Professional Experience:
My learning journey has been enriched by being fortunate enough to work for both the commercial and development sectors. In the commercial sector, working with large organizations like Indian Hotels Company and DLF Limited has taught me to value rigour in approach, the value for people, money and time and the `how’ of pursuing quality. In engagement with public education, systems with the Azim Premji Foundation and now with Piramal Foundation enabled learning on the nature of our society, the genesis of deprivation and that change is an `aspiration’ that can seldom be `delivered’. Working on livelihoods and environment protection with ATI in Rudraprayag and CHIRAG in Mukteshwar taught me the value of innovation, organizational processes and that the best means of growth will come from within. Two issues that I value greatly from my journey are the ability to forge strong personal bonds and an engagement with people development.
What drives me now is a desire to remain engaged in the development and change of our society. To remain a learner, engage, mentor, and support the pursuit of excellence and development of initiatives that can leverage my skills for the advancement of enterprises/institutions engaged in the pursuit of a just and prosperous society.
Commercial sector engagements
2007 – 2010 Senior General Manager (Operations): DLF Home Developers Limited. Responsible for the Uttar Pradesh Operations (excluding the NCR).
1984 – 2000 Manager Materials: Indian Hotels Company Limited: Part of the Materials Management function. Posted in 5 different locations, heading the function for the project/unit as part of projects/operations teams.
1983 – 1984 Sales Executive, Pertech Computers Limited: Posted in Mumbai to promote sales of hardware that included printers and first-generation desktop models.
Development sector engagements
2017 - To date Programme Director/Consultant: Piramal Foundation: Now supporting the Centre of Excellence, Hyper-local NGO Development.
2011 – 2017 Programme Manager: Azim Premji Foundation, Dehra Doon: Part of the leadership development initiative to improve the quality of public education.
2010 – 2011 Director and Partner: DueNorth Ecoventures Private Limited: A social enterprise aimed at setting up of tourism destinations/study centres in rural Uttarakhand.
2000 – 2007 Executive Director, Appropriate Technology India, Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand. Headed initiatives that included a conservation programme, through a livelihoods development approach.