Meet the Team

Aneek Chowdhury is a Research Associate at IWWAGE, where he contributes to research grounded in economic theory and quantitative analysis. His current work focuses on examining and measuring women’s unpaid work, with an emphasis on strengthening the evidence base for labour market policy.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Heramba Chandra College (City College South), University of Calcutta, and a Master’s degree in Economics from Ambedkar University Delhi. His academic training has shaped his interests in game theory, social choice, and political economy, with a strong analytical orientation.

Aneek’s research interests lie at the intersection of economic theory and real-world policy challenges.

Anjali is a Research Associate at IWWAGE with a strong interest in understanding informal and unpaid forms of labour through qualitative research and fieldwork. Her work engages deeply with questions of gender and caste, particularly in the Indian context.

She holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Ambedkar University, Delhi, where she developed a strong foundation in participatory research methods and critical social analysis.

Outside of research, Anjali creates hand-made illustrations for people’s movements and research initiatives, and actively engages with theatre as a stage and screen artist.

Arpita Paul is a statistician and demographer with extensive experience in quantitative research across public health, survey implementation, and population studies. At IWWAGE, her work focuses on social determinants of health and wellbeing, with particular attention to maternal and child health, ageing, and living arrangements.

She holds a postgraduate degree in Statistics from Banaras Hindu University and a PhD in Demography from the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS). Prior to joining IWWAGE, Arpita worked with the Public Health Foundation of India as a Lead Analyst, where she managed large-scale datasets, designed surveys, and conducted advanced statistical analysis across RMNCH-related studies.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading and dancing.

Bidisha Mondal’s research focuses on socio-economic inequalities, with a particular emphasis on gender gaps and labour market discrimination faced by marginalised social groups in India. She has also worked extensively on healthcare expenditure patterns and inequalities in access to health services.

She holds a Master’s degree from the University of Calcutta and a PhD from the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Before joining IWWAGE, Bidisha worked with the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). Her research has been published in several national and international peer-reviewed journals.

Her work bridges academic research and policy discourse on inequality and social justice.

Divya Singh works at the intersection of gender equity and environmental sustainability. At IWWAGE, her focus areas include gender budgeting, child budgeting, and climate finance, with experience spanning national and international development contexts.

She holds an MA and MPhil in Political Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University and an MSc in Environmental Assessment and Management from the University of East Anglia. Prior to joining IWWAGE, Divya worked with a range of development organisations on issues related to public finance and environmental governance.

Her work reflects a strong commitment to integrating gender perspectives into sustainability and climate policy.

Jyotsna Raju is a social sector professional with extensive experience in livelihood promotion, project management, donor and grant management, monitoring, and gender training curriculum design. At IWWAGE, she supports project implementation and gender integration initiatives across programmes.

She holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Women and Gender Studies. Prior to joining IWWAGE, Jyotsna worked with Kudumbashree – Kerala State Poverty Eradication Mission, Snehitha Gender Help Desk, and Industree Craft Foundation. She has managed projects funded by USAID, CSR initiatives, and philanthropic donors, including Bank of America, Cartier Philanthropy, Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, and HDFC, and has contributed to an Anti-Human Trafficking project under Kudumbashree.

Her work centres on building inclusive, community-led development systems.

Kunwar Parijat Kumar Singh is an Administration and Operations professional with experience across development, academic, government, and public–private sector organisations. At IWWAGE, he supports institutional operations to ensure efficient and compliant functioning.

He has extensive experience in facilities and infrastructure management, including vendor management, contracts, procurement, budgeting, audits, and statutory compliance. Parijat has supported office setup and expansion, space planning, and renovations, while also contributing to HR processes such as recruitment coordination and onboarding. He works closely with Finance, IT, HR, Legal, and programme teams to enable seamless operations.

His work underpins IWWAGE’s organisational effectiveness and sustainability.

Moumita Sarkar works on livelihoods and gender, with a focus on policy, research, training, and advocacy. At IWWAGE, she contributes to strengthening gender-responsive programme design and implementation.

She holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry (Honours) from the University of Calcutta and a postgraduate degree in Rural Development and Management from the University of Kalyani. Moumita has worked with national and international organisations, including the Ministry of Rural Development (Government of India), UN Women, UNDP, J-PAL, and the Centre for Integrated and Inclusive Development (CInI, Tata Trusts). Her experience includes drafting policy documents, commissioning action research under MGNREGS, developing the DAY-NRLM Gender Protocol, and delivering gender-focused training at institutions such as NIRD&PR, IIPA, and VVGNLI.

Her core interests lie in livelihoods, gender equality, and institutional transformation.

Mridusmita Bordoloi is an Economist with research experience across labour markets, education, child protection, and household income and consumption. At IWWAGE, her work relies on quantitative analysis of large-scale datasets, including NSSO, PLFS, NFHS, ASI, Census of India, U-DISE Plus, and public finance data from Union and State budgets.

She holds a postgraduate degree from Annamalai University and a PhD from IIT Guwahati. Her research interests include returns to education, informality, social security for unorganised workers, education–employment linkages, and gender gaps. Her work also includes primary surveys, policy implementation analysis, and fund-flow tracking.

Her research supports evidence-based labour and social policy.

Neeraj Upadhyay is a results-oriented professional with experience in project management, partner management, grant management, donor coordination, and administration. At IWWAGE, he supports effective grant and donor management across programmes.

