COVID-19 has exposed the weakest links in our supply chains, the largest impact of which has been felt by the poor. As we rebuild rural livelihoods, we need to innovate towards decentralisation, write Harish Hande and Jeffrey Prins in India Development Review (IDR).
While we take a fresh look at how we innovate in value chains, they need to be understood from the perspective of the most vulnerable.
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Abhishek Gupta Associate DirectorProfessional Experience:
He is a financial inclusion consultant. He has worked on projects related to digital payments, MSME finance, microfinance, business correspondents, creative industries, financial literacy, digital upskilling, and gender equity in financial services. His clients included the World Bank & IFC, USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA), DAI, Accion and Villgro. His focus is on using mixed-method research and design thinking to ensure customer centricity in financial services for low-income households. He has previously worked with LEAD at Krea University (IFMR), Intellecap and MicroSave Consulting (MSC). He has authored multiple publications, including bylines in Mint, Business Line, Inc42, CNBC TV18 and NextBillion.
Educational Background:
Abhishek holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering (DCE), Delhi University and an MBA from Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA).
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include high-altitude trekking, playing chess and reading the history of economic thought.
Laxmi Grover Assistant ManagerProfessional Experience:
She comes with a blend of foundation in software engineering and a grasp of social impact, as she has transitioned from a technical background to a development-focused career. She has worked with Mitrata Inclusive Financial Services, Gov of Odisha (ORMAS), Greenpeace, TCS, and L&T Infotech in the past across domains like financial inclusion, sustainable livelihoods, M&E, and end-to-end project management.
Educational Background:
Laxmi is a B Tech graduate in Computer Science & Engineering from NIT Jalandhar and holds Masters in Social Sciences from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – reading, swimming, playing chess and trekking.
Swagata Gan ManagerProfessional Experience:
She has worked in organisations like CINI (Child in Need Institute), IHAT (Indian Health Action Trust), PATH and ARMMAN and has been involved with Public Health (MNCH) at the grassroot level in Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Swagata hold expertise in preparing the M&E framework, research, evaluation of output and capacity building, advocacy with Government stakeholders.
Educational Background:
Swagata holds a M.Sc degree in Economics from University of Calcutta.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – Photography, hiking and watching thrillers.
Kaustubh Mishra AssociateProfessional Experience:
He has done internships with Education Department of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Breakthrough Trust, Centre for Budget & Governance Accountability, and Niti Tantra. He brings strong skills in data analysis and proficiency in statistical tools including Excel, R, and Stata.
Educational Background:
Kaustubh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Lucknow and a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include playing cricket, gardening, and reading books.
Vaibhavi Iyer Senior Manager – MarcomProfessional Experience:
Vaibhavi has spent most of her career working with D2C businesses and brands. She started off her career as the first product manager at CRED, followed by building an ed-tech business at the peak of the pandemic at Openhouse and eventually transitioning to a skin-in-the-game consulting and venture-capital firm called Spring Marketing Capital. Over the course of her career, her main focus has been Strategy (with a focus on consumer insights) and Brand Building.
Educational Background:
Vaibhavi holds a B.A. Economics Honors Degree from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – marathoning, playing violin, exploring new places in town, spinning (spin-instructor).
Shahzad Shaikh System AdministratorProfessional Experience:
He holds experience in maintaining, upgrading and managing the applications, software, hardware and networks. His last assignment was with Oasis Capital – Manama, Bahrain . Previously he as also worked with organizations like Ramee Group, Wipro InfoTech and Trimax Computer Ltd.
Educational Background:
Shahzad holds Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – cricket and snooker.
Rachana AgarwalManager – FlagshipProfessional Experience:
Rachana is a experienced instructional designer with over 20 years of experience in the industry, analyzing learning needs and developing customized content for extensive mandates for the government, social sector and corporates.
Educational Background:
Rachana is a graduate in English Literature from Women’s Christian College, Chennai, post-graduate diploma from NIIT and have done instructional designing from Symbiosis, Pune.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include reading, painting, embroidery, art and crafts and gardening.
Mohit Sharma Manager – ONDCProfessional Experience:
He holds experience in Brand Sourcing, Market Research, and successful Merchandising across business to business (B2B) and business to customer (B2C)models. His last assignment was with Metaverse Blockchain Solutions Pvt Ltd. where he was spearheading the merchandising strategy for the e-commerce & reward platform, optimizing, product assortment and placement to maximize sales and customer engagement, brand on-boarding and brand closures. Previously he has also worked with organizations like Shopclues.com, Killer & Lawman Pg3, Pepperfry , Fashionandyou and Shoplik.com.
Educational Background:
Mohit holds a Master degree from IMT Ghaziabad.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – singing.
Kunal Dhooper Associate Director – ONDCProfessional Experience:
He holds expertise in visualizing the e-commerce business value chain in Indian and Global context. He has been leading multiple projects and teams to drive online growth, GTM strategy for startups and digital partnerships. In his last assigbment he was the Co-Founder of the URBCLAN(Clothing accessories) brand. Previously he has worked with organisations like Zigly, Gadgets360, NewU (Subsidiary of Dabur India Ltd), Snapdeal and Flipkart.
Educational Background:
Kunal Dhooper holds a Bachelors degree in Commerce from University of Delhi Masters Degree in Marketing from IP University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – playing badminton and playing percussion instruments.
Vikas Kantu Director – ONDCProfessional Experience:
Johny holds expertise in strategic planning, process design, and implementation, proficient in cross-functional project execution and delivery, with a deep understanding of tech platforms and marketplace systems. He has proficiency in setting up Processes, Transitions, Governance & SLAs, directing business transformation initiatives & establishing processes for delivering high-quality solutions. His last assignment was with Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd. Where he was leading the Central Supply Analytics, Seller Marketing, Monetization charter, and Tier 2 Account management for sellers. Previously he has also worked with organizations like Cure.Fit, Canara Paper Mills and GMJ Paper & Boards.
Educational Background:
Johny holds a B.E. Mechatronics Engineering degree from Anna University, Chennai and MBA in Operations Management from SIBM, Bengaluru.
Vikas Kantu Head – MarcommProfessional Experience:
He holds expertise in defining brand vision, guidelines, strategy, positioning and creating impactful Communication & Media strategies. Collaborated with the top agencies, celebrities, script-writers, directors to craft 25+ remarkable ad films. His last assignment was with Spartan Poker as Head – Marketing & Product. Previously he has worked with organizations like TOPPR, Cars24 and 3DPLM.
Educational Background:
Vikas holds a B.Tech degree in Information Technology.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include traveling, trading, sports & gaming , yoga & mediation.
Akash RoyTechnology Product LeadProfessional Experience:
Akash Roy joins us as a Technology Product Lead. He is based out of Mumbai, and will be working closely with Priya Naik. He has 17 years of total experience, with 8 years in Technical Project Planning.
Educational Background:
Akash holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Business Administration and is a certified Project Manager and Product Manager.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
He is someone who likes to research on a wide range of topics like, History, Space and Tech as a hobby. He also loves to trek.
Noshir DadrawalaAbout Noshir:
Mr. Noshir H. Dadrawala is the Chief Executive of the Centre for Advancement of Philanthropy. He has been with the Centre since its inception in 1987. Currently, he serves on international boards as; Member, Asia Pacific Philanthropy Network which is a part of Give2Asia based in San Francisco, member of the Coordinating Committee of Brazil based Worldwide Initiatives & Network of Grant-makers (WINGS), Fellow of the Centre for Study of Philanthropy (New York) which is affiliated to the Graduate School & University Center of the City University of New York, member of the Advisory Council of the U.S. based International Centre for Not-for-profit Law. He is also a trustee of; Resource Alliance (India), India Sponsorship Committee, Make A Wish Foundation – India, V Care Foundation, Chronic Care Foundation, Forbes Foundation, Happy Home and School for the Blind, Junoon Foundation initiated by Sanjana Kapoor and the Jai Ho Trust which he established with the Oscar Winning Director, Danny Boyle. He is a permanent invitee on the Board of the Bombay Community Public Trust that CAP helped to incubate in the year 1990.
