The shadow CFO: How Anita Kishore got pulled into Byju’s legal storm

For years, Anita Kishore was more than just a senior executive in the sprawling Byju’s empire—she was Byju Raveendran’s confidante. A constant presence, company insiders say she was part of every major strategic move and billion-dollar fundraise by the company, and a key player in its aggressive global expansion.

While she was the company’s Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) in title, within the walls of Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, the parent entity of Byju’s, insiders often described her as the “de facto Chief Financial Officer (CFO)”. She was the only person besides Raveendran who truly understood the company's complex financial plumbing.

Now, for the first time, Kishore finds herself in the crosshairs of a high-stakes US lawsuit. In a legal complaint filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, Kishore—alongside Raveendran and his wife and co-founder Divya Gokulnath—stands accused of orchestrating what lenders are calling a “fraudulent transfer” of more than $533 million from a Delaware-based subsidiary of Think & Learn, Byju’s Alpha Inc.