Rohini Nilekani

Rohini Nilekani has been deeply involved in several development issues in areas ranging from water conservation to education, independent media, environmental sustainability, and governance. An ex-journalist, a writer, and a philanthropist, she has taken on many leadership positions and served on several boards. Rohini has chaired the Akshara Foundation, which focuses on elementary education. She also co-founded Pratham Books, a non-profit children’s publisher that seeks to put “a book in every child’s hands”. Rohini is also a founder and chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation that funds organizations focused on water and sanitation projects. She speaks out frequently about the responsibility of India’s newly wealthy to give back in a country where extreme riches and abject poverty co-exist.