Nivedita Narain Editor

Ved Arya is a serial social entrepreneur and founder of SRIJAN, Buddha Institute, and the Responsible Coalition for Resilient Communities (RCRC). Through SRIJAN, he has empowered over 2.5 lakh rural women across six Indian states, forming nine women’s federations. He received the Schwab Foundation Award 2025 at Davos, the Business Standard Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2018), and IIT Kanpur’s Distinguished Alumnus Award (2020). An IIT Kanpur and IIM Ahmedabad graduate, Ved is also a Humphrey, UNEP, Ashoka, and Aspire Fellow.

Ayushii Balutia is a Research Associate at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business. She holds a master’s degree in public policy and management from the University of Glasgow and a bachelor’s in Economics from Christ (Deemed to be) University, Bengaluru. She previously worked with Women’s Enterprise Scotland, co-authoring their 2023 report on women entrepreneurs, and interned with NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts Department. Her research focuses on good governance, sustainable development, and socio-economic inclusion.

Ashwini Chhatre is the Executive Director of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy and Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Indian School of Business. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Duke University and a BA in Economics from the University of Delhi. With over a decade of grassroots experience in natural resource governance, his research explores the intersection of democracy, environment, and development. A former faculty member at the University of Illinois, he has held editorial roles in leading international journals.

Nivedita Narain is a Senior Research Advisor at the Transform Rural India Foundation and adjunct faculty at the School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi. With nearly 40 years of experience in development practice, she has led initiatives in gender equity, sustainable livelihoods, and organizational development. She previously served as CEO of Charities Aid Foundation India and held leadership roles at PRADAN. A PhD holder from IIT Delhi, she has held fellowships at Stanford, LSE, McGill, and Göttingen, focusing on gender, food, water security, sustainability, and rural development.