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Board Of Trustees

Mr Ashok Kamath

Chairman
Ashok Kamath has been the Chairman of Akshara Foundation since July 1, 2008. He’s been actively involved in the strategic planning, analysis and expansion of programmes at every stage. An alumnus of IIT-Bombay, he was formerly the Managing Director of the Indian operations of Analog Devices. He opted to leave behind a successful career in the corporate sector and involve himself in the development sector. In April 2019, he was conferred the prestigious ‘Namma Bengalurean’ award for exemplary work in education. His alma mater, IIT-Bombay, presented him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013 for his various initiatives and contributions to the field of child education. Ashok is also a Co-Founder and Trustee of Pratham Books and Trustee of Shreyas Foundation, Ahmedabad.

He was conferred with the very prestigious Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award 2023

Ms Suzanne Singh

Trustee
Suzanne Singh has been associated with Akshara Foundation since 2003. A management graduate, she has over 12 years experience in the advertising and marketing fields. She is actively involved in strategy planning and managing the marketing communications needs of Akshara Foundation. She is also the Chairperson of Pratham Books.

Priya Chetty-Rajagopal

Managing Partner, Multiversal Advisory and Trustee
Priya Chetty-Rajagopal is Managing Partner of newly launched Multiversal Advisory, focused on a unique model of Leadership & Business Consulting. She has been a visible business person with over three decades in companies like Diners Club, DBS, Stanton Chase/RGF (later acquired by Recruit Inc). In addition to being a successful CXO Search Consultant & Headhunter, Priya has held leadership positions with several industry bodies like the Indo American Chamber of Commerce & CII, in addition to AESC -APAC & currently serves on the Governing Body of TiE, Civilia/CommonPurpose as well as the Chevening Association. Specifically focused on diversity/inclusion and women’s leadership, she has worked extensively in this area. A Chevening Scholar, columnist, TedX speaker and a leader in several city-civic issues, she is passionate about her city Bangalore, Heritage, Animal Welfare and has led & continues to lead several campaigns and advocacy measures. Priya is a strong believer in the ability to occupy multiple universes to be truly a complete person.

Mr V. P. Baligar IAS (Retd.)

Trustee
Mr V. P. Baligar IAS (Retd.) is a retired civil servant having interest in elementary education and rural development. While in service, he has worked as the Director, Elementary Education in Government of India, Commissioner of Public Instruction and Principal Secretary, Rural Development, Government of Karnataka.

Mr Nishith Acharya

Trustee
Nish Acharya is CEO of Citizence, a firm that consults with leading universities, governments, foundations and companies to assist them with innovation, entrepreneurship and philanthropic strategies. Mr. Acharya is currently leading a social enterprise investment fund for the Calvert Foundation, is a regular contributor to Forbes, and is a Senior Fellow with the Center for American Progress and Gateway House. Nish previously served as Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Commerce for the Obama Administration, and as Executive Director of the Deshpande Foundation, a prominent American philanthropy focused on innovation, entrepreneurship and scalability around the world.

Mr Rajiv Khaitan

Trustee
Rajiv Khaitan is a Senior Partner of Khaitan & Co LLP, Advocates. Mr. Khaitan leads the corporate and commercial law practice of Khaitan & Co at Bengaluru. He has over 30 years of experience in general legal practice with focus on business laws. He has vast experience and is specialised in corporate, tax, contracts, real estate and intellectual property laws. He has advised a broad range of clients including foreign and Indian corporates, investment banks, venture capital funds, private equity funds. He has considerable experience in all kinds of real estate transactions and in advising several promoters and HNIs in planning investment holding structures, succession planning and assisting in estate planning, structuring of estates and drafting of trust deeds, wills, family arrangements and partitions. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and LLB degree from the Calcutta University. He serves as an Independent Director on the Board of a few listed companies – Onmobile Global Limited and Himatsingka Seide Limited and on a few unlisted Companies – EFD Induction Private Limited, ABC Consolidated Pvt. Ltd, Himatsingka Wovens Pvt. Ltd, Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd and Himatsingka Holdings NA Inc. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Bangalore Midtown and volunteers with Indian Software Product Industry Round Table – iSpirt and is a part of their List in India Stay in India think tank.

Anandhi Yagnaraman

Trustee
Anandhi is a seasoned nonprofit leader with over 24 years of experience driving systemic impact across education, child welfare, and organizational development. She brings deep expertise in scaling programs, forging strategic partnerships, and building values-aligned teams that consistently deliver measurable social outcomes.

As the former CEO of Catalysts for Social Action (CSA), Anandhi led a transformative phase that tripled the organization’s reach, deepened collaborations with government and corporate partners, and institutionalized programs that support over 5,000 orphaned and vulnerable children annually. In previous leadership roles with The Akanksha Foundation and Akshara Foundation, she oversaw large-scale education initiatives, optimized school operations, and strengthened public systems to improve learning outcomes and expand access for underserved communities. Her skill set spans strategic planning, operations, fundraising, policy advocacy, and team development.

Anandhi holds a Master’s degree in Applied Educational Leadership & Management from the University of London and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School. She is also an Aspire Circle Fellow and serves as an advisor to the Baithak Foundation, which works to democratize access to classical music for marginalized children.