Professional Experience:
I am an experienced agri-development and livelihood professional with over four years of progressive experience working with CSR initiatives, NGOs, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and government departments. My expertise lies in planning, implementing, and monitoring rural development projects, with a strong focus on capacity building, community mobilization, organic farming, agri-finance, and livelihood promotion.
Currently, I serve as District Coordinator with the Institute for Global Development, where I lead community health and nutrition awareness activities under the AAshirwaad Smart India Project funded by ITC. In this role, I have successfully organized and conducted capacity-building programs for over 350 Anganwadi workers, 150 ASHA workers, and thousands of community members across Chittoor District. My responsibilities include designing and delivering training sessions, coordinating awareness campaigns through Kalajatha street theatre and Poshan Melas, and conducting baseline and endline surveys, focus group discussions, and community sensitization activities that have reached over 25,000 people.
Prior to this, I worked as a Deputy Manager (Agri Finance) at HDFC, where I gained hands-on experience in agricultural credit and financial inclusion. My role involved sourcing and processing loan proposals for individual farmers, FPOs, and rural markets, maintaining client relationships, and ensuring achievement of business targets. This experience strengthened my understanding of rural credit systems, farmer needs, and the importance of tailored financial solutions for sustainable agriculture.
Earlier, I was associated with Nippon Koei India Pvt. Ltd. as a Food Value Chain Assistant under the Andhra Pradesh Irrigation and Livelihood Improvement Project (APILIP Phase-II), funded by JICA and implemented through the Water Resources Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh. My key contributions included strengthening FPOs, preparing action plans and reports, facilitating market linkages, mentoring project staff and government officials, and conducting multiple training sessions for farmers on organic farming, pre- and post-harvest management, and value addition. I played an active role in developing IEC materials, conducting exposure visits, and motivating farmers to adopt improved agricultural practices for better livelihoods.
In addition to my professional roles, I have undertaken academic research projects on marketing strategies for collective grower centres and economic analysis of post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables. I hold an MBA in Agribusiness Management and a B.Sc. in Commercial Agriculture and Business Management. I have also obtained certifications in Organic Farming, Value Addition in Agriculture, Postharvest Handling, and Business Planning.
Through these diverse roles, I have developed strong skills in stakeholder engagement, training and capacity building, community outreach, project planning and monitoring, and data collection and analysis. I am proficient in preparing training modules, IEC materials, and project reports, and I am committed to promoting sustainable agricultural development and empowering communities, especially women and marginalized groups.