Meet Our team

Sashi Kumar serves as Chairperson of Yugantar and brings several decades of experience working across the development sector. He has been a resource person for organisations engaged in microfinance, Dalit rights, communal harmony, food security, and dryland agriculture, and has also advised government programmes in urban services for the poor, tribal welfare, forestry, and irrigation and water management.

He is particularly interested in local area development and cluster-based approaches to economic growth, with a focus on strengthening institutions and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. Sashi was previously Director of Satyam Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Satyam Computers. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys engaging with ideas on development and public policy and continues to mentor organisations and practitioners working towards inclusive social change. 🌱

Tejaswini leads Yugantar’s programmes, fundraising, and organisational development as Chief Executive Officer. Alongside overseeing projects and partnerships, she is deeply invested in building a workplace where people feel supported, valued, and able to do their best work.

She is particularly interested in how technology can be designed for people who have little or no prior experience using digital tools, making it more accessible and useful in everyday life. Growing up in a family shaped by an inter-caste marriage, Tejaswini was raised with the belief that a more equitable world is possible and worth working towards. This perspective led her to study the social sciences and eventually build a career in the development sector. Outside of work, she is currently learning to cook Thai food and is a proud cat mother. Her cat, however, remains unimpressed by both her professional achievements and culinary experiments. 🐈

Kareem Ansari leads Yugantar’s work on transparency, accountability, and citizen participation through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. As Project Manager, he supports citizens in accessing public information and works to strengthen democratic governance through informed civic engagement. His interest in understanding how public institutions function led him to RTI advocacy, where he found a powerful way to help people exercise their rights and hold authorities accountable.

Kareem is passionate about access to information and the role it plays in building a stronger democracy. He is currently exploring transparency laws, digital governance, and the use of technology to improve public access to information. A firm believer in the power of asking questions, he has filed over 14,000 RTI applications and received more than 28,000 responses from public authorities across India. 🙋

Akram works on Yojana Saathi, Yugantar’s urban community development initiatives in Bahadurpura, Kishan Bagh, and neighbouring areas. As Project Manager, he supports families in accessing government welfare schemes, scholarships, and essential entitlements, while also working on women’s empowerment through financial inclusion, skill development, and livelihood programmes.

Driven by a commitment to social justice and equal opportunity, Akram is passionate about ensuring that underserved communities can access the resources and support they need to live with dignity. He is currently exploring new approaches to community development, digital outreach, and financial inclusion for women and youth. Outside of work, he enjoys connecting with people from diverse communities and sharing local stories, updates, and social awareness initiatives through social media. 🌏

Zoë leads Yugantar’s research, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) work, while also supporting programme design and organisational development. As Chief Research and Development Officer, she works to ensure that Yugantar’s initiatives are informed by evidence, grounded in community realities, and designed to create meaningful and lasting impact.

Zoë is particularly passionate about amplifying the experiences and knowledge of communities whose voices are often overlooked, while addressing the systemic barriers they face. Her academic background in Geography, Development Studies, and Management has shaped her approach to understanding complex social challenges and developing practical solutions. Recently, she has developed a keen interest in ornithology and enjoys learning to identify birds by their calls. She also has an uncanny talent for spotting four-leaf clovers 🍀

If there is one person who knows Yugantar inside out, it’s Pournami. She has been part of the organisation since 2005 and has contributed to nearly every project over the years. She played a key role in coordinating Digital Budget Rani and contributing to its success, while also managing records, archives, technology support, and many of the behind-the-scenes processes that keep Yugantar running. Her long association with the organisation means she is often the person colleagues turn to for context, continuity, and practical solutions.

Beyond her work, Pournami is passionate about photography, art, music, and theatre. She writes and composes her own songs, enjoys exploring creative mediums, and recently performed in the feminist play Gaddi (2026). She is also a member of the Parent Committee at Andhra Balananda Sangam. 🎶

After a long career in banking, Kameswara Rao brought his experience in administration and finance to Yugantar, where he oversees the organisation’s day-to-day operations and financial management. As Administrator, he helps ensure that both Yugantar and the YouRTI.in project run smoothly behind the scenes.

He enjoys tackling complex challenges and finds satisfaction in resolving issues through persistence, collaboration, and practical problem-solving. His commitment to supporting grassroots initiatives and community-focused work is what drew him to Yugantar. He is currently exploring how technology can make public information and citizen services more accessible. And despite living in a digital world, he still prefers keeping hard copies of important documents, a habit from his banking days that he proudly maintains. 📃

Paramesh has been associated with Yugantar and YouRTI.in since 2018, working to make information more accessible and governance more transparent. As a Project Officer, he supports the filing and tracking of RTI applications, documents responses from public authorities, and helps ensure that information is available in the public domain through the YouRTI.in platform. He also assists with administrative and operational support across projects.

Driven by a belief in public accountability and citizen empowerment, Paramesh is particularly passionate about strengthening access to information under the Right to Information Act. He is currently exploring public policy issues, advanced RTI practices, and expanding his skills in 2D and 3D interior design planning. Known for his eye for detail, he can spend hours perfecting things that most people might never notice. 🧑‍💻

Maheswari has been part of Yugantar since 2014 and plays a vital role in keeping the office running. Her cooking has earned a loyal following among the team, and her timely cups of tea have rescued many long workdays. Alongside this, her care and attention help maintain a warm and welcoming workspace for everyone.

Outside of Yugantar, Maheswari is a trained beautician and works part-time at a beauty parlour. She enjoys music, art, and spending time on creative pursuits. Her quiet presence and thoughtful contributions have made her an indispensable part of the Yugantar family. 🧑‍🍳

  Sivani is Program Manager (Financial Inclusion) at Yugantar, where her work takes her into the field to engage primarily with women from low-income households and better understand how financial exclusion intersects with gender. She works closely with communities and colleagues to design and deliver interventions that help bridge these gaps, while also contributing to writing, curriculum development, and design inputs across initiatives.

She is passionate about connecting with people, listening to their experiences, and finding meaningful ways to make herself useful. Drawn to the development sector through her academic background and professional experiences, Sivani is currently exploring design thinking and working to turn her interest in sketching and graphic design into a stronger skill set. Outside of work, she loves to sing and rarely misses a chance to hum a tune. 🎤

Maneesha is Yugantar's Finance Consultant and Advisor, ensuring that budgets, accounts, and compliance processes run smoothly behind the scenes. She keeps a close eye on the numbers so that programmes can focus on creating impact, bringing both rigour and reliability to the organisation's financial systems.

She is deeply interested in questions of economic equality and believes that a more just world looks a lot like equilibrium—where opportunities and resources are more fairly shared. Drawn to Yugantar by its commitment to uplifting underserved communities, Maneesha continues to support the organisation with a steady hand and thoughtful perspective. When she isn't reading up on the latest changes to tax laws, she enjoys painting and exploring creativity through colour and canvas. 🎨