People

As Chief Executive Officer, Srikanth steers the strategy of Janaagraha while also overseeing its operations. 

He is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has previously worked with Standard Chartered Bank and KPMG. 

Srinivas Alavilli heads the Civic Participation team in Janaagraha, which aims to increase citizen participation in local governance through various programs and projects. 

He is also responsible for delivering IChangeMyCity, the pioneering civic-tech platform currently being used by lakhs of citizens and officials across thousands of cities in India.

Srinivas conceptualized #CityPolitics, a unique forum that brings politicians, citizens and civil society organizations together to discuss and debate issues related to participatory urban governance. He strongly believes that when we build trust between politicians and citizens, we can transform governance.

Srinivas joined Janaagraha in July 2020 after a 23-year stint in the software industry with companies like Sun Microsystems (California, USA) and Oracle (Bengaluru). 

In 2016, he co-founded Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB), a grassroots citizen movement that spearheaded several high-decibel public campaigns (such as #SteelFlyoverBeda, #ChukuBukuBeku, and #BusBhagyaBeku). These campaigns promoted public transport and played a key role in making ward committees functional after many years of them remaining stuck on paper.

Srinivas was also one of the co-founders of Corruption Saaku!, an anti-corruption movement in Bengaluru that later became a part of India Against Corruption. He was associated with the Lok Satta Party as their communications lead and has worked on several elections as a campaign manager.

Shivkumar Menon heads Fund Raising and Strategic Partnerships at Janaagraha. He has over eighteen years of experience in business development and has held diverse senior management positions in his last stint at Dun & Bradstreet, India. 

Shivkumar is a commerce graduate from Mumbai University and a post-graduate in Business Management from XLRI.

Sapna has been a part of Janaagraha right from its inception in 2001. She has worked on various citizen campaigns as well as on technology-related interventions with the government. She also anchored the HR and volunteer management functions of the organisation for ten years. 

Anand is an architect by qualification and has studied Critical Theory. Over the last 22 years he has worked across: State & Central Govt. in Urban Development; Private sector & Consulting in Land, Infrastructure and Building; Academics and Professional Practice in Architecture & Design.

Anand joins JCCD from JUST, where he has been Director-Projects for a year. At Janaagraha, he looks after core Policy aspects in Urban Governance (as per new strategy 2023), including Policy & Advocacy and Research & Insights teams, and teams in newer areas of Climate, Health and Equity (Gender and Poor).
He was earlier Chief Project Manager at the National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi (Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs); AGM, Strategy & Planning at Aspen Infrastructures, Pune (Suzlon Family Group), and Associate Director, Vastu Shilpa Foundation, among other positions.

Anand’s core work areas are Urban Governance, Land & Building Development and Climate Action. He loves History and the Humanities, and inquires into the Social, Political & Ideological perspectives that inform Development.

Aditya Verghese works as an Associate Manager in the Public Finance Management team. He has more than 8 years of experience in the development and private sector. Prior to Janaagraha, he has worked in public policy and governance consulting in the fields of livelihoods, public health and education. In his spare time, he likes to read up on topics related to history and also conducts heritage walking tours for likeminded enthusiasts.

Aishwarya R joined Janaagraha in 2021 as an intern and now scaled up to being an Associate – Councillor Leadership Programme as part of the Advocacy and Reforms team. She is one of the core members of Janaagraha’s City Leaders Programme (CLP). She specifically focuses on CLP research, and module design and takes care of CLP delivery in Tamil Nadu. Janaagraha’s City Politics is also her domain of work.

Aishwarya holds a Master’s in Development from Azim Premji University, Bangalore and a Bachelor’s in Corporate Economics from Women’s Christian College, Chennai.  She has previously worked with Citizen Matters as an intern and has written on civic issues. Alongside, she has also conducted a research project on the social and economic factors affecting the use of contraceptives among married women in an urban setting. Aishwarya’s interests are diverse in nature. They span across governance, the intersection of gender and health and more.

A good book and dessert is Aishwarya’s definition of a break. She enjoys watching period dramas and loves trivia on history and politics.

Alisha is part of the Public Finance Management Team at Janaagraha. She is a trained economist with an MSc Financial Economics degree from Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune. She has 4+ years of experience in finance, economics and policy.

Amaresh Belagal works as the Senior Associate – Environmental Sustainability at Janaagraha since 2022. His work has been substantial in moving the team forward.

Amaresh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi. Additionally, he has completed his Post Graduation in Developmental Leadership from the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), Noida. He has previously worked with Tide Technocrats as a Senior Environmental Engineer and also with the Centre for Policy Research based out of Bhubaneswar as a Public Health Engineering Expert.

It is highly likely that you will get to listen to his travelogues or a synopsis of the movies he watches often.

Anandita has joined us as Senior Associate – Content and Communication in Bengaluru. Before joining Janaagraha, she was associated with Cracker and Rush as a Brand Strategist.

She has a BA from Jain College, Bengaluru and an MA in International Relations from Jindal School of International Affairs, Jindal Global University.

During her free time, Anandita loves to read and also to try her hand at different arts and crafts whenever possible. Her parents live in Bengaluru and run their own ad agency.

Animesh Sinha have a background in Architecture (B. Arch) and Urban Development (M. Tech). Animesh worked as an Architect in Kolkata between 2016- 2019 with multiple Architectural Consultancy Firms. He completed my post-graduation in 2022 from the TERI School of Advanced Studies in Urban Development Management and joined Janaagraha in November 2022.

At Janaagraha, Animesh working with the Green Finance Team – assisting the team with secondary research and quantitative analyses and writing portions of a report on which the team is working.
He love to travel, play computer games, and spend time with my family while not working. My parents and my sister are my biggest supporters.

Anindya’s ikigai is to tackle the most significant issues of our times. Anindya, a part of the Advocacy & Reforms team at Janaagraha, is presently driving efforts to design & implement Shared Municipal Services to drive efficiency and enhance quality in delivering municipal services. Anindya is a seasoned professional in development finance and fund management and earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota focused on building resilient cities. Before graduate school, Anindya supported an infrastructure fund in India, where he gained expertise in innovative finance and structuring large-scale energy and infrastructure projects. Anindya also worked as a researcher at the Center for Urban & Regional Affairs, undertaking community-based research on affordable housing & sustainable food systems.

Ankita Chadha joins us as Associate – PFM, based out of Bengaluru.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Psychology and Sociology from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru and a Master’s in Urban Policy and Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

She has worked as a Data Analyst with Goldman Sachs, and has also interned with Janaagraha during her graduation.