Jagdish AcharyaAbout Jagdish:
Mr.Acharya brings over 44 years of executive leadership experience, and is passionate about driving skill development, quality improvement, and innovation in the paint and coatings sector. As the CEO of PAINTS & COATINGS SKILL COUNCIL, he leads a dynamic team of professionals who work with industry stakeholders, government agencies, and training partners to create and implement competency-based standards, curricula, and assessments for the industry. In his current role, he has successfully launched several strategic initiatives, such as the National Apprenticeship Program, the Recognition of Prior Learning, and the Paints and Coatings Academy for the Paints and Coatings Industry. These initiatives have enabled thousands of workers and students to acquire industry-relevant skills, certifications, and career opportunities. He has also established strong partnerships with leading paint manufacturers, associations, and educational institutions to promote the adoption and recognition of the NCVET standards and programs. Additionally, he has represented the industry at various national and international forums and events, showcasing the best practices and achievements of the Indian paint and coatings industry
Subho MoulikAbout Subho:
He is a Chartered Accountant and an MBA from London Business School.
He brings over 18 years of experience in technology sales, marketing, product development, innovation and strategy. He was associated with companies like Wayfair, Arthur Andersen, Ernst & Young, the Citi Group, Mckinsey & Company, Whirlpool Corporation, and Adani Group, amongst others.
Subho is a pro-bono advisor for the overall strategy and technology development for Samhita-CGF.
Sudip BasuAbout Sudip:
Sudip is a Bachelor of Technology graduate from IIT Kharagpur, and holds a post graduate diploma in marketing & finance from IIM, Bangalore.
He brings 3 decades of rich experience in risk management, lending to retail, SMEs, large corporates, cash flow lending, etc. He was the MD, Risk Management, Citi Private Bank, Mumbai and is currently the Group Risk Head at the Hinduja Group.
Ajay Satish SoniFull-stack DeveloperProfessional Experience:
Ajay has 1 year experience in Full-stack development. Completed 15 project and reached up to 1 million leads. Builded e-commerce ,Food Franchise and Traveller Franchise, Waterpark website using technology like React.js,Bootstrap,Sass,Css and Html for Front-end and Django,python,REST Framework for Back-end.
Educational Background:
He holds B.E in Electronic and Telecommunication from Mumbai University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – Speed Cubing, Cheese, programming, playing video games and drawing.
Sudhir NaikCFOProfessional Experience:
A qualified finance professional (ACA, AICWA, ACS), Sudhir has served articles with A F Ferguson & Co and served MNCs – Shell, Siemens, Ferodo, Colgate Palmolive and Heinz (as CFO and Finance Director) as well as Owner Managed groups – Mittals, Bahwans and Mustafa Sultan as Group CFO. He has worked briefly in Australia, Mexico and for 22 years in the Middle East before joining Samhita.
Diviniti KothariAnalyst-Strategic PartnershipsProfessional Experience:
She has gained expertise in research, policy-making, and legislative affairs through her collaboration with various political figures. She has completed her internships with Child Rights & You, at the Office of Reena Gupta (Advisor, Delhi Government) & Dr. Amar Patnaik, Politics for Impact and SRIVIPRA.
Educational Background:
Diviniti Kothari holds B.A. (Hons.) degree in Political Science from Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – sketching, playing ukulele and badminton
Akriti TiwariAssociate – MarcommProfessional Experience:
Akriti’s last assignment was with Pokerbaazi as a creative analyst for brand strategizing and social media content. She has curated digital content , translated and edited scripts, ads for major private companies and has hands on experience in organizing several offline and online events for the organization’s social media growth.
Educational Background:
Akriti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. Akriti is a theatre enthusiast.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of Akriti’s hobbies include – reading books, writing poetry and discovering new music
Shreya KuruvillaManager – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
She is a Social Impact Professional with over 8 years of experience working in multiple domains. She holds expertise in managing end to end projects implementation across various thematic areas. Her last assignment was with America India Foundation. She has previously also worked with organizations like Capgemini, TechnoServe and HCL Foundation.
Educational Background:
She holds a B.A Hons. in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and Masters in Sustainable Development Practices from TERI University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – Poetry and Story Writing, Journaling, Travelling, Spending time with loved ones, Rock Climbing, Long walks, Dancing
Juhi AnandSr. Associate – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
Juhi has been working in the development sector and in her past roles she has worked in domains like sustainability, climate change, renewable energy and livelihood and has worked with organizations such as CLEAN and Swaniti Initiative.
Educational Background:
Juhi holds B.Com degree from Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi University and has completed Post Graduate Diploma in Forest Management from Indian Institute of Forest Management.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include travelling, music, photography, art & crafts.
Aarchita SharmaAssociate – ReviveProfessional Experience:
Aarchita has worked as a Young Professional at the Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (RGAVP), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of Rajasthan. She then joined as an Academic Associate at the Kautilya School of Public Policy in Hyderabad.
Educational Background:
Aarchita holds a BA in Social Sciences from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and a MA in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – reading fiction and graphic novels, baking and East Asian media.
Ramakrishna MSr. Associate – SkillingProfessional Experience:
Ramakrishna comes with strong business acumen, excellent interpersonal relationship, possessing strong leadership and team building capabilities. He is a dynamic and accomplished professional with extensive experience in Operations, Team Management and in depth knowledge in Channel Management and Customer Operations.
He has 20 plus years of experience in Telecom and banking operations.
Educational Background:
He holds B.Com from Osmania University and BMS Degree from Indian School of Business Management & Administration.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include Cooking and Enjoys watching South indian movies.
Muli DeviMicroentrepreneur, GokalpuriMicro-entrepreneurs – Reviving Muli Devi’s Business
Muli Devi lives in Gokalpuri with her children in their own house. She sells sarees and cosmetic items (lipstick, bindi, anklets) from home to home. She sells sarees and cosmetic items such as lipstick, bindi and anklets. In the pre-lockdown era, she was able to earn ₹700 to ₹800 a day and around ₹4000 in a month. Since the onset of the pandemic, she is very often earning only ₹300 to ₹400 per day. She was also unable to consider alternative livelihood due to a lack of necessary skills. While mobile phones have become important to her business as customers prefer it for sales, she was unable to afford one. In August 2021, Muli Devi took a ₹20,000 returnable grant to replenish her inventory. She is now earning around ₹ 6000 monthly and is able to save, pay the ration and water expenses of the house and also repay the interest free loan instalment on a monthly basis. She attributes her revival to REVIVE and the timeliness of it.
VarshaBeautypreneur, GhaziabadBeautypreneurs – Varsha went from Helper to Owner
For Varsha, being a beautician was of an interest right from her 12th class. She picked up this skill in Meerut post which she received a formal training with Empower Pragati. A freelancer before (for 2.5 years) who also used to work at an E-aggregator platform for beauty services, Varsha now owns a salon just on the front porch of her house. Varsha has employed one helper at her salon. She received a grant of ₹20,000 and she has been able to purchase a ring light, a curling machine and other makeup products. She currently sees 4 to 5 customers in a day and is earning an income of up to ₹12,000. She created a savings account in the name of her children and now wishes to grow her business and look for a better place to shift her business.
