Founder Director

Neha Simlai

Neha has worked for over a decade at the intersection of communication and stakeholder management, public policy as well as programme strategy and management. Having lived and worked in the United States, India, Singapore and Bangladesh, Neha has an in-depth understanding of development sector opportunities and changes, especially in the South-East and South Asia region. Neha’s work focuses primarily on sustainable supply chains and environmental safeguards and how these interact with human development and public policy. Through her previous roles at PRS Legislative Research, the Centre for Policy Research, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Charities Aid Foundation, and the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Neha has worked at the intersection of communications, programme strategy, and management. She has been a part of pioneering teams working to mainstream the understanding of CSR and sustainability in the Indian context. Neha also writes regularly for publications including LiveMint, The Wire, Huffington Post (India), and others.

Treasurer

Shiv Sehgal

Shiv’s interests in surveying and data collection and prior experience with C-Voter, a polling and data-creation firm in Aceh, Indonesia, and some of India’s poorest districts drive him to build expertise in political strategy and perception building. He worked with the Conservative Party (Cardiff North) in 2012 and assisted Steve Jarding, lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, during the run-up to Uttar Pradesh’s state elections in 2017. Shiv has been working on a political consultancy and management ever graduating from Cardiff University with a background in law and politics, specialising in international law. Shiv has also played cricket for Uttar Pradesh, India representing it in the Under-19 and Under-23 categories.

Senior Adviser

Ramesh Abhishek

Mr. Ramesh Abhishek is a 1982 batch member of the Indian Administrative Service, where in roles both within India and abroad, he has over 37 years of experience especially in the fields of governance, designing and implementing public policy as well as large-scale reforms at national/sub-national levels. Most recently, he led the team that spearheaded Prime Minister’s Flagship programmes such as Ease of Doing Business, Make in India and Start-Up India. He also developed and nurtured Invest India into the most awarded Investment Promotion agency of the world.

Additionally, he worked on Immunization, Literacy, Child Development and other development and welfare programs in the state of Bihar. Mr. Abhishek has Masters Degrees in Public Administration, Business Administration, and International Politics from the Harvard Kennedy School, Sikkim Manipal University and Jawaharlal Nehru University respectively.

Legal Consultant

Siddharth Kumar

Siddharth, a graduate of Cardiff University, is currently practising his trade as a litigator and dispute resolution specialist. He holds diplomas from the National Law University, Delhi as well as the Indian Law Institute. As a dispute resolution practitioner, he guides companies, organisations as well as individuals on establishing best practices and standard operating procedures with risk mitigation at their core. Siddharth, being an avid advocate for the use of alternative dispute resolution methods, encourages his clients to mediate at the first instance and to litigate only as the last resort.

Research Associate

Akshita Sharma

Akshita holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Ambedkar University Delhi and a Bachelor’s degree in the same from Delhi University. She wants to break into the field of public policy design and implementation with a focus on gender, public health and technology. She is keen to connect data-driven policy research with behavioural insights, to craft better policies and programmes that drive deeper impact and inclusive economic development. When she isn’t busy, you’ll find her in a quiet corner playing guitar/ukulele and singing to herself.

Chief Corporate Relations & Administrative Officer

Lakshmanaswamy TV

Lakshamanaswamy’s experience with office management, corporate communications, and administrative support with SGT University, Gurgaon; Indo Gulf Hospital, Noida; RIL, New Delhi; Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd., Noida; India TV, Noida; and several others makes him an indispensable asset for internal operations and managerial support. He continues to remain associated with multiple networks and public forums, such as the All India Management Association, Public Relations Society of India, Alliance Française de Delhi, India Islamic Cultural Centre, and others.

Assistant Manager - Finance and Accounts

Manish Kumar

Manish has a B.Com (Hons) from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Delhi University. He also completed a Diploma in Finance Banking from F-Tec Skill Development. Before joining SPRF, Manish worked at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia as Finance Assistant Manager.

Design Consultant

Deepesh Sangtani

Deepesh Sangtani is a graduate architect from the Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia, and a designer by choice. He keeps himself busy with explorations and creative collaborations. His interests lie in urban design, planning, community initiatives, cartography, graphics, and music. He has co-founded a non-profit organisation, The Multilogue Collective, and also runs his own design studio by the name of Studio Ink Effect.