During her free time, Ankita enjoys Odissi dancing, painting, illustration and travel. Her Father is a retired Merchant Navy professional, while her brother works at Google.

Ankita has 10+ years of work experience in the development sector wherein she has worked on multiple projects with the Odisha Government. She has worked with Cuttack Municipal Corporation as a sanitary expert, and also with the Tata Trusts Foundation as a Consultant looking after project implementation. She is a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Bhadrak Institute of Engineering & Technology

Apula Singh is a Manager in the Public Finance team. She joined Janaagraha in 2018 as part of the ASICS team. She thereafter worked with the Odisha government’s Housing & Urban Development Department on Municipal Strengthening reforms, and led the efforts on performance management of solid waste management system. She continues to support the state on FSSM reforms aimed at financial sustainability of the sector. Currently, she is developing a public finance fellowship for women professionals and supporting development of a grant management system.

Prior to Janaagraha, she has worked with the Haryana CM’s office on priority areas of urban development, doubling farmers’ income and environment sustainability. She is deeply passionate about environment preservation and enjoys learning about history and civilizations.

Ashok Dash have an M.Tech in Information Technology degree and working for more than 22 years in Software Project Management, Program Management in PMU/ PMO, Education, software development, project planning, risk management, e-governance application, Solution architecture, and strategic consulting. Thematic includes skill development, Agriculture, Food security, Sanitation, Education technology, and allied programs of Government. Worked in USA, P.R. China, and India.

Ashok appointed as Lead- Programs and Processes (Odisha) by Janaagraha and deployed in the H&UD Dept, Govt of Odisha. Although I am expecting multi-tasking responsibilities, my focus would include digital implementation and smoothness for stakeholders, technology intervention, Government process reengineering, and overall technology inclusions to make ideas and innovations collectively get implemented, integrated, and benefit the end user.
When I am not working for something “I have to” then I work for something “I want to”. Apart from driving, short story writing, and stand-up comedy, I am a great cook (that is the version of my mother, wife, sisters, babies, friends, and relatives). One day every weekend, I cook for my family and once a month for the extended family members.

Ashutosh has joined us as Content Developer and Trainer for the Civic Participation project in Odisha. Prior to joining Janaagraha, he was working as District Coordinator (Capacity Building) with Practical Action Foundation, Odisha.

Ashutosh is B.A. graduate from Utkal University, Odisha and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from IGNOU.

During his free time, he enjoys writing short stories and poems in Odiya and anchors Odiya poetry programs His family consists of his father, wife and two school going children.

Astha Joshi comes with five years of experience as a combination of a Development professional, Project Management, and IT – Telecom BSS subject matter expert. She has previously worked with Wipro Technologies across India and other countries in the Asia-pacific region and with District administration Deoghar- to implement projects under the District mineral foundation trust. Astha has B. Tech in computer science & engineering and an M.Sc in Urban Policy and Governance from TISS, Mumbai. Her hobbies include travelling and exploring new places, and cooking.

Babu has been with us at Janaagraha for nearly a decade, greeting anyone who walks through our doors and ensuring our workplace is safe and secure. Alongside his work commitments, he is a devoted husband and father. Babu attributes his tenure at Janaagraha as a catalyst for his transformation into an engaged citizen, motivating him to participate in initiatives to improve his local community.

Babu volunteers to track Janaagraha in the media and is our go-to person for various support and help. Additionally, he enjoys leisurely matches of carrom board with his family and friends.

Bandish has an MBA in Energy and Environment from Symbiosis Institute of International Business. His areas of interest are climate policy, climate financing, and sustainable urban development. He was recently associated with the “OPTIMISM project” at Ahmedabad University alongside senior scientists from IPCC, which focused on addressing Sustainable Development Goals through low carbon transportation in two Indian cities. His previous experience includes an internship at ICLEI South Asia where he worked on preparing Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory and analysing mitigation measures for Delhi.  Later, as a Project officer at ICLEI he worked on “Promoting Low Emission Urban Development Strategies in Emerging Economy Countries (Urban LEDS) program”, “SE4ALL Building Efficiency Accelerator program (BEA)”, “Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC)”, “Rajkot Solar City Program” and “Development of Climate Adaptation Financing Guidebook”.

Biswarup has joined us as Content Developer and Trainer for the Civic Participation project in Odisha. Prior to joining Janaagraha, he was working as Accounts Associate with the Odisha Water Academy.

Biswarup holds a Master’s in Commerce from Jain University, Bengaluru and a Bachelor’s in Commerce from DAV School of Business Management, Bhubaneswar

During his free time, he plays football, watches movies and TV series. and reads books. His family consists of his mother and his elder brother, who works with the Odisha Government as Assistant Public Prosecutor.

Dakshja has joined us as Associate – Public Finance, based out of Delhi.

Dakshja holds a B.A. Economics honours degree from Hansraj College, University of Delhi and a M.A. in Public Policy and Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad.

She is a trained Kathak and Jazz dancer who enjoys writing poems and short stories in her free time. Her family consists of her parents and a younger brother, who is currently studying.

Devansh has joined us as Associate – Municipal Finance based out of Delhi.

He is a B.Sc Economics (Honours) graduate from Symbiosis School of Economics, Pune. He has interned with the NITI Aayog, focusing on Sustainable Development and Aspirational Districts.

During his free time, Devansh enjoys music and going on long walks. His family consists of his parents – who are surgeons with the Government of Rajasthan, and his brother – who is a software engineer in Bengaluru.

Guru Ratnam has recently assumed the role of Manager in the Municipal Finance department at our Delhi office. Before joining Janaagraha, he served as a Senior Program Manager at the Gramya Vikas Trust of Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation.

Guru holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Economics from Deshbandhu College, Delhi, and furthered his academic pursuits with a Master of Arts in Development Policy, Planning, and Practice from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

In his leisure time, Guru indulges in his passion for horse riding and enjoys exploring various culinary delights. His family hails from an organic farming background in Aligarh, and his elder brother holds a position as an engineer at General Electric. Additionally, Guru’s wife is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at TISS.

Haji is Manager – GIS at Janaagraha. He has earlier worked with Jala Samvardhane Yojana Sangha (JSYS) – a registered society established by Government of Karnataka as a GIS specialist, and later with Trinity Mobility Pvt. Ltd as GIS Developer. He has done his Masters in Geo-Informatics from Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Center (KSRSAC), Belgaum.

Hariprasad has joined the Cityfinance team as Associate – Municipal Finance, after successfully completing his long-term internship with us. He is based out of Bengaluru.

