Career journey
Two decades of
purposeful work.
From the Ministry of Rural Development to global CSR at OakNorth — every chapter shaped by a commitment to social impact.
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Village to Delhi — a childhood of grit
Born in a small village in Aligarh to a family of marginal farmers and agricultural labourers. Migrated to Delhi at age five. Grew up in a Delhi slum, educated in government schools. Began volunteering at a local nonprofit at age 14 and joined NSS, conducting literacy classes for illiterate adults. Trained in street theatre and script writing — performing in over 50 street plays on social issues.
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B.A. & M.A. Social Work, University of Delhi
Earned a B.A. (Hons) in Social Work from B.R. Ambedkar College, then a Masters in Social Work from Delhi School of Social Work (2001–03). Co-founded AWSAR — Association for Welfare, Social Action and Research — in 2002 while still a student, with seed funding later provided by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Also holds certificates from London School of Economics (Public Policy Analysis) and UC Berkeley School of Law (Sustainable Capitalism & ESG).
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HoD – Small Grants, Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra, Jharkhand
Deputation from CAPART (Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India). Managed a team of 15 to develop and strengthen the network of NGOs in Jharkhand and Bihar. Played a pivotal role in advocating for implementation of the Panchayati Raj Act in Jharkhand. Selected as Team Member of evaluation and review team by Bread of the World, Germany.
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Project Officer, Rural Centre for Human Interests (RUCHI), Himachal Pradesh
Deputation from CAPART. Promoted and disseminated technologies for adoption in rural areas to improve the lives of villagers in Himachal Pradesh.
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In-charge – DSMS, DRDA, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
Deputation from CAPART to implement the SGSY Skill Development Scheme in Jhansi district. Coordinated with all BDOs, banks, partner NGOs and government departments. Awarded by the Minister of Rural Development, Uttar Pradesh for organisation of AUWAD SARAS MAHOTSAV. Instrumental in operationalisation of a milk chilling plant with the local cooperative in Jhansi.
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Consultant & Young Professional, CAPART, MoRD, Government of India
Prepared concept papers and policy briefs for new programmes and schemes. Developed reporting and monitoring mechanisms. Trained over one million rural youth under the Special SGSY Skill Training Project of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Promoted to Consultant and awarded by the Director General, CAPART for outstanding contribution.
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Programme Officer – PPA, Tokyo Engineering Consultants Consortium Ltd
PMC for YAP-II under a JBIC project to reduce pollution levels of the Yamuna River flowing through New Delhi. Worked closely with the Governments of India, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Screened and assessed projects for capacity building of Urban Local Bodies on a PPP model. Developed capacity building framework for ULBs on PPA for effective public service delivery.
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Manager – Resource Mobilisation, AWSAR India
Managed AWSAR with financial support from the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Responsibilities spanned conceptualisation through to ground-level project implementation, fundraising, marketing, staff supervision, financial management, and external relations with government regulators. Successfully developed a robust pool of funders and established the organisation on the ground.
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Assistant Vice President, Copal Partners & New Philanthropy Capital, UK
Philanthropy advisory services — a joint venture between Copal Partners and New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), UK. Advised and supported HNIs, Ultra HNIs and institutional philanthropists to give back effectively. Conducted sector research, NGO due diligence, assessments, and investment plans. Mobilised INR 30 million from clients for NGOs working in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Co-authored high-impact international reports on Early Childhood Development, Giving in India, and Water & Sanitation. Advised some of the world's most renowned philanthropists on their giving strategy.
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Assistant Director – CSR, Moody's Corporation
Led CSR and Sustainability for Moody's Knowledge Services across India, China, Sri Lanka and Costa Rica. Coordinated with nonprofits, vendors, suppliers and service providers. Drafted CSR Policy for all Moody's entities in India and devised CSR strategy aligned with the business. Ensured all CSR/Sustainability/ESG compliances including ICRA in India. Led Moody's to win several prestigious CSR awards including FICCI and India Social Impact Awards.
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Head – CSR, OakNorth & India Manager, Rishi and Milan Khosla Foundation
Overseeing CSR strategy and implementation for all OakNorth group entities (UK, India, US), managing a $4M annual budget. Drafted Global CSR Policy, designed CSR strategy, and established the CSR function from scratch. Currently managing social impact initiatives in nutrition, education, livelihoods, gender and environment. Serves as personal philanthropic adviser to the founder — setting up the family foundation and managing all personal and family giving. Ensuring the business transitions to NetZero through carbon farming projects. Leading all CSR/ESG compliance, modern slavery, human rights, social media, events, web, print, and CSR/ESG reporting.