Kerala, India: Dr. Manju Adiniru, an educator, entrepreneur, author, and chess promoter from Kerala, building a unique ecosystem that combines education, literature, language learning, publishing, reading culture, and chess development under a unified mission focused on accessibility, confidence-building, and academic empowerment by Adiniru Pvt. Ltd. and linked ventures, developing multiple institutions aimed at addressing gaps in education and skill development while creating opportunities for students, readers, aspiring authors, and young learners across Kerala. And her ecosystem currently includes Adiniru Academy of B.Tech Studies, Adiniru English Academy, Once Upon a Time Bookshop, Once Upon a Time Library, Once Upon a Time Publishing House, and Once Upon a Time Chess Academy. Driven by the philosophy of “Create Access. Build Confidence. Normalize Excellence,” focusing on supporting students and communities that often lack structured academic guidance, language fluency, literary exposure, or developmental platforms.
One of the flagship initiatives under the ecosystem is the Adiniru Academy of B.Tech Studies, founded to support struggling engineering students, particularly those at risk of dropping out and as the time passed guided lakhs of students in completing their engineering education through structured mentoring, academic rehabilitation, and practical learning support and more students from the institution have secured university ranks and professional placements.
The Adiniru English Academy was established to address gaps in spoken and functional English education through a proprietary teaching methodology based on pattern recognition, storytelling, context-based learning, and real-life communication practices and the methodology has been adopted by schools across Kerala and integrated into teacher-training programs aimed at improving English fluency and communication standards. Speaking about her vision, Dr. Manju Adiniru said:
“Our mission has always been to create meaningful educational and cultural ecosystems that empower individuals through knowledge, communication, reading, and confidence-building. Every initiative under Adiniru is designed to create opportunities for people who need guidance, access, and a platform to grow academically and personally.”
The ecosystem also includes the Once Upon a Time Bookshop, a well-known literary landmark in Aluva, Kerala also the bookstore gained international recognition after globally acclaimed author Paulo Coelho featured it on his social media platforms and designing with a unique bookshelf-inspired architectural facade, appearing as a cultural destination for readers, students, tourists, and literature enthusiasts. Expanding its literary initiatives more, the Once Upon a Time Publishing House was launched to support regional writers and first-time authors. In its first year alone, the publishing house released more than 200 titles across fiction, non-fiction, academic writing, and children’s literature, helping regional voices reach wider audiences.
The Once Upon a Time Library, developed as a companion initiative to the bookstore, has grown into one of the region’s largest private libraries by free access reading programs and school outreach activities, the library continues promoting reading habits among children and young learners.
Apart from education and literature, Dr. Manju Adiniru is also actively involved in chess development and promotion by the Once Upon a Time Chess Academy, organising multiple school-level and state-level chess tournaments and became the first woman in Kerala to conduct an international FIDE-rated chess tournament and also promoting “Chess in Schools” initiatives aimed at strengthening analytical thinking and competitive exposure among students. Dr. Manju Adiniru is also an expert academic contributor and author with over 100 books across English language learning and engineering subjects, widely used by students and coaching institutions for simplifying complex concepts and improving practical understanding and with collaborations across schools, colleges, and educational institutions in Kerala, the Adiniru ecosystem continues to expand its impact in education, employability training, reading culture, language fluency, publishing, and youth development.
About Dr. Manju Adiniru
Dr. Manju Adiniru is a Kerala-based entrepreneur, educator, author, and chess promoter. She is the Founder and Director of Adiniru Pvt. Ltd, leads multiple plans focused on education, English language learning, publishing, libraries, chess development, and student mentoring. Via her ventures, continues working toward building accessible educational and cultural ecosystems that promote learning, confidence, and opportunity creation across communities.