He has a B.A (Economics) from Christian College, Chengannur and a M.A (Economics) from Central University of Gujarat. During his free time, he enjoys sketching, poetry and observing nature.

His family consists of his parents, his younger brother – who is currently studying, and his maternal grandmother.

Marippudi Harshvardhan joins us as Project Manager – State Capacities based out of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Before joining Janaagraha, he was working with JLL India as a Team Leader (Senior Consultant)

Harshvardhan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Planning from JNTU, Hyderabad and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from SPA, New Delhi. He is also a member of Institute of Town Planners, India.

When not working, he unwinds via a game of Badminton, Chess and Cricket and also enjoys watching movies and documentaries. He lives in Bhubaneswar with his parents, brother, and a sister.

Janhavi has joined us as Senior Associate – PFM(Alliance), based out of Bangalore. Prior to joining Janaagraha, she was working as Head of Marketing at Martrikz Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru.

Janhavi holds a B.A. (Political Science) from Wilson College, Mumbai and a Master’s in Government from MIT School of Government, Pune alongside a certification in Public Policy from Takshashila Institute, Bengaluru.

During her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, hiking, gaming and rescuing distressed animals. Her parents live in Lonavala while her sister is a TV Producer in Mumbai.

Jitesh leads operations and is passionate about discovering the latent potential in individuals to achieve a fulfilling life and make a difference in society.

He is a strong believer and advocate of organizational development – using the 3 P’s – people, process and solutions and feels that the right organizational development interventions can bring the best out of people.

Prior to Janaagraha, he was at Piramal Foundation, part of the flagship programs of the NITI AAYOG’s Aspirational District Transformation Program with a specific focus on Government Partnership and Leadership Development. He also had the opportunity to manage the Centre of Excellence (COE) which was the strategic team formed by the Piramal Foundation for Government partnerships.

He has completed his master’s from Azim Premji University, Bangalore in Development, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delhi in Social work.

Karthik has joined us as Senior Manager – Policy and Insights at Bengaluru. Over the last 14 years, he has worked in the private sector on construction planning and execution, and in the non-profit space on water security, natural resources management, and livelihoods across research, policy, and philanthropic organizations. Among his past engagements, Karthik has anchored the Azim Premji Foundation’s work on Water Security, and coordinated pan-India networks for research-action-advocacy on groundwater contamination.

He is a civil engineer by training and has a background in Disaster Management. Karthik finds joy in cycling, and loves the outdoors. His interests include music, visual media, and history of cinema and sports.

Katie has more than eleven years of experience in project management, social research, and research implementation. 

She previously worked with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), based in the UK. She was also an operations manager with NFER’s Trials unit. 

Katie has a BSc. (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Warwick, and an MSc. (with distinction) in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Wales, Bangor.

Kesava Balaji is an Urban Policy Associate, he works towards providing support for strategic opportunities and developments in Urban Governance . He is a Graduate from the Indian School of Public Policy, Delhi. He has completed his Undergraduate degree in Media Studies, Economics and Political Science from Christ University, Bengaluru. . His core area of interest lies in solving for climate change and primary healthcare through first-mile governance. As a hobby he enjoys reading comic books and frequently cooks for his family.

Krishnan has joined Janaagraha as Head – Strategy at Bengaluru.

He brings in a decade of experience in public education reform and a brief stint in corporate banking prior to that. For the past 8+ years, he was part of the leadership team at Central Square Foundation, where he worked at the intersection of governments, non-profits, funders and other varied actors to drive system-led reform in India’s school education sector. His commitment to the development sector was seeded through the Teach for India fellowship, where he taught Grades 4 and 5 for 2 years in a corporation school in Chennai.

Krishnan holds an MBA in Finance and Economics from XLRI, Jamshedpur and an undergraduate degree in engineering from NIT, Trichy. He lives with his wife (who is a corporate lawyer) and his one-year old son in Bengaluru. In his spare time, Krishnan enjoys quizzing, solving cryptic crosswords and word games and planning his next vacation.

Kushal MP is an Electronics and Communications graduate from the Saptagiri College of Engineering, Bangalore. He is passionate about new technologies and is determined to contribute to the nation’s development.

Mahalakshmi believes that civic sense is essential like the air we breathe. She advocates it effectively to everyone around her to improve the quality of life in an inclusive manner. Persistent reinforcement leads to retention, creating awareness through positive stories, and using the power of Media like never before can bring in the desired change in each individual. At Janaagraha, she has worked at various programs and managed stakeholder relationships in different capacities by continuously learning and sharing good work. Mahalakshmi holds a Masters’s in Computer application by profession and is a certified Digital Marketer. She pivoted to the social sector for contributing her bit to “leave the world a trifle better than she found it.

Manish currently oversees our district interventions, assuming diverse roles within the civic learning program, including facilitation, training, and engagement with school stakeholders. His insights stem from his distinctive perspectives drawn from everyday life situations.

He is passionate about engaging with children and youth. In addition to holding a bachelors degree in commerce, he has an experience of over 5 years in the social sector.

Manisha has joined us as Manager – Public Finance Management for the Odisha Project. Before joining Janaagraha, she was working with Oxford Policy Management as a PFM Consultant in their Myanmar Office. Her curiosity to see & understand how administration works in conflict affected and fragile contexts has taken her to Jharkhand, South Sudan and then Myanmar in the course of her career.

A native of Mysore, Manisha is an economics graduate from Christ University, Bangalore and the University of Sussex, UK. She comes from a family of 4, with her father and sister being doctors and her mother a rural development professional.

When not working, Manisha likes to cook, paint, swim, travel, and to also spend time with family and friends.

Manjula ensures we have a great working environment at office, hygienic and organized. She ensures we segregate and manage our waste correctly and manages our composting too. We also take confirm that she makes the best coffee and tea in the city. Her aspiration is to ensure both her children are educated well and do well for themselves.

Manjunath has joined us as Senior Associate – Civic Participation at Mangaluru.

He holds a Masters degree in Social Work from Gulbarga University, Karnataka. Before joining Janaagraha, he was working as Program Manager with the Reliance Foundation. .

During his free time, Manjunath likes to read books and magazines. His wife and two kids stay in his native at Lingsugur, Karnataka.

Manjunatha has been with Janaagraha for more than a decade. With a MA in History, Manjunatha comes with an urge to improve the quality of urban life by improving public participation. Outside work, Manjunatha enjoys reading books, listening to music, writing poems, and articles on various social issues.