Mansi SuhasBamboo artisan, Chandrapur, MaharashtraArtisans – Doubling Mansi’s Income
Mansi Suhas Godan was the sole breadwinner for her family of four with an annual income of ₹40,000. She was also a member of the Skill Women Savings Group, which helps women in the artisan community with their financial needs. Through one of the members, Mansi got to know of a Bamboo Handicraft Skill Development Training, conducted in association with the Bamboo Research and Training Centre (BRTC) and Women Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) of Chandrapur, and learned of the increased earning opportunities of being a Bamboo artisan. Today, Mansi is working as a Bamboo artisan and earning ₹150 to ₹200 per day. Through this, she has been able to increase the family’s annual income, and enjoy better self-confidence.
Praveen BVManager – SkillingProfessional Experience:
He has previously worked with organizations like Digital Academy 360, Rooman Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Agastya EdTech Pvt. Ltd. and Direct Dialogue Recruiter. He holds expertise in project planning, execution, client acquisition, account management and strategic planning.
Educational Background:
Praveen holds a BBM Degree in Marketing from Dayananda Sagar Junior Business School, and Masters Degree in MBA from Sikkim Manipal University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – playing cricket and reading novels.
SupriyaManager – SkillingProfessional Experience:
She is a development professional with nine years of experience with organizations like Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society in Bihar and Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation in Delhi. She holds expertise in handling project management in skilling & livelihoods space at the local and national levels, managing budgets, government relations, prospect researching and
partnerships.
Educational Background:
Supriya holds B.Com degree from Patna University and Masters Degree in Development Management from Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include reading and cooking.
Priyanka SrivastavaBusiness AnalystProfessional Experience:
Her expertise is to closely work with the business teams and understand the
requirements and align the same with the development teams. Her last assignment was with In-solutions Global Pvt Ltd as Functional Business Analyst wherein her major responsibility was to handle the organization’s application which was used to settle NETC (National Electronic Toll Collection ) Toll Transactions for different bank clients. She has also worked with IIT- Delhi as Project Assistant.
Educational Background:
Priyanka holds Business Analyst Certificate (IIBA endorsed) and MCA degree from Annamalai University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include reading and cooking.
Sachin ShindeSystem AdmistratorProfessional Experience:
Sachin brings with him over 15 years of experience in the IT Infrastructure Management. He holds expertise in handling Technology Operations, Information Security, Service Desk Management, Business Application, network maintenance, Linux, Windows (All versions) & MS- DOS. His last assignment was with IFAST Financial India Pvt Ltd as Lead, IT Infrastructure. Previously he has worked with companies like Sunshine Telesoft Pvt Ltd, Fashion Life Style, Entire Software Exports pvt. Ltd. and Comptrain Center Pvt. ltd.
Educational Background:
He is a Economics graduate and holds a DBA certification and Diploma in Hardware and Networking.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – playing Cricket & programming.
Amit GargAbout Amit:
Amit Garg leads the regional program strategy, grants management and partnerships for the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS) in India and Bangladesh. GFEMS is a Washington D.C.-based fund backed by the US, UK and Norwegian governments in addition to private foundations and aims to combat human trafficking in all its forms. This includes labour exploitation, bonded labour & child labour in global supply chains (such as construction and apparel) and commercial sexual exploitation of children. Prior to this, he led the philanthropy portfolio for Credit Suisse (CS) bank aimed at education, financial inclusion and skill development. He also led a similar portfolio for Godrej Properties (part of the larger Godrej Industries Group) prior to CS where the grants were aimed at making rural to urban migration safer. Previously Amit has worked with UNICEF as State Coordinator – Monitoring & Evaluation for the state of Bihar in India.
He has been a development practitioner in the business and human rights space since 2010 including having been part of the foundation teams of two early-stage social enterprises in workforce development in the healthcare sector.
Amit is an alumnus of the United Nations University and Maastricht University and has a double Masters in Public Policy & Human Development.
Nachiket MorAbout Nachiket:
Nachiket Mor has a PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. His current work is principally focused on the design of national and regional health systems.
He was a member of the Planning Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Universal Health Care, the Primary Care Task Force of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Health Commission for the State of Himachal Pradesh, and the Standing Committee on Health Systems Strengthening at the National Academy of Medicine in Washington DC. He helped create a new model for comprehensive primary care, pioneered by SughaVazhvu Healthcare in remote rural parts of Tamil Nadu.
He is currently a Visiting Scientist at The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health and a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Information Technology and Public Policy (CITAPP) at IIIT Bangalore.
Irfan NooruddinAbout Irfan:
Irfan is the Director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council. He is also a Professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Dr. Nooruddin conducts research in the political economy of development, trade, and investment, and the challenges of democratization in the 21st century.
He is the author of Elections in Hard Times (Cambridge University Press, 2016) and Coalition Politics and Economic Development (Cambridge University Press, 2011) and more than twenty-five scholarly articles and book chapters. In 2012, he was a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC., and is a Team Member of Lokniti: Programme in Comparative Democracy in New Delhi, India. He has received grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID.
Irfan has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a BA in Economics and International Studies from Ohio Wesleyan University. He was born and raised in Bombay where he studied at St. Xavier’s College and St. Stanislaus High School.
Arun MairaAbout Arun:
Arun Maira is a thought leader on social and economic development and transformational change and leadership. He is an author of several books including Shaping the Future: Aspirational Leadership in India and Beyond; Redesigning the Airplane While Flying: Reforming Institutions; and Transforming Capitalism: Improving the World for Everyone. His most recent book is Listening for Well-Being: Conversations with People Not Like Us. He is a frequent speaker at international forums on the reform of institutions.
Mr. Maira is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of HelpAge International and Chairman of the Foundation for MSME Clusters. He was a Member of the Planning Commission of India from 2009 to 2014, and of the National Innovation Council, besides being Chairman of The Boston Consulting Group in India from 2000-2008. Earlier, he worked with the Tata Group for 25 years in senior management and board positions.
Suhas MisraAbout Suhas:
Suhas completed his MBA from IIM Calcutta (Class of 2003) and started his professional career with Coca Cola. In 2005 he moved to Nokia as a Regional Sales Training Manager and in 2006, started ChannelPlay- India’s first integrated Sales Process Outsourcing Company. Suhas was also the Chief Operating Officer of Hector Beverages Private Limited – It has quickly carved out a niche for itself, despite having to deal with deep-pocketed competitors with two unique functional beverages – Tzinga and Paper Boat.
Paresh S. ParasnisAbout Paresh:
Paresh Parasnis in his current position as Head of Piramal Foundation is responsible for all the CSR activities of Piramal Enterprises Limited. Paresh is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a graduate of Mumbai University. Paresh started his career with Hindustan Lever Limited. He then moved on to HDFC Limited, where he handled various responsibilities. His last assignment in HDFC Ltd was business development and overseeing the operations in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. In November 2000, Paresh moved to a new venture in the HDFC fold to set up the life insurance company, HDFC Standard Life Insurance (a joint venture with Standard Life plc, UK). In November 2008, Paresh was appointed as a full time member of the Board of Directors of HDFC Standard Life and served as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer till July 2012. During his tenure with HDFC Standard Life, he was a Member of Board Committees and Chair / Member of internal management committees. He also has a vast experience in the area of consulting and has been a Project Manager / Financial Analyst in programs funded by multilateral agencies. He brings with him a rich experience of 30 years with major strengths in strategy formulation, project management, time-bound execution and building robust and customer-friendly servicing models.
