Dr. Richa Mishra
PhD, MSc, PGDPHM (Public Health Management)
Director, Programs
Dr. Richa Mishra is a public health expert and Director at Sarva Samanvay Foundation, with over a decade of experience designing and scaling high-impact health programs across India. With a PhD in biomedical sciences from IGIB-CSIR, and a postgraduate diploma in Public Health Management from Indian Institute of Public Health (PHFI-IIPH), New Delhi, she bridges rigorous research with real-world implementation—translating evidence into scalable, community-driven solutions. At SSF, she leads strategy and multi-district programs across non-communicable diseases, eye health, and maternal and adolescent health, building innovative last-mile delivery models that expand access to quality, affordable care.
Her work is grounded in strong cross-sector partnerships and a deep commitment to advancing equitable, resilient health systems for underserved communities. Dr. Mishra has worked with various renowned organizations such as National Institute of Immunology, Delhi; Shalby chain of multi-specialty hospitals, Ahmedabad; and Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer, Bengaluru.
Isha Sharma
MCom, LLB
Director, Communications
Isha Sharma is a communication and public relations professional with over 5 years of experience in strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, and organizational outreach. She has been actively involved in designing and managing communication strategies that strengthen the visibility and public engagement of SSF’s programs and initiatives. As Director, Ms. Sharma contributes to institutional development, partnerships, and overall program coordination, while ensuring effective dissemination of organization’s work among diverse stakeholders.
Ms. Sharma holds a post-graduation in commerce from Deen Dayal Upadhyay University, Gorakhpur, and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Lucknow University. Her academic background in commerce and law complements her professional work in communication, governance, and organizational management.
Deepak Kumar Yadav
MPH, MSW, MERD
Senior Manager, Community Outreach
Deepak is a public health professional with over seven years of experience leading community ophthalmology initiatives across India. He specializes in designing and implementing scalable eye care programs, with a strong track record of delivering impactful projects in partnership with CSR stakeholders. His work focuses on improving access to quality eye care in underserved communities through innovative, community-driven approaches.
Deepak holds a Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Work, and Rural Management and Extension from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Science.
Prateek Tiwari
MSW
Consultant
Prateek Tiwari is a development professional with over seven years of experience in advancing community-based health programs across India. As a consultant, he has led and managed multi-state CSR initiatives, driving last-mile impact through strong community engagement and systems coordination.
His work focuses on demand generation, government stakeholder engagement, and strengthening frontline service delivery. Prateek has extensive experience in training and capacity building of frontline health workers and in developing robust networks of community link workers to improve access, uptake, and continuity of care. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Science.
Surendra Kumar
MPH, MSW
Consultant
Surendra is a skilled survey methodologist with over nine years of experience in leading and supporting research and evaluation across diverse development sectors. As a consultant, he has contributed to large-scale assessments of public health, water and sanitation, education, agriculture, livelihood, and government programs—bringing rigor and actionable insights to each engagement.
His expertise spans qualitative research, end-to-end survey design and implementation, and project management, with a strong focus on generating evidence that informs policy and program improvement. Surendra holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Master’s in Social Work from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Science.
Dr. Ashutosh Mishra
MBBS, MPH, MBA, MS (Epidemiology), ProfDip in Digital Health
Co-founder and Advisor
Dr. Ashutosh Mishra is a senior global public health leader and co-founder of Sarva Samanvay Foundation, with over two decades of experience designing, financing, and scaling high-impact health and nutrition programs across Asia. He has led multi-country portfolios spanning maternal and child health, nutrition, infectious diseases, and health systems strengthening—partnering with governments, donors, and NGOs to translate evidence into scalable solutions. At SSF, he provides strategic and technical leadership for community-driven, last-mile interventions—from eye care and non-communicable disease screening to adolescent health and capacity building—reaching underserved populations at scale. His work combines rigorous implementation science with deep field engagement, ensuring that every investment drives measurable, equitable health outcomes at scale.
Dr. Mishra is a medical graduate (MBBS) and holds advanced postgraduate training in public health, including a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Columbia University, New York, USA, a Master of Science in Epidemiology (MS) from Sheffield, United Kingdom, and an Executive MBA with specialisation in Startups, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Leadership from Quantic School of Business and Technology, USA, which complements his work in implementation science, program management, and public health leadership.
Animesh Rai
MBA, MPA
Co-founder and Advisor
Animesh Rai is a health systems leader and co-founder with nearly two decades of experience across public health, digital health, and implementation science. He has led the design and execution of scalable, evidence-based interventions that strengthen health systems and improve population outcomes. Combining strategic insight with strong execution capabilities, Animesh has worked across large-scale program implementation, digital health innovation, and policy-linked research—translating complex challenges into practical, high-impact solutions.