Mohak heads the Municipal Finance Reforms team based in New Delhi, and has been associated with Janaagraha since November 2020. He leads the overall program management and is directly involved in the work on city finance as well as on key government engagements which are aimed at driving policy reforms in the areas of fiscal decentralization, accounting and audit reforms, urban infrastructure financing, among others. Mohak has a rich experience of over 14 years across various roles within the financial sector, including in Investment Banking, Venture Capital and Development Finance. Mohak holds a Masters degree in International Business from the prestigious Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi and completed his graduation in commerce from University of Delhi as well. In his personal time, he enjoys long distance running, cycling, independent cinema, and travel.

Mansoor is an experienced field executive and has executed and supervised a diverse range of research projects, including household surveys, focus group interviews, qualitative and quantitative interviews, key informant interviews, oral histories, and process tracking.

Mansoor started his career with the Jana Urban Foundation in 2014 as team leader in the research team. This team undertook extensive investigation in the slums of Bangalore under the Pathways of Prosperity study conducted in partnership with Duke University, surveying over 2000 citizens in 200 slum settlements. In the last few years at Janaagraha, Mansoor has been involved with preparations for, and supervision of, fieldwork of citizen surveys on women’s safety and community policing in Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore, Policing in Bengaluru during the COVID-19 pandemic and work understanding gender-based discounts in taxation. He’s also an integral part of the work Janaagraha does with Brown University, measuring citizenship and service delivery in urban centres across India. This includes supervision of large field surveys across cities in India.

Mansoor completed his Post graduation Master of Social work in 2013 from Bangalore University and competed the Introduction to Mapping and Geographical information system using Quantum GIS conducted by Azim Premji University, Bengaluru in 2020. Mansoor speaks Kannada, Hindi, Urdu, Telegu and English.

Mohammad Zuhaib works as Associate – Swachhta Project Support Unit, based out Delhi. Prior to joining Janaagraha, Zuhaib has 2+ years of experience in Solid Waste Management and Sanitation projects and has worked on the Swachh Survekshan 2021 and Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge 2021.

He has completed his Masters in Urban Development and Management from TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi and Bachelors in Civil Engineering from AKTU, Uttar Pradesh. In my free time, he enjoys playing badminton, travelling and exploring different cuisines.

Mythreyi works as Senior Associate – Advocacy with the Advocacy and Reforms team and joined Janaagraha in 2019 as an intern. She predominantly supports the policy research strand, and is a key player in the production of one of India’s flagship reports on urban governance, titled the ‘Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS)’. She is also a core team member of the City Leaders Programme. Mythreyi has previously worked with Goldman Sachs as a Business Analyst for over three years, where she worked with different teams in enabling settlements of high-volume equity trades across global markets. She has always been keen to understand the nuances of solutions designed for addressing public problems. To explore this further, she pursued a course in policy and governance. She later joined Janaagraha as an intern as she could relate to the overall mission of the organisation and felt passionate about driving systemic change. When not working, she enjoys heading to the Himalayas to do high altitude treks, reading fiction and non-fiction books, experimenting with home organisation and playing badminton. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University, Bangalore and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from M.O.P Vaishnav College, Chennai.

N M Varchaswini joined Janaagraha in 2022. She works with the Civic Participation Outreach team. Her main areas of work include interacting with Citizens, Government officials, and Elected Representatives; Database Management; conducting & generating ward committee survey reports and organizing webinars, events and campaigns. Varchaswini is a Public Policy Masters graduate from Mount Carmel College which is affiliated with Bengaluru University. She believes that citizens’ participation is poignant in having an efficient participatory democracy and her main goal is to serve people to have a better and sustainable livelihood. She spends her leisure in reading books, playing musical instruments, sketching and writing poems.

Namita Aggarwal, a Manager in the Municipal Finance Team, heads the own revenue enhancement vertical in Janaagraha. She has over three years of experience working with all tiers of government and 15th Finance Commission on policy reform for own revenue augmentation in local governments especially focusing on property tax reforms. An MBA graduate from IIM Kozhikode, she has prior experience managing sales in Hindustan Unilever. Outside of work, she likes to read fiction, watch movies and do a bit of star gazing with her telescope.

Navinder has joined us as Associate – Municipal Finance, based out of Bangalore, after successfully completing his long-term internship with the Cityfinance team.

Navinder holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Application from St. Claret’s College, Bengaluru.

During his free time, he enjoys listening to music and is an amateur runner. Hs family consists of his mother and his younger brother, who is currently studying.

Navya  completed her engineering from Government Engineering College, Hassan in 2012. She looks forward to achieving great things in life and is not shy to put in efforts to do so. She enjoys listening to music when not working.

Nesar works as Associate Digital Marketing for Janaagraha. A commerce graduate from Mangalore University. Nesar has 4+ years of experience in online ad operations & Digital Marketing with Graphic Designing, Editing and Website Designing. He loves Riding & Travelling

Nidhishree has joined us as Associate – Environment City-Systems in Bengaluru, after successfully completing her long-term internship with us.

She has a Bachelors in Planning from Nitte School of Architecture Planning and Design, Bengaluru. Before joining Janaagraha as an intern, she worked as a Planning and Design executive at Elegance enterprises.

During her free time, Nidhi likes to play Badminton, to read, and to immerse herself in art as well as singing. Her family is based out of Bengaluru and consists of her brother and her parents.

Nimisha is a graduate of Computer Science, a Post Graduate in HRM, and a CHRM-certified HR Professional with an overall experience of more than 18 years. After the initial two years of her career in Bangalore, she moved to Dubai where she lived for a decade until moving back for good in 2017. She considers her Dubai work experience to be quite enriching as it gave her a chance to work with people from different parts of the world. Post her return to India, she worked at Mentor Together, a Bangalore based NGO focused on mentoring, for little more than a year before joining Janaagraha in January 2019. Right from the day one, she has thoroughly enjoyed what she does as a People & Culture lead, managing the entire gamut of HR function single handedly until an additional team member joined in April 2022. A complete people person, she truly appreciates and values the uniqueness every individual brings in and love supporting them in bringing out their best version at work. Mother to Avni and Ayushh, she spends most of her free time with them. She also loves travelling, watching movies and listening to Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil melodies. Loves humour in any form and watching stand-up comedy shows is a recent addition to her interests’ list.

Nupur Das works as Associate – Civic Participation based at Bhubaneswar, Odisha Before Janaagraha, she worked as an analyst and a data interpreter on a project concerning Non-Timber Forest Product Management and Women Empowerment: within the Particularly vulnerable tribal Communities in Odisha.