Krishnan NeelakantanAbout Krishnan:
Krishnan Neelakantan is Senior Director – Investments & Growth strategy at Ankur Capital, a Mumbai-based early stage venture capital fund that invests into high-impact startups in agriculture, education/skill development, healthcare and rural business sectors. He has extensive experience in financial markets and investment research, as well as social development consulting. He spent 17 years as an equity research analyst, market strategist and Head of India Research at ICICI Securities and CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets as one of the leading advisors to foreign institutional investors (FIIs) investing in Indian equities, he and his team were regularly rated at the top in leading Investor Polls. He then changed tracks to join Samhita Social Ventures as Managing Director to build-up the organization’s profile as a specialised social consulting firm. Krishnan remains on the Board of Directors at Samhita, is on the Board of Mentors for IvyCapital Ventures, is a founding member at Social Venture Partners, Mumbai and is a Patron of Adarsh, a Kochi-based NGO focussed on children with disabilities. He has a B.Tech degree from IIT, Bombay and a Post-graduation in Business Management from the XLRI, Jamshedpur. He has also completed executive development programmes of London Business School and University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
Amita N. VyasAbout Amita:
Dr. Amita Vyas is an Assistant Professor & Director of the Maternal & Child Health masters in public health program in the Department of Prevention and Community Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, and holds an adjunct appointment with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Vyas is a public health scientist whose primary research focuses on reproductive and sexual health. At George Washington University, Dr. Vyas teaches Reproductive Health: US and Global Perspectives, Adolescent Health & Development, Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health, and Management Approaches to Public Health. Dr. Vyas has given lectures and speeches around the country including Capitol Hill and was the Chair for “Partnerships in Health,” an advocacy briefing and event on Capitol Hill aimed at promoting public-private partnerships to address HIV/AIDS in India.
N.S. RaghavanAbout N.S. Raghavan:
N.S. Raghavan is a co-founder and former Joint Managing Director of Infosys who took voluntary retirement from Infosys in the year 2000 to promote his vision of entrepreneurship and India-based global companies on a broader scale.
Nadathur Holdings & Investments was incorporated with the aim of nurturing knowledge-based and innovation-driven ventures that either target the Indian market or leverage Indian resources to target the global market.
Similarly to encourage entrepreneurship in the country and help incubate start-ups, he set up the N. S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) with a contribution of around Rs 12.5 crores.
N S Raghavan was selected by a reputed panel of international judges to receive the Dhirubhai Ambani Award for the year 2004 on the 57th India’s Independence Day banquet held in Los Angeles on Aug 15th. This award was given to him for his outstanding contribution to Entrepreneurship by FOIAC, the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles and Orange County, State of California and the Congressional offices of the USA.
Luis MirandaAbout Luis:
Luis is the Managing Trustee of the Collective Good Foundation. He is Senior Advisor to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure and Advisor to the Nadathur Group. He has been involved in setting up two successful companies – HDFC Bank and IDFC Private Equity. He was earlier a partner at ChrysCapital and has worked at HSBC, Citibank, KPMG and Price Waterhouse. He is a member of the Global Advisory Board of Chicago Booth. Luis advises and supports many not-for-profit organisations in India, using his networks to help these organisations. He is also the Chairman of Centre for Civil Society and CORO. He writes a regular blog for Forbes India. He received an MBA from the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Priya NaikAbout Priya:
Samhita Social Ventures evolved from Priya’s work with the Nadathur family’s social initiatives in the areas of nature conservation, art, education for differently-abled children, and livelihood generation through microenterprise.
Prior to working with Nadathur’s family office, Priya co-founded The Spark Group, an education company that delivered affordable education to low income communities. At Spark, Priya helped define strategy, created the business plan and was also instrumental in raising funds from IFMR Trust.
Priya’s interest in social entrepreneurship began when she worked as a Researcher at the Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA. At MIT, Priya was part of two student-led start-ups – Aerovax, a company that created safe, inhalable aerosol vaccines that could be delivered without the use of needles and Kalpataru, a company that delivered innovative, low-cost technology to increase the efficiency of microfinance institutions. Kalpataru’s pilot was tested with the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and was presented to Nobel laureate, Dr Muhammad Yunus. Both social enterprises won several awards at MIT.
Priya has worked as a consultant with the International Finance Corporation in Africa. She started her career in Accounting at Arthur Andersen in Mumbai. Her career is an interesting fusion of on-the-ground grassroots solutions through enterprise and strategic consulting experience with established companies, a perfect combination for understanding and implementing CSR projects across the board.
Priya has a Masters in Economics from Yale University, USA, a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA and a Masters in Commerce from Mumbai University where she stood first in the entire graduating class.
Suman SrivastavaAbout Suman:
Suman Srivastava is the Founder and Innovation Artist at Marketing Unplugged. He is also the author of Marketing Unplugged: Spotting the elephants in the room.
Suman Srivastava enjoys doing new things. A graduate of Delhi University, IIM Ahmedabad and IMD Lausanne, he is an advertising man, strategist, author, marathon runner, teacher, social worker, sports fan, creative bartender and an entrepreneur.
Suman has been the CEO of Euro RSCG India for 5 years and also Chief Strategy Officer for Euro RSCG Asia Pacific. He was the Chairman of Euro RSCG’s emerging markets planning council and a member of the global management committee. Lastly, he was Vice Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer of FCB Ulka Group in India.
In 2011, he started an innovation firm called Marketing Unplugged. The focus of the company is to help Indian companies create marketing innovations and thus achieve extraordinary growth. In this capacity, he has been associated with brands such as Raymond (suitings), CaratLane (online jewellery), Network18 (media), Sweekar (cooking oil), Spuul (entertainment app), Johnson & Johnson (OTC), Navneet (stationery) and FCB Ulka to name a few.
Anisha PanigrahiSr. Manager – Strategic PartnershipsProfessional Experience:
Anisha has total 6+ years of experience in the Automotive and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Consulting, Skill Development, Ed-Tech solutions, Govt. & Private Sector Advisory, Governance & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Space in designing outcome-based scalable solutions and managing PAN India level projects. Previously she worked with IL&FS Skills Development Corporation Ltd (a leading TVET provider in India) as a Strategy & Business Development Manager in the Corporate Skill Development Vertical handling B2B, B2G and CSR partnerships and solutions. She has also been associated with reputed organizations like Eicher Motors Limited, Teach for India and AIESEC. Being passionate about empowering the under-served population, she has worked extensively on the ground in designing and managing multi-stakeholder and multi-locational projects involving diverse skill sets in rural and semi-urban geographies. She has also worked on several bilateral/ multilateral projects funded by USAID, World Bank, ADB, DFID, UNDP, ILO, IFC etc. focusing on projects aimed at socio-economic development. She has worked on various Cluster Development initiatives in the African continent and GCC countries; with Central Ministries & State Govts on various Govt. Schemes and has designed CSR projects for aspirational districts as prescribed by NITI Aayog (GoI).
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Anisha is an avid reader and loves travelling, listening to music, playing squash, painting & being an active member of global networking clubs.
Mukesh Kumar PandeyNetwork Support – IT
Anirban SahaAnalyst – ImplementationAbout Anirban:
Anirban brings with him a diverse background as a graduate in Electrical Engineering from KiiT University and as a Gandhi fellow! At the Gandhi Fellowship Program, he was extensively involved in Improving Student’s Learning Outcome working in tandem with various school stakeholders in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. Anirban’s interests lay in the convergence of education and sports sector.
His curiosity to learn how to create impact through CSR projects at scale has led him to Samhita!
Prachi PatniAssociate – Assessments, RKMS
YaminiAssistant Manager, Implementation REVIVEProfessional Experience:
Yamini is an aspiring entrepreneur with 2+ years of experience in social sector. She has worked in different sector from financial inclusion, education, business accumen, health to mental health. She is a team player and After her formal working hours she is a co founder at a mental health organization “Vartamaan care network”, and wanna be illustration artist.
Educational Background:
She holds B.A hon in History from Delhi University and Postgraduate professional Certificate in Management Practice and leadership from Vedica scholars Program.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include illustrating, paining and traveling.
