Professional Experience:
I am a development research, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E), and public policy professional with over 11 years of experience spanning social impact research, programme evaluation, public-sector advisory, policy analysis and development programme implementation. My professional journey combines extensive experience in the private-sector research and consulting ecosystem, particularly with Kantar and NielsenIQ, with my current engagement in government advisory and urban development through the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), supporting the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India.
In my current role as a Research Fellow, I work on strengthening the urban livelihoods ecosystem through policy formulation, programme design, institutional convergence and strategic stakeholder engagement. My work involves contributing to the policy framework and architecture of the proposed urban livelihoods mission, identifying opportunities to integrate urban Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with flagship Government of India initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), AMRUT and PM Surya Ghar, and enabling their participation in municipal services, sanitation, waste management and emerging green livelihood opportunities.
I am actively involved in exploring innovative livelihood pathways for urban women, including digital skilling, AI-enabled entrepreneurship, e-commerce, social media marketing and digital market access to strengthen SHG-led microenterprises. My work also encompasses enterprise development and market linkages to facilitate the transition of community-based enterprises into sustainable, market-oriented ventures. Additionally, I have contributed to exploring opportunities in the emerging care economy, including skill development and recognition pathways for community-based care workers, and the integration of SHG women into municipal service delivery.
My research and policy engagement also extends to understanding the vulnerabilities of urban informal workers. This includes an intensive study examining the occupational challenges, working conditions and livelihood constraints of urban waste workers, with the objective of informing evidence-based policy interventions. I have also been involved in exploring the repositioning of urban homeless shelters as multi-utility centres to improve access to essential services and livelihood support. Another significant contribution has been conceptualising and building the MoHUA Livelihood Alliance, bringing together over 50 stakeholders from civil society, development organisations, CSR institutions, knowledge partners and the private sector to promote institutional collaboration, resource convergence and scalable livelihood solutions.
Prior to my current engagement, I worked with Kantar and NielsenIQ, managing large-scale research, monitoring and evaluation assignments across social development and public policy domains. My experience includes working on assignments involving development partners and institutions such as the World Bank, UNICEF, IFPRI and other research organisations. I have managed multi-location quantitative and qualitative research studies, including baseline assessments, needs assessments and evaluations across sectors such as urban healthcare, public health, nutrition, food security, social protection and adolescent health.
My technical and managerial experience encompasses research design, sampling methodologies, survey implementation, digital data collection, field team training and monitoring, data quality assurance, quantitative and qualitative analysis, evaluation frameworks, MIS and reporting. I have also been involved in translating complex research findings into actionable insights, policy recommendations, analytical reports and stakeholder presentations.