Nupur has completed her Master’s in Development studies from NIT Rourkela, Odisha. During this, she interned with a focus on Child and Maternal Health at Bolangir and Kalahandi districts of Odisha at Centre for Youth and Social development, Bhubaneswar, and also on the Challenges faced by Elderly and the role of Government at IIT Kharagpur. She was a participant of UTKARSH Yatra which provided her a chance to meet and interact with many young entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh.

During her post-graduation, she was part of a social activity club – AASRA, wherein she used to teach the slum children. She is a proud Robin Hood Army volunteer. She loves making crafts, embroidery and has a great love for nature and animals.

With a bachelor in English Literature and a MBA in Human Resource Management , I got to start my career at a University in which the skill development vertical suited me the most. From then began the 12 years of journey in capacity building , knowledge management and MLE to project management and implementation at grass root level at communities in rural Odisha . For me this shift in rural governance to urban governance will help me learn and grow my knowledge base in a holistic way where I can use the best of both the worlds and help in the implementation of best practices.

On personal front I am raised by an agriculture scientist father and a philosopher mother and married to a corporate lawyer. A 7 year old boy keeps me occupied at home and am waiting for him to be self sufficient so that I can get back to my love for reading books , writing short stories , gardening, fabric painting, fabric embroidery and photography.

Parushi has joined us as Associate – Organisation Development and Policy in Bhubaneswar. Before joining Janaagraha, she was associated with Nestle India as a Management Trainee.

She has an MBA from Faculty of Management Studies, New Delhi and Bachelors in Engineering from NSIT, New Delhi. During her free time, Parushi enjoys reading books, especially in the genre of history and also likes to explore different places.

Her father works with LIC Cards and her mother is a homemaker. She has a sister who is currently working with YourStory.

Pattabi Raman has a B.Sc. in Computer Science. Prior to joining Janaagraha, he worked in the android application field dealing with web server interaction as well as offline apps that interact with Android OS native applications pre-installed in Mobile and Tablet devices. He loves reading books and watching movies in his spare time.

Prabhat works as senior manager in the Municipal Finance team of Janaagraha. Prabhat leads the work on city finance portal, a portal on financial information of City governments, and is working on digital solutions for inter-governmental grant transfers. He is also working with the government at all three levels on audit & accounting reform in City governments and other public finance management reforms. Prabhat has previously worked in the strategy & transactions team of EY, working primarily on economic development advisory and urban infrastructure financing projects. Prabhat is a graduate from IIT Roorkee. Prabhat’s other interests include running, traveling, trekking and watching movies.

Pragya is a public policy professional who prefers working at the intersection of economics, law and regulation; with a passion to create policy discourse around gender, inclusivity and sustainability and has worked on thematic areas with special focus on digital economy. She is currently involved in a project with Odisha government on performance management of Solid Waste in the state. Pragya holds a Master’s degree in Regulatory Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

Prarthana Ramesh holds a Bachelor’s degree from Mount Carmel College and has worked at various capacities in Janaagraha for the past nine years. She has previously worked with Dream a Dream on their experiential camps with children and drafting content for their curriculum, and also with UNI for underprivileged children and with the ‘Centre for Legislative Research and Advocacy’ in drafting bills and policy briefs

Praveen has joined us as Associate – IT Administration at Bengaluru. Before joining Janaagraha, he was working as a Customer Service Engineer with Run-in IT solutions private limited.

Praveen has a Diploma in Computer Science Engineering from Nalanda Foundation Polytechnic, Hubballi, Karnataka.

He enjoys traveling and reading books in his spare time. He is a native of Manvi, Karnataka where his parents presently stay. He has a sister who is studying engineering, majoring in Bio-technology.

Preeti has joined our team as an Associate in the Municipal Finance department in Delhi, following the successful completion of her long-term internship with us. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Fergusson College, Pune, and has further enriched her academic portfolio by completing a Graduate course in Public Policy at the prestigious Takshashila Institute. Prior to joining our organization, Preeti served as a dedicated Research Assistant at the Pune International Centre.

In her leisure time, Preeti enjoys leading an active lifestyle and has recently embarked on learning Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Preeti is also passionate about outdoor activities such as kayaking and surfing, which further highlight her adventurous spirit. Her family resides in Pune.

Priya is an Associate in the Municipal Finance team. She is an MBA graduate from Xavier University Bhubaneswar (erstwhile XIMB) specializing in Urban Management and Governance, and also has a Masters in Commerce from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). She is a B.Com graduate from Pune University and has qualified CA- Intermediate (IPCC).

During her post-graduation, she had the opportunity to work as an intern in various state government projects in Odisha. She also worked as an intern with Colliers International Limited on real estate valuation projects of commercial properties.

Prior to her post-graduation Priya had a working experience of 2.5 years in the domain of Auditing and Accounting. Her interest in municipal finance comes from her understanding in auditing & accounting and urban governance, which is a perfect blend of both the domains. During her leisure time, Priya enjoys gardening and watching movies.

Priyanka undertakes urban policy research and allied outreach as part of Janaagraha’s City Leaders Programme (CLP). She joined Janaagraha to learn from like-minded individuals who champion the cause of decentralised urban governance and contribute towards ensuring accessibility of facilities at the lowest rung of governance. She has previously worked as a research intern with Safe Water Networks to develop a strategy for inclusion of decentralized Small Water Enterprises (SWEs) in the Urban Drinking Water Plans. She was also a research assistant on a research project “Comparing Governance and Policy During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Study of Twenty-Two Countries” conducted by the Civics and Politics department of Mumbai University. Priyanka’s interest lies in understanding how institutions can be designed to ensure efficient service delivery and good governance. Her interest in urban governance and specifically urban policy research stems from the belief that reliable and transparent data is at the heart of making good policy decisions. In her spare time, Priyanka likes to catch up on a good book and play the ukulele. She enjoys philosophical discussions and pizza. Suggestions for books/philosophical theories/restaurants are always invited. Priyanka holds a diploma in Public Policy from the Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi and a Bachelor’s in Political Science (Hons.) from Ramnarain Ruia College, Mumbai.

Rahul has joined us recently as Program Manager – Civic Participation at Bengaluru. Before joining Janaagraha, he was working as a Senior Consultant with EY.

Rahul has an MSW from TISS, Mumbai and a BA (Honours) in Economics from Patna University. He has an extensive background in CSR consulting and has also worked on projects focusing on investment promotion across many states.

He likes to read, travel and watch movies during his spare time. His parents are based in Giridh, Jharkhand and his partner works in the development sector with the Rajasthan Government.

Ranjitha manages our district intervention in Mangalore and is responsible for knowledge management for the Civic learning program.