Vishal DhaleDirector – Strategy and Alliance DevelopmentProfessional Experience:
Vishal brings with him over 2 decades of experience across industries like consumer durable, automobile, financial services. His experience has been in Sales, Business Development, Sales Strategy across products. Vishal has been recognized with many awards and accolades in his corporate journey. People who know him consider him to be passionate and a people’s person with clear focus on business and the knack to align people and business. He now wants to leverage his core management skills in the development sector and in the consulting space and that is how Samhita happened to him. He is excited to start his journey with us and impact lives positively.
Educational Background:
Vishal is a Mechanical Engineer and holds a Masters Degree in Business Management from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – travelling, nature photography, gardening & cycling
Dr Rashi SabooSenior Associate, ImplementationProfessional Experience:
A public health professional at heart, the larger goal is to positively influence the public health landscape globally.
Educational Background:
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include playing board games, listening to indie music bands & watching “The Office” on the loop. “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things” is the thought that she would like to leave us with.
Kedar AnnamAssistant ManagerProfessional Experience:
Kedar is a Development Sector Professional for more than 7 years and have worked in area like sanitation, waste management, WASH, social and financial inclusion, livelihood, health and education.
Educational Background:
He is a Mechanical Engineer and holds a Masters Degree in Business Management from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – exploring new places, reading and crafting.
Dipti BairageeSenior Associate – FinanceProfessional Experience:
Dipti has 9 years of experience into the field of Accounting & Finance
Educational Background:
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – Reading Books and Listening Music
Sanika MoreAssociate – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
Sanika worked as a Public Relations professional after graduation. Post her masters, she grew passionate about conservation, with a vision of a sustainable and inclusive future. She worked on political campaigns and party’s and politician’s social media. She carried out various PR projects for FMCG and sports brands with a team and a few PR campaigns by herself. She believes in social equality, opportunity and work towards the greater good.
Educational Background:
Sanika graduated in Mass Media with a major in journalism and a Masters in Public Policy from St. Xaviers College, Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
She is a moviegoer who enjoys cooking, reading historical fiction/non-fiction, sketching and travelling!
Narendra KulkarniAssistant Manager – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
Akshay Kamtam joins us as Assistant Manager – Strategic Partnerships, based out of Mumbai, and will be working closely with Anisha.
Akshay has more than 4 years of experience in consulting, entrepreneurship & account management space. He has worked in Indian and International markets for companies like Ray Business Technologies, Australia & Infratech. He also co-founded a social venture called Marine Meadow Farms where he worked as a think tank for Maharashtra Fishery Department for development of seaweed projects in Maharashtra to tackle climate change and create women empowerment.
Educational Background:
Akshay holds Masters Degree from Melbourne Business School, Australia and BBA from Mumbai University.
Akshay KamtamAssistant Manager – Strategic PartnershipsProfessional Experience:
Akshay Kamtam joins us as Assistant Manager – Strategic Partnerships, based out of Mumbai, and will be working closely with Anisha.
Akshay has more than 4 years of experience in consulting, entrepreneurship & account management space. He has worked in Indian and International markets for companies like Ray Business Technologies, Australia & Infratech. He also co-founded a social venture called Marine Meadow Farms where he worked as a think tank for Maharashtra Fishery Department for development of seaweed projects in Maharashtra to tackle climate change and create women empowerment.
Educational Background:
Akshay holds Masters Degree from Melbourne Business School, Australia and BBA from Mumbai University.
Toji Easo VargheseBusiness AnalystProfessional Experience:
Toji Easo Varghese joins us as Business Analyst, he is based out of Mumbai, and will be working closely with Akash.
Toji has been a Business Analyst Professional for the last 5 years working in different domains with the likes of Location Based Services, Logistics and E-Governance with expertise in various reporting, wireframing, and content management applications.
Educational Background:
He holds Masters in Management Studies from Mumbai University and is an Engineering Graduate from Mumbai University, both under the domain of Information Technology
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – playing the guitar, long distance touring, singing
Smriti SangamAssociate – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
Her exposure to social sciences during undergraduation sparked the drive in her to pursue a career in the development sector. Being an inquisitive learner with varied interests, her work experience ranges from Arts Management, Urban Governance and Development to CSR and Public Policy, with her key interests being in the domains of Education, Livelihoods, and Informal Labour. She has previously worked with Praja Foundation, Social Lens Consulting, and Reliance Foundation on projects related to urban governance, Informal settlements, and Education. She has also contributed to a policy research paper on the adoption and effectiveness of Ed-Tech in India submitted to the office of Mr. Ninong Ering (MLA, Arunachal Pradesh). She is passionate about optimally combining her diverse experiences to augment sustainable human development through social policy.
Educational Background:
Smriti is a Psychology graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai with a post-graduate degree in Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
On a personal front, Smriti finds great joy in balancing her work life with some of her other passions such as solo travel, dancing, cinema and theatre, and doing a range of courses to satisfy her appetite for learning!
Pratik TrivediAssistant Manager, ImplementationProfessional Experience:
Pratik Trivedi joins us as Assistant Manager Implementation, based out of Mumbai, and will be working closely with Richa.
Pratik has been working in the development sector since last 8 years and has worked on multiple thematic areas. He comes with a strong project management background and has experience in program implementation, monitoring & evaluation, reporting, stakeholder management and designing dashboards. He has worked with organisations such as Learning Links Foundation and Tata Strive, and has handled a PMU of Godrej Properties’ CSR initiatives.
Educational Background:
Pratik has done MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from NMIMS Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – Watching movies, playing cricket & volleyball and travelling.
Some of his interests include cycling, cooking, cricket and current affairs.
Abhishek ChandraSenior Associate – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
Abhishek has an experience of 3 years in the development sector in project implementation leading the Employee Engagement vertical at Piramal Foundation and as a District Consultant- Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen in Bihar working on ground with Tata Trusts and Government of India.
Educational Background:
He holds a Masters in Social Entrepreneurship from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his interests include cycling, cooking, cricket and current affairs.
Aman MatetiSenior Associate – REVIVEProfessional Experience:
Aman has a mix of working in the project management and construction along with working in the social development field.
Educational Background:
He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from GITAM University and a PGD in Development Management from Indian School of Development Management.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – Cycling, reading comic books, making memes, video games
Divya AgarwalAssistant Manager – Research, RKMSProfessional Experience:
Her quest to expand the scope of her work to include other areas of development has led her to Samhita. Having led field research in policy-centric projects, she now aims to focus on impact in order to understand the mechanics of positive change and enact the same in ever-expanding areas of need. She has been working as an independent consultant since a while now and some of her past organisations that she worked with were Centre for Civil Society and Tata AIG.
Educational Background:
Divya is a law graduate from Symbiosis Law School, Pune with prior work experience in policy research, primarily in education.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
In her leisure time, she likes to explore new places, experiences and ideas.
Ujwala ParabAssistant Manager – HR & Admin
Asha Ashish WellorkarAssistant Manager – FinanceAbout Asha:
Asha has a good amount of knowledge of the account and finance department. Prior to joining Samhita and CGF, she was working with Population First as an Account Officer. She has completed her post graduation in Commerce from Mumbai University and certified in Advance Account and Taxation from ICA Institute. God has blessed her with a small family, which includes her husband, son and herself. She enjoys listening to soft music and spending quality time with family.
Nayonika BasuAssistant Manager – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
Nayonika has four years of experience in strategy and operations across information systems and governance consulting. She started her career in automobile sector, but it was her varied volunteering and CSR experiences that motivated her to pivot to the social impact sector full-time.
Educational Background:
Nayonika holds a B.Tech in Information Technology from SRM University, Tamil Nadu.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – travelling, singing and reading.
Vishal KonbattulwarManager – Monitoring, Evaluation & ResearchProfessional Experience:
Vishal is driven by the need to create tangible social impact, and is biased towards innovative and bold ideas carrying potential to achieving real results. He has spent 5 profound years working on various social problems and enriched competencies in problem solving, strategy and research by endeavouring in inclusive businesses, education and governance.