Animesh holds degrees in Business Administration (BIT Mesra) and Health & Hospital Management (IIHMR Jaipur), with certifications in Project Management (IIT Delhi) and Public Administration & Policy (IGNOU). He is currently pursuing a Fellow Program in Management (FPM) at IIHMR Delhi. At Sarva Samanvay Foundation, he leads program strategy, partnerships, and innovation to advance scalable, last-mile health solutions.
Dr. Meera Agnihotri
Advisor
Dr. Meera Agnihotri is a Professor Emeritus in Obstetrics and Gynecology, recognized for her contributions to clinical care, medical education, and public health. An alumna of King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, she served as Professor & Head at GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, where she now chairs the State Ethics Committee and is Chief Patron of the Kanpur Obstetrics & Gynecological Society. She has advised the Women Health Cell, Ministry of Health, Government of India, and contributed to ethics and research leadership across state medical colleges. Internationally, she has held roles with FIGO and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.
During COVID-19, she led a national consortium to develop vaccination protocols for pregnant and lactating women. She has mentored 300+ research theses and edited key publications in women’s health. Dr. Agnihotri is a recipient of the Shriomani Lifetime Samaan, Mentor of Millennium Award (2025), and Living Legend Award (2025), and continues to guide maternal health and preventive care initiatives at Sarva Samanvay Foundation.
Dr. Hema Divakar
Advisor
Dr. Hema Divakar is a globally recognized Obstetrician and Gynecologist with over 35 years of clinical and public health leadership. She is Medical Director of Divakars Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru, and Chairperson of ARTIST for Her, an institute focused on advancing skills among healthcare providers across Asia.
A former President of FOGSI, she has significantly shaped national maternal health initiatives. She serves as National Convener of the MANYATA program, improving quality of care across private maternity facilities, and has led the widely adopted ABCD framework addressing anemia, contraception, cervical cancer, and diabetes.
Internationally, she is Division Director for Well Woman Healthcare at FIGO, contributing to women’s health standards across 130+ countries. Her work has earned her honors including the FOGSI Lifetime Achievement Award (2024), Global Asian of the Year, and the FIGO Women Achievers Award. At Sarva Samanvay Foundation, Dr. Divakar advises on scalable maternal health solutions, clinical governance, and digital capacity building to advance equitable healthcare access.
Dr. Narendra Kumar Arora
Advisor
Prof. Dr. Narendra Kumar Arora is a globally recognized leader in public health, pediatrics, and clinical epidemiology, with over four decades of experience in health policy and research. He is Executive Director of The INCLEN Trust International and serves as President of AIIMS Deoghar and AIIMS Patna. A former Professor at AIIMS New Delhi, he has played a central role in India’s public health landscape. As Chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), he has guided national immunization strategies, including the COVID-19 response, and contributed to measles-rubella elimination and polio eradication efforts.
Globally, he has worked closely with the World Health Organization, serving on SAGE on Immunization and the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety. He has authored 200+ scientific publications and helped build the IndiaCLEN network to advance evidence-based medicine. Dr. Arora is a recipient of the Pioneer in Pediatrics Award and the National Medical Biotech Council Award, and advises Sarva Samanvay Foundation on health systems strengthening, pediatric care, and evidence-based public health.
Dr. Shivam Gupta
Advisor, Public Health Programs and Advocacy
A public health physician with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Shivam Gupta has worked in health system monitoring and evaluation to strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC) in more than 20 low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Dr. Gupta holds a Medical Degree from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, a Master’s, and Doctorate in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH), USA. As a faculty member at the JHBSPH, USA for more than a decade, Dr Gupta has collaborated closely with national and international partners, and his research, teaching, and practice have innovatively combined population-based surveys with routine health data to evaluate and document lessons in the systematic implementation and scale-up of health programs across multiple components of PHC, including maternal health, newborn health, community health, and injuries. Dr. Gupta has extensive experience in leading the design, management, analyses, and dissemination of results for studies and programs for a wide range of funders, governments, and public health agencies around the globe.
On leave from Johns Hopkins, he currently works as a Senior Specialist, Measurement in the Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH) and Pandemic Preparedness (PPR) at the Global Fund for HIV, TB, and Malaria in Geneva, Switzerland, where his works focus on mainstreaming PHC into service of the three diseases, rather than as a stand-alone objective, and to develop a robust monitoring and evaluation system to ensure that country data and M&E systems enable reliable tracking of the RSSH outcomes and their effect on HIV, TB, and malaria
Deeksha Awasthi
Advisor
Strategy and Technology
Deeksha Awasthi comes with 15+ years of versatile experience in R&D, strategic planning and market research. Alumna of IIT Kanpur, she is well known for driving growth and profitability with her expertise in delivering technology solutions. Deeksha is also a Member of the Board at AA IITK & Mentor at FIRST Incubation Centre IITK. She is the Director of Social entrepreneurship & Enterprises. She is part of Advisory Board of organizations working primarily in Ed-Tech, Health Tech & Media Tech located in India, UK, USA, & Africa.