Passionate about working with children and youth, she has played diverse roles in the program right from facilitation, data management, alumni and volunteering engagement and is generally our first responder for any new initiatives or experiments we conduct in the program. Prior to Janaagraha, she had a brief stint at Wipro, when she realized that making your passion as your profession can be a fulfilling experience.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Arts and has completed a Certificate course in Soft Skills and Development.

Rohit Sharma is Associate – Municipal Finance based out of Delhi. After completing engineering from SRM University, Rohit’s inclination towards working on societal issues led him to take up a role with the Quality Council of India, where he worked on flagship schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal Bhujal Yojana. Rohit believes in working with a solution oriented approach towards the issues at hand.

Ruchika has joined us as Associate – Organisational Development, based out of Bhubaneswar. Prior to joining Janaagraha, she was working as Policy Consultant with Ekayana Advisory.

Ruchika holds a Master’s in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from BJB Autonomous College, Bhubaneswar.

During her free time, she enjoys exploring new places with friends, cooking and watching engaging content online. Her family consists of her parents and her elder sister, who is employed with JP Morgan.

Sachin Deshpande is Associate Manager – Human Resources at Janaagraha. Sachin obtained a degree in electronics engineering, and then promptly switched to Human Resource Management. After graduating in 2014 with a Master’s degree from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai – Sachin worked with Asian Paints for 4+ years. When not working, he enjoys reading mystery novels and watching sports on TV.

Samprati is Associate – Civic Participation at Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. Her interest areas are rural and urban poverty alleviation, water and sanitation, citizen participation and capacity building.

She is a Post Graduate in Development Studies from National Institute of Technology, Rourkela and a graduate in Psychology. During her post-graduation, she interned at IIT Kharagpur, and also did a field survey in districts of Odisha to find out the alternative livelihood methods to reduce migration. She has also interned with CRY NGO focusing on child rights awareness and crowd funding for causes. She has been a part of social service organizations like ‘AASRA’ and ‘Youth for Seva Organization’ from her college days. She is a sport enthusiast and has participated in athletics, basketball, and volleyball both in school and college.

Sampriti Mukherjee has joined as an Associate – Project Management and Partnerships with the Project Support Unit – Swachhata and Civic Data, Insights Team at Janaagraha. She has 3 years of prior professional experience in government advisory and research with several state and national government departments, such as Andhra Pradesh Planning Board, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – GOI, and BIRAC. She has also worked on international and national donor management as well as recently, managed a State Climate Fellowship with 6 Indian state governments. She has done her Masters in Public Policy and Governance (specialisation in Urbanisation) and Bachelors in Social Sciences, from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Through this journey, she has developed keen interest in the domains of urban governance, climate action solutions, and socio-economic development. In office, you will find her tinkering with data and PPTs, all the while thinking about how to make cities function better. Out of the office, she loves taking long walks, finding new historical monuments, and petting dogs!

Sandhya Christabel D’Souza works as the Lead, Communications for Janaagraha. Sandhya pursued her Master of Communication and Media Studies (MCMS) at St Aloysius College Mangalore. She worked as a Reporter and Sub Editor for Deccan Herald for three and a half years. She is also the recipient of the ‘Sarojini Naidu Prize – 2012,’ a national award for best reporting in Women in Panchayat Raj. She also loves travelling, photography.

Sangram Satpathy has joined us as Project Manager – State Capacities, based out of Bhubaneswar. Prior to joining Janaagraha, he was working as Senior Program Lead and State Head, Odisha with Central Square Foundation.

Sangram holds an MBA in Rural Management from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar after graduating with a BE in Computer Science from North Odisha University.

During his free time, he enjoys listening to music and passionately follows test cricket and football. His family consists of his father, his wife and a teenage son – who is presently studying in 8th grade.

Santosh Nargund leads the Civic Participation initiatives of Janaagraha in Karnataka state. Santosh has spent over two decades in the civic space, leading various advocacy as well as citizens’ campaigns, focusing on the areas of good governance through transparency, accountability and citizen participation, and through instruments such as the Right to Information Act, the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act (Sakala) and public interest litigations (PILs). He has published several social audits on topics related to Beggary Relief System, Smart Cities Mission, Swacha Bharat Mission, and Urban Transport. Santosh has been a member of the Board of Studies in different Institutions and has rendered his expertise to various Institutes and Universities including the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, Karnataka Evaluation Authority (KEA), Bengaluru, and Karnataka State Law University (KSLU), Hubballi. Santosh contested the elections to the Karnataka legislature from the Hubli-Dharwad Central – 73 Assembly Constituency in May 2018, and has represented as a National Council Member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). As an Aerospace Scientist, Santosh comes with a rich experience in leading global teams on several aerospace projects. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), and holds M.Tech. and B.E. degrees. Santosh leads an eco-friendly life and practices natural farming and grows food, without use of harmful chemicals.

Sayani has joined us as Associate – Organisation Development in Bhubaneswar. Before joining Janaagraha, she was associated with the Poverty and Human Development Monitoring Agency, Govt. of Odisha as a Program Manager.

She has an M.A in Social Work from TISS, Mumbai and a Bachelors in Sociology from Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata. During her free time, Sayani enjoys photography, trekking and theatre.

Her father works as an Operations Manager with a private company in Kolkata and her mother is involved in managing a cloud kitchen.

Selvam is an experienced field executive and has executed and supervised a diverse range of research methodologies, including household surveys, focus group interviews, qualitative and quantitative interviews, key informant interviews, oral histories, and process tracking.

He started his career with the Jana Urban Foundation in 2014 as Team Leader in the research team. This team undertook extensive investigation in the slums of Bangalore under the Pathways to Prosperity study conducted in partnership with Duke University, surveying over 2000 citizens in 200 slum settlements.

In the last few years at Janaagraha, Selvam has been involved with preparations for, and supervision of, fieldwork of citizen surveys on women’s safety and community policing in Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore as well as Policing in Bangalore during the COVID-19 pandemic ,. He’s also an integral part of the work Janaagraha does with Brown University, measuring citizenship and service delivery in urban centres across India. This includes supervision of large field surveys across cities in India.

Selvam completed his Under Graduation in 2013 from Sri Venkateshwara University in Bangalore. Selvam speaks Tamil, Kannada and English.

Shalu has joined us as Associate Manager – Municipal Finance at Delhi.

She holds a B.Tech in civil engineering from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad and a PGP in Public Policy, Design and Management from Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi. She has worked for 4+ years as a project executive with Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN).