Educational Background:
Vishal holds Master of Technology in Transportation System Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from VNIT Nagpur.
Shatakshy BhattAssistant Manager – Qualitative Research, RKMSAbout Shatakshy:
Shatakshy is a social science researcher, pursuing her PhD in Social Work from the TISS, with a specialization in participatory research/assessments and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA). Having travelled extensively for fieldwork across the country, Shatakshy has worked with NGOs and people’s networks in community mobilization, people-centred development design and capacity building.
She has worked with various government institutions on designing social accountability tools and was part of the team that designed the social audit manual for the Ministry of Rural Development. Given her research acumen, she was awarded the Institute Shield for the Best MSW Student in Fieldwork at TISS.
She wants to contribute in building transparency and accountability in institutions and feels passionately about research ethics and issues that concern women.
Siddhanta BanerjeeManager – ImplementationAbout Siddhanta:
Siddhanta has done Masters in Mass Communication and possesses 5 years of work experience while managing teams. His work with his organisation could successfully impact and bring about changes in the Nutritional aspects and Natural Resource Management of 36 Villages in Purulia District. He had read a few articles and thus CSR interested him and so Samhita. He is keen to learn about the various dynamics of CSR in the upcoming years, Siddhanta’s hobbies are Photography and Film Making. One of his movies was shown in Banaras Film Festival. He also loves sports. He has represented his department and schools in various athletic meets.
Miral GosaliaManager – ImplementationAbout Miral:
Post graduate in Sociology (Honors), Miral has been in the development sector since 8+ years with diverse experience raging from program implementation, monitoring and evaluation, liaising with government, fundraising, networking and reporting with relevant stakeholders. She has worked with organisations such as CHILDLINE India Foundation, Cuddles Foundation who has pan India presence. Dance being her passion she is trained in Bharatnatyam and folk dance. She also enjoys reading, music and travelling.
Richa AroraManager – ImplementationProfessional Experience:
She started her career in a de-addiction centre after which she also served as a school counsellor and thereafter joining Kaivalya Education Foundation as a Program Leader. With a certification in human resource and management, Richa has been a part of Samhita since 2018.
Educational Background:
Hailing from the beautiful land of Jammu, Richa has done her Masters in Psychology from the University of Jammu.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
She is an outward friendly and a pleasant personality with extreme fondness towards food and dogs. Her outgoing and free nature is what makes her unique. She truly believes in ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Avantika SethCommunication SpecialistProfessional Experience:
Avantika has a vast experience as a Journalist, Researcher, Oral Historian, Documentary Filmmaker, and Podcaster. She is a staunch believer in the power of storytelling and her primary interest lies in recording, archiving, and communicating personal life stories of people or organizations.
Educational Background:
She is a graduate from Asian College of Journalism where she specialized in New Media. Before she made this switch in her life, she finished her degree as Bachelors of Commerce Honors from Delhi University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Apart from documenting family histories and archiving objects, She loves to indulge in the world of psychology, neuroscience, and narrative therapy. She spends a lot of time communicating with auto-rickshaw drivers and writing their life histories.
Shiv Kumar PandeySenior Manager – SkillingProfessional Experience:
Shiv has 10 years of experience, He was designated as DGM in Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) handling Standards, Operations & Special projects i.e RPL, NAPS & Strategic projects.
Educational Background:
He holds an MBA – PGDM in Telecom from MITSOT, Pune and Engineering degree in Electronics & Communications from RGPV University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include Watching Sci-Fi movies and love to read on innovative products
Dhatri KotakSenior Manager – FinanceProfessional Experience:
She has worked for more than 7 years in the Accounts & Finance sector. She has 3 years of experience as an article assistant and more than 4 years of post qualifications experience. Prior to Samhita, she was part of the Accounts and Finance team of Backbone Construction Private Limited and Jain Wealth Managers Private Limited where she looked after the finalisation of accounts, auditing and taxation work.
Educational Background:
Dhatri is rank holder of the Gujarat Board and a qualified Chartered Accountant with a Bachelors in Commerce.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
She is fond of travelling to places of natural beauty and loves dancing.
Dr Vinti K. AgarwalDirector – MELProfessional Experience:
Vinti has had more than 2 decades of experience across academic institutions, professional training organizations and non-governmental organizations in roles of research, capacity building, consulting and MEL. She is proficient in designing MEL systems and impact evaluation studies including those with a gendered and mixed methods approach.
Educational Background:
She holds a specialization in economics, finance, and data analytics. This includes a C.F.A designation from ICFAI, a doctorate in economics from C.C. S University and an M.S in Government Analytics from Johns Hopkins University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
She loves reading, listening to music, enlightening talks, watching classic old-time movies and standup comedy shows. She also enjoys bonding with people over cups of tea and looks forward to occasional travel for quiet reflections and learning.
Sanjoli JainCS ProfessionalAbout Sanjoli:
Hello, my name is Sanjoli Jain, and I am excited to join this company as a CS professional. I have worked for two years in a CS firm, where I gained experience in dealing with contracts, wills, company law, and various other laws. In addition to my professional background, I am also visually impaired, which has given me a unique perspective on the challenges faced by persons with disabilities. As a result, I have a strong desire to work in the development sector and help empower underprivileged communities. I am committed to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups, and I look forward to contributing my skills and experience to create positive change.
HemlataManager – Flagship TeamProfessional Experience:
She comes with multi-sectoral experience of working and leading various government projects and strategic initiatives across state and central government. She has been instrumental in strategizing and executing campaigns for political and bureaucratic leadership/organizations by combining a top-down management consulting approach with a bottom-up understanding of the governance ecosystem, and leveraging technology and data to drive impact at scale. In addition to the consulting experience she has exposure to Inside Sales, Relationship Management, Contact Centre Operations Management, Brand Strategy and Learning & Development in a B2C and B2B environment.
Educational Background:
Hemlata holds a degree in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce and Masters in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – Reading, gardening, traveling, photography and cooking.
Aswathy SAssociate – Research TeamProfessional Experience:
Aswathy started her journey as a Database Engineer with Zoho. Post that she did her Post graduate program in Public Policy, Design & Management from the Indian School of Public Policy.
During her internships with she has worked closely with Capacity Building Commission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and NUVAH on mental health in Indian workplace.
Educational Background:
Aswathy has completed her B. Tech in Computer Science Engineering from University of Kerala and
completed P.G. in Public policy, Design and Management from Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include traveling, photography and doing art especially fluid art
Nirmala MathewSenior Manager – Research TeamProfessional Experience:
Nirmala is a development practitioner with a decade of experience in research, documentation and communications. She has led teams and managed diverse projects across themes of nutrition, child protection, education, health and gender. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also worked on projects related to risk communication and community engagement (RCCE). She focuses on research design, including tool development, field team training and recruiting, project oversight, monitoring, data collection and analysis and research report writing.
Educational Background:
Nirmala holds a Masters in Development Practice from University of Denver, Colorado and a M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from University of Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include reading, baking and running.
Swastika BhuyanAssociate – Implementation TeamProfessional Experience:
During her internships, Swastika has worked in various thematic areas like livelihood for women, returnable grants, mapping the climate vulnerabilities of Bihar and Assam etc.
Educational Background:
Swastika holds a Masters degree in Development Policy, Planning and Practice from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include dancing, writing, reading. She is a professional kathak dancer and holds a B. Music degree.
Nora AlexySenior Associate – Implementation TeamProfessional Experience:
Nora Alexy has a strong passion for creating social impact and worked as a research fellow with EQUATIONS, Bangalore. With a deep understanding of social contexts and issues, Nora is dedicated to positively impacting people’s lives, with areas of interest being the creation of sustainable livelihoods while also keeping in mind the various intersectionalities such as gender.