Senior Analyst

Jitendra Bisht

Manager - Digital Media and Communications

Michelle Patrick

Michelle is a Marketing graduate from Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication. Previously, she has worked full time with a PR organization and has also done internships with NGOs like Goonj and Teach for India. Michelle is keen on finding the right balance of using her skills in communication and marketing to pursue a personally and socially more fulfilling career in the space of Public Policy.

Research Associate

Neha Chauhan

Neha holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a  Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi.  Previously, she has worked as a Research Assistant for Dr Jayati Ghosh on a study for United  Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. She has also interned with Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, Public Policy Research  Centre, and Nikore Associates.  

Her research interests include international relations, gender economics, and food security.

Research and Editorial Coordinator

Riya Singh Rathore

Riya is a political science enthusiast who is passionate about gender, security, and queer rights. She is an International Relations postgraduate from University College Dublin and a Delhi University alumni. Prior to SPRF, she worked as a research assistant in the Irish Parliament. She is a proud ally and founded Gargi College’s formalised queer collective, the White Rose Club. When she is not working, you can find her painting and trying to keep her two plants from dying.

Research Associate

Ankita Tripathi

Research Intern

Sayamsiddha

Sayamsiddha holds a Master’s degree in Development and Labour Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Bachelor’s in Social Sciences from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati. She is interested in exploring the issues concerning the vast informal economy in India. In her free time you can find her playing with makeup, overwatering her plants and cooking.

Editorial Intern

Yamini Negi

Yamini is currently pursuing her MA in English Literature. She is interested in exploring how literature and cinema can facilitate the understanding of International Relations, Policy, and Governance. Other research interests include Digital Media, Politics, and Shakespearean Literature. In her free time, she can be found trying to finish her unending list of To-be-read books.

Research Assistant

Soumya Singhal

Soumya holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science along with a minor in Sociology, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Conflict Transformation and Peace Building from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. Her research interests include Indian foreign policy, South Asian geopolitics, peace and conflict studies, and political sociology. Invested in the social sector and an advocate of gender equality, she has successfully collaborated with the likes of the UNHCR, FTF-I, and UNCTAD for social development ventures. When not working, she can be found reading a book or organising her planner.

Research and Comms Intern

Arushi Raj

Arushi holds a Masters in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics and a Bachelor in Sociology from Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi. Prior to joining SPRF, she has conducted extensive research on diverse topics such as gender and violence, migrant workers in Rajasthan, vulnerable children and foster care, among others. She has also interned at the Centre for Social Research and the National Human Rights Commission. Her areas of interest are urbanization, social ecology, gender, and education. Apart from this, she is deeply interested in photography and capturing the everyday lives of people. In her free time, you can find her quietly painting for hours or spending time with her dog, Luna.

Communications Intern

Akaanksha Bahadur

Akaanksha is a final year student pursuing her undergraduate degree in Philosophy at Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is passionate about writing and aspires to have a career in journalism. She has also worked at a couple of nonprofits in college, namely Enactus and Connecting Dreams Foundation.
Her other interests include that of communications, research, and marketing.

Contributing Author

Vineeth Srivatsava

Bhagyanagar Vineeth Srivatsava is PhD candidate at Centre for Political Studies (CPS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He completed his Masters in Political Science from University of Delhi. His PhD thesis seeks to investigate the phenomena of mob lynching in India that we are witnessing in the past few years. His research interests are mainly violence studies, Indian society and politics, continental philosophy and developmental politics. His research and his thought is mainly influenced by scholars like Mbembe, Foucault, Deleuze and Guattari. He spends most of his free time reading books.

Photo Archive and Content Strategist

Maduli Thaosen

Maduli holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. Previously, she has worked as a Consultant Lead Researcher at Action Aid, India, and as a Content Strategist at Feminism In India. She enjoys working at the intersections of digital media, design, and research, with a keen interest in issues of social justice. In addition to this, she is a passionate photographer who has shot for several artists and NGOs. On her off days, you will find her running culinary experiments in her kitchen or karaoke-ing with her friends.