During her free time, Shalu likes to explore new cafes and restaurants. Her family is based out of Kota, Rajasthan.

Sharadha is the face of all our donor partnerships. She has managed diverse roles in the program from development of content, facilitation to government partnerships. She is not only a strong proponent of Sustainability but also a practitioner of sustainable living in her daily life. She believes, that children and youth in the country will be the key differentiator to help us become a $ 5 trillion economy

Prior to Janaagraha, she led an IT service firm in Washington DC, in the US. A seasoned professional with special interests in very diverse areas like back office management, tutoring and mentoring. She is skilled in Accounting, Math and Science as a discipline (a rare blend of disciplines to master).

She has been engaging in social causes and has volunteered in support of various community initiatives even before joining Janaagraha.

Shashank has joined us as Manager – Public Finance in Bhubaneswar. He brings in 10+ years of experience in program management and delivery, particularly in the area of healthcare. Before joining Janaagraha, he was associated with Apollo 24|7 as Regional Head – Business and Operations.

He has an M.Sc from University of Dundee, Scotland and a Bachelors in Biotechnology from IIT, Roorkee.

His family is based out of Bhubaneswar and consists of his wife and two kids. During his free time, Shashank enjoys spending time with his family and also participates in outdoor adventure sports.

Shibin is an IT professional with 8+ year experience,have worked with Wipro Technologies, Onmobile Global Ltd as Technical support. Completed 6 years with Janaagraha and Leading the Information Technology in Janaagraha & JanaUSP. Handling the Janaagraha and JUSF IT infra and cloud platforms for Jana built applications. Also providing end to end IT support for the Jana Family. In my family, My father is an Ex-Army person and my mother is a house wife and my elder brother, My wife working as Land Surveyor and we have 3 year old daughter. My personal interest are playing Badminton, Football and swimming.

Shivani leads Content in the Civic Learning Program and is also our go-to-person for designing innovative program interventions.

Prior to joining Janaagraha, she was teaching Economics to post-graduates at the Delhi Public School. She also has an experience designing curricula for learners of diverse age groups; taken classes on public speaking and the Constitution of India.

She revels in challenges and loves to exhibit her leadership skills, event management skills and truly embodies the phrase “the world is an oyster”

She has a Masters in Political Science (Hons) from St. Joseph’s University and a B.Ed. from Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU). In her free time, she likes to travel, play badminton, take on jigsaw puzzles (working her way through 1000-piece behemoths), Sudoku, and Origami

Shiv leads the Civic Learning Program at Janaagraha and is sharply focused on mainstreaming 21st century skills and active citizenship values in Children and Youth of the country.

He believes that Janaagraha’s work of improving the quality of life in our cities and towns can be sustainably achieved only by leveraging the immense potential of children and youth. After all, as the renowned explorer Robert Swan, OBE says “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it for us”

Over the last eight years at Janaagraha, he has donned multiple hats – fund raising, partnerships, finance operations at an institution level and is now working with an able multi-disciplinary team of professionals in the Civic learning program.

He has over 25+ years of experience in business development, new product development, developing go-to-market strategies and implementation of new businesses. Prior to joining, Janaagraha, he was with Dun and Bradstreet for over a decade, holding diverse senior leadership roles in the Risk Management Solutions Business.

He is a commerce graduate from Mumbai University and a post-graduate in Business Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Shivshankar Aiholi is Senior Associate – Civic Participation for the cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, Karnataka. He joins Janaagraha with more than two decades of experience in across Corporate Organisations, Educational Institutions, Competitive Coaching Centres, as well as Print and Mass Media.

Shobana has eight years of experience in IT and finance and is passionate about using her skills in the social sector. At Janaagraha, her primary focus is on supporting the city finance portal and its enhancements. Shobana has degrees in MBA and Masters in Accounting from University of Arizona and is an NIT, Tiruchirappalli graduate. She spends her spare time baking and unlearning all her management skills to handle her kids.

Shoumik leads our work in Health with the objective of positive outcomes in Urban Public Healthcare including stakeholder engagement within the ecosystem. He brings a diverse experience spread across a period of over two decades adept at leading Strategy & Business Operations, Business Development, Business Strategy/Planning and forging strategic alliances in the healthcare sector. He has previously been associated with IPE Global Limited and WISH Foundation in the social impact sector leading business advisory, access to capital, markets and strategic alliances in helping scale innovations in Primary Healthcare within the ecosystem. Prior to the social impact sector, he has held senior leadership positions at Max Healthcare, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, UFlex Limited, Bilcare Limited leading and managing business development, strategy and operations of the Indian Sub-Continent. Shoumik holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT, Manipal and is an MBA from MDI, Gurgaon.

Shreshtha is a Manager in the Municipal Finance Team at Janaagraha and brings with her 6+ years of experience in public policy, government advisory, economic research and analysis. Prior to Janaagraha, she has worked as a Policy Consultant in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on infrastructure financing and policy matters ranging from conceptualisation and designing of new financing instruments for the infrastructure sector, managing international economic engagements at the G20 Infrastructure Working Group and BRICS, appraising investment proposals of government-owned infrastructure financing companies, etc. Having gained a strong foothold in public policy through her stints in government, she aims to contribute to Janaagraha’s municipal reforms agenda of driving revenue reforms and ramping up urban infrastructure financing to aid the transformation of city governments into self-sufficient, transparent and responsive systems. She has volunteered for various non-profits in the education and health sectors through the years, and most recently, has been volunteering with a volunteer-driven telemedicine non- profit organisation to facilitate citizens’ access to healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic in partnership with state governments. An economist by degree, she has a Bachelors degree in economics from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University and a Masters and MPhil in Economics from Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Sivaram has joined us recently as Senior Manager – Project Management and Documentation for the Civic Participation project in Odisha. Before joining Janaagraha, he was working with SELCO Foundation as Senior Program Manager – Knowledge.

Sivaram has an integrated M.Sc in Electronic Media from College of Engineering, Guindy – Anna University, Chennai.

He likes cooking, listening to music, and following current affairs during his spare time. His wife is a professional working in the development sector, and they have a four year old son.

Somenath Kar is part of the Civic Participation team in Bhubaneswar where he is involved in projects including Jaga Mission 2.0, Ward Infrastructure Index (WII), Ward Office 2.0 among others.

Before joining Janaagraha, he was associated with TATA Trusts. He is an expert on community participation, Vision & resource mapping. His fascination towards Urban Governance and social development caused him to take up working in this sector.

He has done his Post Graduation in Urban Management and Governance from Xavier University Bhubaneswar and has completed his Graduation in BBA. LL.B. (H) from National University Odisha.