Educational Background:
Nora Alexy completed her Gandhi Fellow and Master’s in Development Policy, Planning, and Practice from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tuljapur.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include singing, playing the piano and writing music.
Vishakshi RajAssociate – MEL teamProfessional Experience:
She has done her internships with Plural Societies, South Asian Women’s Fund India (SAWF IN), Palle Srujuna and many more think tanks and research organizations.
She is passionate about working in the projects including financial inclusion, gender, and labour market assessments.
Educational Background:
Vishakshi has completed her Masters in Development Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad and she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Delhi.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – travel, reading books, cooking, and photography.
IpsitaAssociate – MEL teamProfessional Experience:
Ipsita is passionate about the impact sector and comes with an experience of working across various thematic areas like education, livelihood, skilling, gender and agriculture. She has worked with Sattva Consulting and PureScan AI.
Educational Background:
She holds a degree in Geography from Kirorimal College, Delhi University and pursued the Young India Fellowship at Ashoka University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include reading some spiritual & philosophical book, marveling at some historical places, doing yoga or pilates.
Biswanath SenapatiManager – Finance TeamProfessional Experience:
Biswanath has worked in development sector and handled various portfolios like statutory compliance, banking reconciliation, project management, audit etc. He has also worked with SOS Children’s Villages of India, CBM Bangalore, American India Foundation, India Development Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.
Educational Background:
Biswanath is CA (intermediate) and has done Bachelor of Commerce from BJB(A) College, Bhubaneswar.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – travelling, making new friends, bird watching, nursing.
Shivani TripathiAssociate – Implementation TeamProfessional Experience:
Shivani has worked as a Gandhi Fellow at the Piramal Foundation, she has gained expertise in community development, conducting dipstick studies, and community profiling focusing on health awareness and hygiene practices for mothers and children. She also contributed to public health efforts, including the Aashwashan campaign to increase TB notification rates. She gained skills in stakeholder management, research, and interventions in health, nutrition, and education.
Educational Background:
Shivani holds a degree in Bachelor in Life Sciences from Ramjas College, University of Delhi and Masters in Design and Innovation in Rural Technology from University of Allahabad.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include playing badminton and travelling.
Dr. Prashika KurlikarSr. Associate – MEL TeamProfessional Experience:
She has worked on various public health-related issues like women and migration, gender and labour, the reproductive and sexual health of women (RTI/STI), child health, and occupational health.
Educational Background:
She has completed her PhD in Population Studies from the International Institute For Population Sciences and M.Phil & Master in Population Studies from the International Institute For Population Sciences.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – Dancing and cooking.
Harsha KumavatData AnalystProfessional Experience:
Harsha has expertise data visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI, Seaborn, and Plotly and programming languages like Python. She is proficient at MySQL and Excel and managing large database. She has worked as an intern for The Sparks Foundation, TwoWaits, Accenture, PwC and Standard Bank.
Educational Background:
She holds BSc in Computer Science from Nagindas Khandwala College and Master’s Degree in Information Technology from Nagindas Khandwala College.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – programming, writing blogs, cooking and listening to music.
Surabhi ShikhaManager – Marketing and CommunicationsProfessional Experience:
Surabhi holds expertise in building brand strategy, curating campaigns and developing successful learning programs within the academic, social and e-commerce sectors. During her tenure, she has managed end-to-end projects and coordinated with various teams, stakeholder and partnerships.
Educational Background:
Surabhi holds a Masters degree in Development Studies from TISS Mumbai, and completed her Bachelors in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College for Women (Delhi University).
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – collecting vintage sarees, tending to her plants and taking solo travel adventures.
Amruta AdhyapakSenior Associate – Implementation teamProfessional Experience:
Amruta has successfully carried out project implementation, stakeholder management, documentation, building reports and project proposals during her tenure with various organizations. She has worked in various thematic areas like education, child sexual abuse, livelihood & skill development, sexual & reproductive health and rights & road safety.
Educational Background:
Amruta holds a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from University of Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include gardening, reading, drawing, and cooking.
Dr. Usha GopinathExecutive Director – ImpementationProfessional Experience:
She has 2 decades of demonstrated experience in the social sector in senior leadership positions. Has worked for multi lateral and bi lateral organizations such as World Bank, ADB, IFC, CIDA, AKF, DFID, UK AID, FCDO, PwC, KfW & Accion International. Led multiple teams across Asia in capacity building, leading large projects to bring scale & sustainability. Certified in markets and livelihoods from Coadys International Nova Scotia and Leadership course from Harvard .
Enjoys working on programs that are impactful and brings transformational change to the last mile. Thematic areas handled are women empowerment, entrepreneurship, skilling, livelihoods, WATSAN, education, gender mainstreaming. Highly passionate about entrepreneurial initiatives & creating the right strategic fit.
Educational Background:
She holds a Masters in Economics and a Doctoral degree in Enterprise Management from Bangalore University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Usha enjoys travelling , plays the instrument Veena and is a movie buff. Believes in “Zindagi na milegi dobara”, very humorous and lively person , enjoys gardening, cooking and reading friction. Likes to blog experiences while travelling and has a keen eye on observing people and mimicking.
Syeda FarkhandaAnalyst – RKMSProfessional Experience:
Syeda Farkhanda completed her post graduation in 2022 and worked with Samhita (Collective Good Foundation) for 3 months. This aligned with her interests in the field of Development Economics and helped expand her knowledge in the field.
Educational Background:
Syeda holds a BSc. in Economics degree from Loreto College, University of Calcutta and an MSc. In Economics degree from the University of Calcutta.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – reading books, listening to music, watching movies and writing.
Sreyoshi BhattacharyaAssociate – Implementation teamProfessional Experience:
Sreyoshi is a development practitioner and researcher with keen interest in public health, sustainability and gender rights. She aspires to learn and develop more in this sector and make this world a better place to live!
Educational Background:
Sreyoshi holds a B.Sc in Geography from University of Calcutta and M.A in Development from Azim Premji University, Bangalore.
Shiboni SundarInsights Associate – RKMSProfessional Experience:
Shiboni worked with Centre for Budget and Policy Studies wherein she gained experience with working in public finance, gender and education largely. She also engaged herself with government officials and has provided trainings on budget data analysis. Her work led her to explore different parts of India which in turn expanded her knowledge base as the dynamic nature of field enabled her in understanding the ground realities of public policy closely.
Educational Background:
Shiboni holds a B.Com degree from the University of Mumbai and a M.Sc. In Economics from Symbiosis School of Economics (Symbiosis International University)
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
In her free time, you will find her reading books , playing badminton or cooking up a meal while sipping a good cup of coffee.
Kajol SitaniAnalyst – RKMSProfessional Experience:
Kajol has worked with Foundation for Democratic Reforms in the Research segment and has a brief experience in experiential marketing with Crewtangle LLP. This aligns with her interest in Research and strategy planning across varied socio-economic domains of importance.
Educational Background:
Kajol has completed her graduation in IT and master in Public Policy from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include Yoga and Teaching.
Divya WagleAssociate – Growth and InnovationProfessional Experience:
Divya is a development studies and public policy enthusiast. Her academic focuses included international relations, subaltern studies, street level bureaucracy, policy design and more recently, impact investing. Her previous experience includes business development and data analysis internships at PATH, Teach For India, Piramal Foundation, Saathealth and NDTV.
Educational Background:
Divya holds a BA(Hons) in Political Science and Diploma in Advanced Research from Ashoka University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include playing basketball, travelling/backpacking, watching plays, reading and
trying new food.
Sweden DsilvaSweden DsilvaProfessional Experience:
Sweden Dsilva has developed creative designs for marketing packages – including print materials, textures, brochures, banners and signages.
