Gopal Kumar is a citizenship and residency by investment consultant as well as an internationally recognized visual and literary artist. He's the grandson of Dr. (Prof.) Janardan Kumar ji, former Vice Chancellor of Mithila University. Mithila University is based in the ancient Mithila (Videha) Kingdom region, of which Mata Sita (the divine consort of Lord Rama) was a princess.
Gopal’s journey into global identity and mobility is informed by personal experience. A citizen of India, he has been granted permanent residency of Singapore (2013) and permanent residency of Canada (2017). His exposure to different cultures and political systems has influenced his career, particularly his work in citizenship and residency services.
Gopal’s volunteer work as an English language teacher for Tibetan refugees in Dharamshala was a significant and transformative experience. Recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this role exposed him to the stark contrast between the Tibetans' loss of statehood and his own global mobility. During their discussions, when Gopal asked His Holiness how it felt to lose his homeland, the Dalai Lama's reply—that "the world is my home"—left a lasting impression on him. This experience deepened Gopal's commitment to helping others access similar global opportunities and played a crucial role in his eventual work in citizenship and residency services.
Professionally trained as an investment analyst, Gopal previously worked in investment management with Cambridge Associates, where he provided institutional investment advice across various asset classes to clients in Asia and Europe, including some of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds. His work involved collaboration with asset managers across multiple global markets. Before his role at Cambridge Associates, Gopal interned in strategy and finance at the Institute of International Education (IIE) and Tata Steel. These experiences helped develop his skills in strategic and financial analysis.
A published author, Gopal's first book, Energy Independence - Visions of a Hybrid, Unbound Future (ISBN 9788176297233), published when he was 17, was released by the then (11th) President of India and India's "missile man", Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, in July 2005. Shortly after, Dr. Kalam highlighted the importance of energy independence for India in his Presidential address to the nation. Gopal's second book, Beyond Horizons - Verses of Adventure (ISBN 9798893227772), published in March 2024, is a poetic exploration of emotions during his travels and experiences across various cultures and landscapes traversing 500+ cities across 4 continents. This was released by Padma Bhushan Bachendri Pal ji, the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest. Gopal complements his verses with visual art illustrations to inspire young minds globally to explore the world beyond horizons. His books build on the writing heritage and legacy of his paternal grandfather who wrote 6 books between the years 1957 and 2011.
At Harvard (Summer '10), Gopal studied Leadership under Dr. John Paul Rollert and Organizational Behavior under Dr. Myra S. White; holds a BBA ('12) with dual specializations in Finance and Marketing from the NUS Business School, National University of Singapore (NUS) as well as the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) (Apr '14) designation. He also holds an MBA (Jan '22) from the Quantic School of Business and Technology, Washington, DC, USA and is a recipient of the MIT Sloan Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation. At age 19, he was among the youngest participants of an executive education program.
An avid traveler and photographer Gopal was selected as an Official Photographer for the Inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and aims to capture diverse cultures and landscapes through his photography, with the goal of creatively documenting every country on the planet. He invested half a decade (mid-2014 to mid-2019) traveling the globe while photo-journaling and working as a digital nomad remotely. His photos have been exhibited at various forums, including the prestigious NUS Museum. His global experiences and professional background continue to inform his work.
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Last updated 03 March 2025