He holds a Master’s degree in Project Management. Prior to joining IWWAGE, Neeraj worked with organisations such as Learning Links Foundation, CARE India, Action contre la Faim (ACF, Paris), and the World Health Organisation. He has managed projects funded by major international donors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, UNICEF, and FHI 360, as well as corporate donors such as Dell, Ashok Leyland, Cargill, and GSK.

His work ensures strong partnerships and accountable programme delivery.

Prakriti Sharma has experience conducting field-based research, supervising primary and secondary data collection, leading desk reviews, and contributing to data analysis and report writing. At IWWAGE, she supports research projects across thematic areas.

She holds a postgraduate degree in Sustainable Development Practice from the TERI School of Advanced Studies. Prior to joining IWWAGE, she worked with organisations such as IFAD India, UNICEF Uganda, and NITI Aayog, contributing to research and policy analysis.

Her work reflects a strong grounding in applied research for development practice.

Preeti is a development-sector professional with extensive experience in organisational operations, human resources, and administrative systems. She works closely on strengthening institutional processes, compliance, and people-centric practices that support efficient and well-functioning organisations.

She brings over 17 years of experience in HR and administration. Prior to joining IWWAGE, she worked as an Administration Manager with Catalyst, a project of LEAD (IFMR Society) at Krea University. She also spent nearly a decade with FHI 360 in various capacities, including administrative support to the Country Director. Preeti holds a degree in Economics from the University of Delhi, a Diploma in Office Management from YMCA, a Diploma in Operations Management from MIT, and a Post Graduate Programme in Management from the Great Lakes Institute of Management.

Known for her strong interpersonal and counselling skills, Preeti is deeply committed to creating supportive and effective workplace environments in the development sector.

Rachita is a development communications professional with a strong focus on communication for development, social and behaviour change, public health, health systems strengthening, and nutrition. She works at the intersection of evidence, policy, and practice, shaping clear and engaging narratives that make research accessible and meaningful for diverse audiences.

She has collaborated with national and international organisations, including Piramal Foundation, UNICEF (as a consultant), Save the Children, and Navjyoti India Foundation, contributing to communication strategies, knowledge products, and advocacy efforts. Rachita holds a Master’s degree in Development Communication and Extension from Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi.

A keen traveller and a committed advocate for children’s rights, she is motivated by the belief that thoughtful communication can help create more equitable systems and improve outcomes for children and communities.

Sharati Madhur Roy is a Research Associate with experience working with central and state government bodies. Her research interests include human development and international politics, with a focus on gender.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Delhi.

In her free time, Sharati enjoys reading and exploring films and theatre.

Srijoni Mitra is a development professional with experience in communications, policy advocacy, and social impact initiatives. At IWWAGE, her work spans women’s empowerment, education, livelihoods, health, and social inclusion.

She holds degrees in English Literature from the University of Calcutta and Social Work from Rabindra Bharati University, and is a Gandhi Fellow with the Piramal Foundation. Prior to joining IWWAGE, she worked with organisations across Delhi, leading communications and advocacy efforts.

Outside of work, Srijoni enjoys travelling, exploring new cultures, and listening to music.

Sruthi’s work spans policy research, government engagement, and feminist advocacy. Her areas of interest include feminist economics, women’s entrepreneurship, gender-responsive policy design, and gender-sensitive urban planning.

Before joining IWWAGE, she worked with UN Women as the Coordinator of the Feminist Policy Collective and has collaborated with think tanks, government agencies, civil society organisations, and citizens’ groups on a range of development issues. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Mumbai, a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Communications from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai.

She is constantly curious about uncovering feminist perspectives in everyday life and integrating them into policy discourse and practice.

Surabhi’s work focuses on qualitative research, policy analysis, and strengthening women’s institutions, agency, and empowerment.

She has previously worked as a consultant with the National Human Rights Commission, providing research support on issues related to women and children. Before joining IWWAGE, she led the research team for the Geography of Philosophy Project based at IIT Delhi and hosted by the University of Pittsburgh (USA). Surabhi holds an M.Phil. in Social Work from the University of Delhi and was awarded a Junior Research Fellowship by the University Grants Commission. Her research interests include gender, labour, and changing family institutions, with training in narrative inquiry and ethnography.

Outside of work, Surabhi enjoys cooking, researching food history and food science, and spending time with her cats.

Vidhi works on research and analysis at the intersection of gender, data, and public policy, with a particular focus on monitoring and evaluation in gender and health-related studies.

She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Governance from Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. Prior to joining IWWAGE, she worked as a Research Analyst with a private consulting firm in Lucknow and has interned with SEWA Bharat and PRS Legislative Research.

Vidhi has been engaged in advocating for gender rights since her school years and remains committed to working in this domain. Outside of work, she is an avid consumer of Hindi cinema and draws inspiration from the work of Shah Rukh Khan.

Sona has been working in the area of women and development for the last one and a half decades. Her core research interests are in areas related to women’s economic empowerment. She has looked extensively into the causalities of low work participation rates of women in India within a political economy framework and has studied in great detail the gender gaps in the existing labour-force surveys conducted by the Government of India.

Sona completed her masters and PhD in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her doctoral thesis looked at the relationship between macro-economic growth and women’s employment in India since the 1990s.

Prior to joining IWWAGE, Sona has worked with the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA), National Institute for Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), and Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS). She has been an independent consultant with UN agencies working on women’s empowerment and has been a technical adviser to studies conducted by the Action-Aid, UN Women (India), and ICRW. She also teaches a course on Labour and Development under the Master’s in Economics program at Ambedkar University, Delhi, and regularly publishes articles in peer-reviewed journals, chapters in books, and opinion pieces in leading newspapers and magazines.