He has also good knowledge on video editing, illustrators, Indesign and Photoshops. He has worked with organizations like Eschmann Textures, Cimpress India Private Limited, ABEC Exhibitions & Conferences Pvt. Ltd, TT Group Worldwide and Chinagate Restaurants Pvt. Ltd..
Educational Background:
Sweden Dsilva holds B.E. in Computer Engineering from St. John College of Engineering & Management.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – bike rides, swimming, playing videogames and drawing.
Aakriti SinghAssociate – Marcomm TeamProfessional Experience:
Aakriti has been working in the social sector through diverse roles in research, public relations and communication.
Her major contributions have been in/around the fields of gender, inclusivity and education. She has done her internships in Value 360 Communications where she assisted in handling client companies, Youth Empowerment Foundation ,Pratisandhi and many more.
Educational Background:
Aakriti holds a bachelor’s degree with a major in journalism and minor in psychology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Aakriti is passionate about theatre, and film- making, and finds resilience in art.
Hardik RaiDigital Strategy and Planning SpecialistProfessional Experience:
Hardik is a self-proclaimed marketing geek. Prior to joining Samhita, Hardik has honed his skills in two prominent Ed-tech companies, further enhancing his capabilities in the field of marketing. He likes Social Media so much that he made it his profession. Hardik’s expertise is Social media marketing alongside media buying, email marketing, and SEO.
Educational Background:
Hardik holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Delhi.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include – Playing Football, Reading, and Skateboarding.
Ayushi BhatnagarAyushi BhatnagarProfessional Experience:
Ayushi is a knowledgeable professional with over 3 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sectors. She has technical proficiency in a wide range of areas, including communications, learning and development, training, and capacity building services. She has previously worked for a leading Humanitarian Non-profit Organization and a prominent CSO/Think Tank that advocates Sustainability and Climate Change-related initiatives.
Educational Background:
She graduated with Honours in Geography from Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University and is a University Gold Medalist with a Master’s degree in Disaster Management from Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Ayushi is a good conversationalist who likes travelling and listening to music. She is interested in gardening and enjoys watching films as well as television shows.
Vinay MenonSenior ManagerProfessional Experience:
Vinay started his career with Samhita in 2016 in the Research and Knowledge team, before moving on to handle strategic partnerships with key donors, before moving on to work with Piramal Foundation’s water initiative Sarvajal. At Savajal, Vinay led the New Product Development team and was instrumental in driving product expansion into water conservation and Government partnerships, including with NITI Aayog and NSDC.
Educational Background:
Vinay holds a MSc in Development Economics from SOAS, London and a BA in Economics from St Xavier’s Collge, Mumbai.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Vinay holds a MSc in Development Economics from SOAS, London and a BA in Economics from St Xavier’s Collge, Mumbai.
Archita SharmaAssociateProfessional Experience:
Aarchita has worked as a Young Professional at the Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (RGAVP), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of Rajasthan. She then joined as an Academic Associate at the Kautilya School of Public Policy in Hyderabad.
Educational Background:
Aarchita holds a BA in Social Sciences from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and a MA in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include – reading fiction and graphic novels, baking and East Asian media.
Varnika JainAssistant Manager – MEL TeamProfessional Experience:
Varnika has 4 years of experience in Research, Data Interpretation, Analysis & Visualization. She has extensive knowledge of research, analysis techniques, statistical tools such as R, Python, STATA, SQL, Tableau and Advanced Excel.
Educational Background:
She holds Master’s degree in Economics from Amity University and B.A. Hons in Economics from Delhi University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include Art & craft and dancing.
Nehal ShahExecutive Director – AlliancesProfessional Experience:
Nehal brings with him over 25 years of experience in diversified sectors like Beverages, Telecom, Insurance,
Media & Financial Services, Banking. His prior experience has been with companies like Coca-Cola, Airtel, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, Bharti-Axa Life Insurance, Newswire18, DB Corp Ltd, Swaadhar. He joins us from
Light Microfinance where he was a Chief Business Officer and was instrumental in growing the business from 80cr to 1800 cr in the span of over 6 years and was managing a employee strength of over 2000.
Educational Background:
Nehal holds a graduate degree in Industrial Chemistry and a Post Graduate degree in Marketing. He also has completed advanced program in Fin-Tech & Financial Block chain from IIM-C.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
During his free time he loves watching sci-fi movies, listening to music, exploring new places and keep a watch on new technology and gadgets.
Shiv UppalSpecialist – Growth & InnovationProfessional Experience:
Shiv is a former Consultant at Ernst & Young Singapore where he worked with the Business Incentives Advisory team, helping clients obtain various grants and incentives offered by the Singapore government agencies.
Educational Background:
He holds BSc in Information Systems from Singapore Management University.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of his hobbies include playing and watching sports (all kinds), reading and cooking
Akshatha KarangutkarAssociate Director – HRProfessional Experience:
Akshatha brings with her over 17 years of experience in Human Resources across industries. She joins us from Bank of Baroda Financial Services. Her prior experience has been with Dainik Bhaskar Group as their Corporate HR Head. She has worked with Adfactors PR, NewsWire 18 and Centrum Finance in the past.
Educational Background:
She is a Computer Science graduate and holds a Post Graduate degree in Human Resources from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
Some of her hobbies include reading books, writing blogs, teaching.
Ritu HalderExecutive Director – Strategic PartnershipsProfessional Experience:
Ritu has more than two decades of experience in cross-functional teams across MNCs and UN organizations in India, Europe, CIS and the US.
She holds expertise in building strategic alliances & partnerships. Her last assignment was with NASSCOM Foundation where she was working as Head-Donor Relations. She has also worked as Independent Consultant with multiple organizations in Nepal, UAE , India, Hill+Knowlton Strategies India, United Nations Women’s Guild, Vienna, IPAN Hill & Knowlton and Convergys Corporation.
Madhu BahlExecutive DirectorProfessional Experience:
Madhu Bahl has totally more than 30 + years of experience in the education space which includes teaching, designing, training, content creation and building profitable models and interventions that are both scalable and sustainable. She has worked independently as a design and training consultant with well-known funding agencies and social organizations. She also has 15 years of corporate experience at senior management level where she was responsible for profitability along with a deep focus on product development and business delivery. Her corporate responsibilities include experience in working with both the private and the government sector. She has built and worked extensively with large teams, both across physical geography and social demography.
Priya NaikCEO & FounderAbout Samhita:
Afshan is a marketing and communications professional with over 18 years of experience in the field. She has previSamhita Social Ventures is a social sector consulting firm that collaborates with companies, government and social organizations to co-create and implement impactful initiatives. Samhita is supported by Indian and global foundations such as USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNDP, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Omidyar Network India. Previously, Priya co-founded The Spark Group, an education incubator that delivered affordable education to low-income communities in India.
Professional Experience:
She has worked with the International Finance Corporation, the Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at Arthur Andersen.
Educational Background:
Priya has a Master’s degree in economics from Yale University, a Master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Master’s degree (and a Gold Medal) in Commerce from Mumbai University. She also holds an Executive Education degree from Harvard Business School.
Afshan ShaikhAssociate DirectorProfessional Experience:
Afshan is a marketing and communications professional with over 18 years of experience in the field. She has previously worked with the Swades Foundation and Child Rights and You (CRY) in the social development sector. She has been a part of multiple award-winning marketing and awareness campaigns, specializing in brand transformation, creative direction, and marketing strategy. Prior to moving to the social sector, she worked extensively with advertising and media agencies, as well as corporate houses.
Educational Background:
Afshan has a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Sikkim Manipal University, and a Bachelor’s in Commerce from S.N.D.T University, Mumbai. She believes in continuous learning and has completed courses in advanced technologies (including XR, AI, and IoT), and design thinking.
Personal Interests and Hobbies:
She is an astrophysics and pop culture geek who enjoys reading, painting, board games, and lightsaber dueling with her children. She is also a published author of fiction.
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