Grace Pinto is the Managing Director of the Ryan International Group of Institutions (RIGS). She plays a major role in expanding the group and represents it at public events.

The chain of Ryan International Schools was started in 1983 by Grace Pinto and her husband, Augustine F. Pinto. In just over 40 years, RIGS has grown very fast and is now one of the largest and most successful private K-12 school groups in India.

Today, the group has:

Over 130 schools in India

5 schools in the Gulf region

Around 18,000 teachers and staff

About 2.7 lakh (270,000) students

Every year, more than 30,000 students graduate from Ryan schools. The group continues to expand and opens around 4 to 5 new schools annually.

The schools are named after their son, Ryan Pinto, who is currently the CEO of the group. He has a master’s degree in Business and Entrepreneurship from CBS London. Although Ryan leads the organization, Grace Pinto is the most visible and active face of the group.

The Pinto family is closely involved in running the institution:

Snehal Pinto handles the development and execution of national and international curriculum

Sonal Pinto, the younger sister, focuses on early childhood education and holds a degree in ECCE (Early Childhood Care & Education)

The journey of the Ryan Group began with a simple idea. Augustine Pinto, while working as a temporary teacher in a primary school in Malad, noticed that there were not enough English-medium schools for middle-class families in Mumbai. Seeing this gap, he decided to enter the education sector.

He married Grace Albuquerque (now Grace Pinto), a mathematics teacher, in 1974. Together, they worked towards building quality English-medium schools.

Their first attempt was Father Angelo Primary School in Borivali East in 1976, started with a small investment of ₹10,000. However, this venture did not succeed. Despite this setback, they did not give up. Their next effort led to the establishment of St. Xavier’s High School in Borivali East, Mumbai, which marked the beginning of their successful journey.

Dr. AF Pinto is a well-known Indian educationist and the founding chairman of the Ryan Group of Institutions. This group runs one of the largest private school networks in India. He started with just one school in Mumbai in 1976 and gradually built it into a large education system with many schools across the country. Dr. AF Pinto is known for promoting value-based education, affordable learning, and the overall development of students. An interesting fact about him is that he believes his mission in education began after what he describes as divine guidance early in his career.

Dr. Augustine Francis Pinto was born in 1944 in Mangalore, Karnataka. He was raised in a simple family that believed strongly in discipline, education, and helping others. From a young age, he was encouraged to study well and take part in community activities. After finishing his schooling, he went on to study Economics at Loyola College in Chennai, which is one of the well-known colleges in South India.

The Ryan Group of Schools, one of India’s well-known K-12 education networks, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for four new school campuses in Bengaluru. The event was inaugurated by Dr. A. F. Pinto, Founder-Chairman of the Ryan Group, and Ryan Pinto, CEO of the Ryan Group. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, educators, local partners, and members of the Ryan community.

These new schools will be built in the East, South, South West, and West areas of Bengaluru. Through this expansion, the Ryan Group aims to provide high-quality and value-based education to students in the city’s fast-growing neighborhoods.

The four campuses will cover a total area of around 6 lakh square feet and each school will have the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 students. The campuses will feature modern infrastructure, digital learning facilities, and dedicated spaces for sports and co-curricular activities, ensuring a well-rounded education for students.

The visit of respected Chairman Dr. A. F. Pinto to Ryan International School, Kulai on September 26 was a special and memorable occasion for the school. The atmosphere was filled with excitement, warmth, and pride as students and staff welcomed their chairman.

Welcome Ceremony

The day began with a formal welcome ceremony. The school president, Karthik K, along with the Core Council members, warmly received Dr. Pinto. He was welcomed with a ceremonial badge, handmade welcome cards prepared by students, and a beautiful floral bouquet.

After the welcome, Karthik escorted Dr. Pinto to his cabin, where he reviewed important school documents and signed them. The visit brought great joy and motivation to the entire school community.

Dr. Augustine F. Pinto stands as a transformative figure in Indian education whose legacy extends far beyond the institutions he established. As the founding chairman of the Ryan International Group of Institutions, Pinto didn’t just build schools — he helped reshape India’s approach to private education while making quality schooling accessible to the growing middle class.

