DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools at DIDAC India 2025, an education exhibition and conference held at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, from 18 to 20 November 2025.
Source: Instagram post, 23 November 2025 · DIDAC India 2025 event page
October 2025
An AI tool for the Dalimss News newsroom
Built an internal AI tool for the Dalimss News team. It scanned public posts on X, Facebook and Instagram, and the wider web, for public grievances raised by people in Varanasi, and passed them to the journalists, who checked each one before anything was reported. The project has since ended.
10 September 2025 · Varanasi
AI masterclass for Grade 8 students
Taught an AI masterclass to Grade 8 students at Dalimss Sunbeam School, Sigra. He showed them how to use NotebookLM for structured revision and exam preparation, and explained why large language models sometimes "hallucinate", giving answers that sound right but are wrong.
June 2025 · Varanasi
Chief guest at the Banaras Creators Cricket League final
He was chief guest at the final of the Banaras Creators Cricket League at Rohania, Varanasi, and presented the prizes.
December 2023 and March 2025 · Varanasi
Cambridge International registration for two campuses
Dalimss Sunbeam Global School, Ramkatora, was registered as a Cambridge International school in December 2023 (IA410), followed by Dalimss Sunbeam Global School, Sigra, in March 2025 (IA941). Both campuses now teach the Cambridge curriculum.
Registration details from the group's records · Ramkatora campus page · Sigra campus page
21 February 2024 · Varanasi
The Dalimss time capsule
Dalimss Sunbeam Schools buried a time capsule on 21 February 2024, to be opened 100 years later, in 2124.
September 2023
EducationWorld India School Rankings 2023-24
Dalimss Sunbeam School, Rohania, was ranked 9th in Uttar Pradesh among co-ed day-cum-boarding schools, and Dalimss Sunbeam School, Sigra, was ranked joint 5th in Varanasi among co-ed day schools.
EducationWorld, September 2023, p.344 · EducationWorld, September 2023, p.144
9 September 2022
Interview with India Today Gaming on esports in school
India Today Gaming interviewed him about the group's decision to add esports as an extracurricular activity, a move it reported as the first of its kind in India. He said the decision was controversial at the start and that many parents disagreed until the school explained the benefits.
30 May 2022
Mint on esports in school
Mint interviewed him for a feature on esports in schools. He said students had asked to stay back after school and play together, so the school looked into it and made it official, with adult supervision. He added that he hoped other schools would follow.
May 2022 · Varanasi
Executive committee, Purvanchal Schools Welfare Association
He was elected to the executive committee of the Purvanchal Schools Welfare Association, an association of schools in Varanasi.
April 2022
eSports added to school activities
In 2022 the DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools added esports to its extracurricular activities, a move India Today Gaming reported as the first of its kind in India. The group announced it in a press release distributed through ANI and PNN.
India Today Gaming, 9 September 2022 · Mint, 30 May 2022 · The release, 16 April 2022
December 2017 · Varanasi
CEO of Bob's Gym at its Lanka branch opening
Hindustan named him as CEO of Bob's Gym when the gym opened its branch in Lanka, Varanasi. He is now a director of Bob's Gym Ltd.
School pilot
Zuplerno
Zuplerno was a four-month pilot at Dalimss Sunbeam School, Rohania, that taught lessons through short educational videos.
Source: his own account
Speaking
10 September 2026 · The Westin Gurgaon
Panelist, Education Today North Educators' Summit 2026
Panel on AI in education.
“Teachers don't fear AI, they fear looking like beginners.”
Topics: AI in school classrooms and teacher confidence, school leadership, and local digital news. For speaking invitations, please get in touch.
Writing
- Author page on Dalimss News
- How Education Minister's Resignation Restored My Faith in Indian Democracy Dalimss News, 30 July 2026
- Reflections on the Education Today panel on AI in education LinkedIn, September 2026
Press
Journalists and event organisers are welcome to use the bios and portrait below. Please use the title Additional Director, DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools and Founder and CEO, Dalimss News.
Featured
JioHotstar · Released 15 February 2026 · 16 minutes
Featured in The Future Schools, Season 3 Episode 1 (JioHotstar, Edstead)
Maahir Madhok is featured in Episode 1 of Season 3 of The Future Schools, a documentary series produced by Edstead and streaming on JioHotstar. The episode, titled “DALIMSS Sunbeam School”, is about the school in Varanasi, and he appears on screen as Additional Director of Dalimss Sunbeam School. JioHotstar describes the episode this way:
“Where tradition meets innovation! DALIMSS Sunbeam nurtures confident, curious learners through strong values, modern thinking, and an education designed for a changing world.”
Watch the episode on JioHotstar · Edstead's post about the episode · OTTplay on Season 3 · Episode on IMDb
Bios and portrait
Short bio (50 words)
Maahir Madhok is Additional Director of the DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools, a CBSE school group in Varanasi founded in 1972, and founder and CEO of Dalimss News, a Gurugram-headquartered digital newsroom launched in February 2024. He works on the use of AI in schools and divides his time between Varanasi and Gurugram.
Bio (100 words)
Since October 2021 Maahir Madhok has been Additional Director of the DALIMSS Sunbeam Group of Schools, a CBSE group in Varanasi. He also founded Dalimss News, a Gurugram-based newsroom launched in 2024, and is its CEO. In June 2025 he started Dalimss AI, an in-house school project, and led the team that built it; about 300 teachers use it. He set up an AI and eSports lab at Dalimss Sunbeam School, Sigra, and in February 2026 led a Dalimss AI delegation to the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. He is a director of Dalimss Sunbeam Educomp Ltd, Bob's Gym Ltd and PAMF Digimedia Private Limited, publisher of Dalimss News.
Download portrait (800 × 800 JPG)
Listed in
Contact
The best way to reach Maahir is a message on LinkedIn.