Subhashri is based out Bhubaneswar and works as Associate – Civic Participation at Janaagraha. She is a science graduate from Utkal University and then obtained a degree in Urban Planning and Development from IGNOU.

Before joining Janaagraha, she worked with Vistara Airlines. She lives with her mother, who works in a private organisation and has two younger siblings who are studying. She loves animals and tries her best to care for the environment. When not working, Subhashri likes to read, watch films, and dance

Sudhakar works as an iOS Developer in the Civic Participation Technology Team. He is a B. Pharm graduate from Kakatiya University and started his career as an iOS developer with Transys info solutions. During free time, he likes reading books and magazines, watching movies, and listening to music.

Sumathi manages our district interventions currently. She has played diverse roles in the civic learning program from facilitation, training and school stakeholder engagement. She comes with very unique perspectives from daily life situations.

A great believer in Less talk, More action. Often the last one to speak in a crowd, her insights to the program, children and youth have been invaluable.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and comes with over two decades of experience in the textile and education sector.

Suvashika is a Civil Engineer and an Urban Planner by qualification. A NIT graduate, she is an Urban Planner by profession and has over 6+ years of professional experience in the industry. In Janaagraha, She works as a Senior Associate with the Civic Data and Insights team. She is passionate about working in Governance sector and also citizen-centric issues. She has also worked with Government departments of different states in India and has considerable experience in Institutional Development, Organisation restructuring and capacity building. Working on Swachhata gives her utmost satisfaction with a belief that she is working for a noble cause for the upliftment of society.

Swati likes to describe herself as a “Learner – on a learning journey in this lifetime”. She has keen interest in Social sector, specifically environmental issues since her college days. She has worked with Centre for Science and Environment, and thereafter, went on to establish her own start-up named Harit Griha to build sustainable infrastructures through an integrated approach of providing technical solutions as well as inculcating behavior change in community. She also loves art, psychology and sports.

Tanima is a Manager in the Civic Participation team. Having graduated as an engineer from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra in Biotechnology, she went on to do research in the field of Cancer and Computing Science as a Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, at the University of Glasgow. She has a background in data analytics that ranges from oncogenes to online start-ups.

Prior to Janaagraha, Tanima was with the product team at YourStory creating predicative models to chart growth trajectories of Indian startups. She likes the idea of using data for greater good than peddling consumerism, and hopes to do that at Janaagraha. In her spare time she enjoys working on the potter’s wheel, trekking through leech infested forests and reading about evolution and revolutions.

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Therese has joined us as Associate – Organisation Development at Bhubaneswar. Before joining Janaagraha, she was working as a Research Assistant with the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Therese has an MA in Public Policy and Governance from TISS, Mumbai and a B.Com in Finance and Accountancy from Christ University, Bengaluru.

She enjoys traveling to places of historical & cultural significance, trying out regional cuisines and listening to new music in her spare time.

Toolika has joined us as Senior Manager – Fundraising and Development in Delhi. She brings in 13+ years of experience in the areas of local self governance, WASH and public policy. Before joining Janaagraha, she was associated as a Consultant with the S.M. Sehgal Foundation.

She has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand and a M.Sc in Statistics from the University of Allahabad.

Her family is based out of Gurugram, where her husband is the founder of an AI Startup, and they have two daughters who are currently studying. During her free time, Toolika enjoys reading books and classical dance.

Vachana has been active in the space of urban policy research and advocacy for over six years, and has been working closely with tiers of governments advocating for systemic urban reforms in India. She joined Janaagraha in 2015 as Associate – Advocacy, and currently leads the advocacy vertical of Janaagraha, particularly focused on policy research and advocacy around decentralised urban governance. She leads the development and creation of one of India’s flagship reports on urban governance, titled the ‘Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS)’ and the associated reform engagements with governments. She is also the project lead for City Leaders Programme (CLP), engagements with politicians, and academic partnerships. She also manages ‘City Politics’, a pan India forum aimed at creating a collective voice for systemic urban transformation. She was part of the – a) CITIIS 2.0 consortium, under the Smart Cities Mission of Govt. of India and, b) the team that undertook the landscape study on India’s municipal finance, commissioned by the 15th Finance Commission of India. She has contributed to the Urban Vision Document 2030 developed by the NITI Aayog and the Economic Survey of Government of India in 2016-17. She has also worked with the office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India, legislators such as Dr Shashi Tharoor etc. Vachana is a member of Future Leaders Connect (FLC), British Council, and represented India in the 2021 FLC programme. She also often pens articles in journals and popular media. Her interest largely lies in institutions and their interaction with governance and decentralisation. She has a keen interest in the field of urban governance, specifically in areas such as urban laws, decentralised urban service delivery and metropolitan governance. She likes to spend her free time reading, gazing at the stars, going for a stroll, and listening to melodies, Hindustani and Sufi music. Vachana holds a Master’s degree in Development (specialising in Public Policy) from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru (India), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam (India) (Mahathma Gandhi University)

Vasu Saha joins us as Associate – Municipal Finance, based out of Delhi.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Delhi University and a Master’s in Public Policy and Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad.

About his personal interests, Vasu likes to stay active and works out regularly, alongside a love for travel and cricket. His family consists of his parents who run their own business and a sister who is studying at the Delhi School of Economics.

Vijil has 2 years of experience in User Interface developing. He completed an M.Sc. in Computer Science from The University of Kerala (Kannur).

Vimarsha is an Industrial Production engineer. She started out as an intern with Janaagraha to understand the development sector, and then joined us full-time after appreciating Janaagraha’s work. She is an athlete who has represented Hassan District, where she is from, at state-level Table Tennis & Throw Ball tournaments. She is also an ardent nature explorer who loves to take road trips in leisure.

Vinayasree has a Master’s Degree in Development from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Sociology and Economics (Triple Major) from CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru. Before joining Janaagraha, she briefly worked with the Centre for Habitat Studies at TISS as a research officer. Her interests are in Environmental Policy, Urban Sustainability, Regulation and Conservation of Common Property Resources, Structural and Cultural influences on Collective Human Behaviour, and Mental Health Advocacy.

Yukti has joined us as Associate – Public Finance Management, based out of Bhubaneswar. Prior to joining Janaagraha, she was working as Program Officer with Samaj Pragati Sahayog in Madhya Pradesh

Yukti holds a Master’s in Development from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru and a B.A (Hons) in Economics from Delhi University.

During her free time, she enjoys Origami, cooking, and following local and international politics. Her family consists of her parents and her younger brother, who is currently studying.