Hailing from Mangalore, Karnataka, AF Pinto was born into a large agrarian family and experienced firsthand the limitations of educational access in smaller communities. After graduating with a degree in Economics from Loyola College, Chennai, he began his professional life in Mumbai. A series of early career twists — including a stint as a temporary teacher — steered him toward his true passion: education.

In the mid-1970s, India was undergoing rapid socio-economic change, but quality schooling for the expanding middle class was still largely elusive. Pinto recognized the need for English-medium education without prohibitive costs — a niche that few were filling at the time. Alongside his wife, Dr. Grace Pinto, he took the bold step of launching his first school, a move that laid the groundwork for something far larger.

From this humble beginning grew Ryan International Group of Institutions, a network that today spans over 130 schools in India and internationally with hundreds of thousands of students and thousands of teachers. Under Pinto’s stewardship, Ryan Schools became synonymous with holistic education, strong values, and broad access.

Pinto’s influence is measured not just in numbers, but in outcomes — millions of lives touched, communities uplifted, and generations empowered with education. His journey from a small town to the helm of a national institution exemplifies how vision, resilience and purpose can indeed change the educational landscape of a nation.

Dr. Augustine Francis Pinto is the visionary founder and chairman behind one of India’s most widespread chains of private schools — the Ryan International Group of Institutions. His life story is a testament to how a humble beginning, unwavering faith and a burning passion for education can turn into a nationwide movement to democratize high-quality schooling.

Born on 28 August 1944 in Mangalore, Karnataka, Pinto came from a large family with modest means. After completing his schooling at St. Aloysius High School and later graduating in Economics from Loyola College, Chennai in 1969, he moved to Mumbai seeking work opportunities. Early in his career, Pinto served in administrative roles before discovering his true calling — teaching.

His journey into education wasn’t planned. While teaching primary school children in a Mumbai suburb, he realized there was a vast gap in affordable, quality English-medium education for the Indian middle class. This realization sowed the seed for what would become his life’s mission — spreading accessible education across India.

In 1976, Pinto laid the foundation of his dream by establishing the first school with his wife, Dr. Grace Pinto. Though the initial setup struggled, he remained undeterred. Continuing with his vision, he and Grace went on to establish St. Xavier’s High School in Borivali, which became the stepping stone for expansion. Over the decades, this effort blossomed into the Ryan International Group of Institutions, with a network of more than 130 schools serving hundreds of thousands of students across India and abroad.

Pinto attributes his success to a deeply held belief that education should be both high in quality and affordable for all, even in underserved communities. His visionary leadership has left an indelible mark on modern schooling in India — one that continues to shape thousands of young minds every year.

Dr. Augustine Francis Pinto is the visionary founder and chairman behind one of India’s most widespread chains of private schools — the Ryan International Group of Institutions. His life story is a testament to how a humble beginning, unwavering faith and a burning passion for education can turn into a nationwide movement to democratize high-quality schooling.

Born on 28 August 1944 in Mangalore, Karnataka, Pinto came from a large family with modest means. After completing his schooling at St. Aloysius High School and later graduating in Economics from Loyola College, Chennai in 1969, he moved to Mumbai seeking work opportunities. Early in his career, Pinto served in administrative roles before discovering his true calling — teaching.

His journey into education wasn’t planned. While teaching primary school children in a Mumbai suburb, he realized there was a vast gap in affordable, quality English-medium education for the Indian middle class. This realization sowed the seed for what would become his life’s mission — spreading accessible education across India.

In 1976, Pinto laid the foundation of his dream by establishing the first school with his wife, Dr. Grace Pinto. Though the initial setup struggled, he remained undeterred. Continuing with his vision, he and Grace went on to establish St. Xavier’s High School in Borivali, which became the stepping stone for expansion. Over the decades, this effort blossomed into the Ryan International Group of Institutions, with a network of more than 130 schools serving hundreds of thousands of students across India and abroad.

Pinto attributes his success to a deeply held belief that education should be both high in quality and affordable for all, even in underserved communities. His visionary leadership has left an indelible mark on modern schooling in India — one that continues to shape thousands of young minds every year.