Every year, Acumen’s Fellowship in India brings together a diverse group of exceptional social innovators committed to building a more just, inclusive, and sustainable country.

From advancing women-led entrepreneurship and climate-smart agriculture to reimagining healthcare, education, and governance, our 2025 Fall Fellows embody moral imagination: the humility to see the world as it is, and the audacity to imagine it as it could be.

Over the course of the Fellowship, the cohort came together to learn with and from one another through a series of immersive seminars and workshops — reflecting on their values, deepening their systems thinking, and strengthening their leadership for long-term social change.

Join us in celebrating the Fall 2025 Acumen Fellows in India as they continue their lifelong journey as innovators driving change.

Abhijit is the Founder and CEO of the international nonprofit, Project DEFY, which creates a new variety of schools that have no teachers, exams, or curricula, where children and adults of all ages decide what, when, and how they learn. These learning spaces, called Nooks, started in a small village in Karnataka and are now in Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh, including several parts of India. Abhijit believes education systems around the world need a complete reimagining, so that we stop breeding children for jobs and start enabling them to live happier lives and achieve their dreams.

Amit is the CEO of Krushi Vikas, one of India’s leading rural development organizations working across more than 1,000 villages to strengthen drought resilience, sustainable agriculture, and farmer livelihoods. After leading an IFAD-supported program for the Government of Maharashtra, Amit committed himself to improving the lives of farmers and marginalized rural communities. He played a key role in building the nationally recognized Jay Sardar Farmer Producer Company and founded ‘All About FPO,’ a pioneering platform supporting FPOs across India. He also contributes to the broader development ecosystem through roles in MAHAVAN, the TISS Alumni Association, and the Lewa Chamber of Commerce, while mentoring emerging social entrepreneurs.

Anish is the Founder of Without®, a Pune-based social enterprise turning “unrecyclable” plastic waste into high-quality products while enabling waste-pickers to rise out of poverty. Using patented chemo-mechanical recycling technology, Without® created the world’s first sunglasses made from chip packets — selling out in six days and gaining global attention through Shark Tank India, Business Insider, and Euronews. Without® offers full-time employment, 2–3x income increases, health insurance, ESOPs, and upskilling opportunities and has won several innovation awards, including the UN Circular Design Challenge 2023. Anish is a 2026 Yale Climate Fellow and a 2025 Global Good Fund Fellow with a finance degree from UT Austin and a patent in plastic recycling technology.

Arindam is the CEO and Co-Founder of Tamul Plates, a pioneering enterprise producing eco-friendly, compostable dinnerware through decentralized manufacturing with rural tribal communities. With more than two decades of experience building livelihood-driven businesses across India, Arindam is committed to development through profitable, stakeholder-inclusive enterprises. Under his leadership, Tamul has become a key player in sustainable disposables, generating employment in remote villages while reducing plastic waste. He has guided the company through challenges such as demonetization and COVID-19, helping it emerge stronger, expand into new markets, and deepen its environmental and community impact. 

Aruna Jyothi is a Project Manager at Vishnu Danta Care, where she co-leads efforts to make affordable dental care accessible in rural India through a network of Rural Dental Clinics. An intrapreneur committed to improving healthcare access in underserved regions, she has previously worked on programs enhancing education and livelihood opportunities across urban slums and rural communities. Her experience spans need assessment, program design, and leading cross-sector partnerships for deeper social impact. As a Freedom Writers Educator, she helps individuals reclaim their voice and agency by championing storytelling as a tool for healing, dignity, and empowerment. A Jagriti Yatra Fellow and avid traveler, Aruna believes in grassroots immersion and listening to communities firsthand to understand complex problems to co-create solutions. 

Benoy is the Founder and CEO of Y-Ultimate, a nonprofit that uses Ultimate Frisbee to empower young people across India through sport, education, and social development. A graduate of St. Stephen’s College with a degree in mathematics, he served as a Teach for India Fellow before launching Y-Ultimate. Benoy believes every young person has the potential to thrive and contribute to a better world, and that the right “playing field” helps them discover who they are and what they can achieve. His work combines youth development, teamwork, and community-building to expand opportunities for underserved youth.

Bapan, a law graduate from Assam, is the Founder of Graduate Farmer, where he works with marginalized farming communities to promote antibiotic-free, sustainable, integrated poultry farming across Northeast India. By leveraging local resources and eco-friendly methods, he empowers rural households to improve incomes and build resilient livelihoods. Bapan leads a network of more than 500 farmers, helping them adopt sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both people and the environment. Recognized with the 2025 Assam Governor’s Excellence Award, he continues to champion community-led, climate-friendly farming models in the region.

Dakshayani is an Indian classical vocalist, writer, and speaker working at the intersection of traditional Indian music and human development. As CEO and Co-Founder of Baithak Foundation, she expands access to the transformative power of music, especially for children from marginalized communities. As a Kirtankar,  she uses the traditional storytelling form to inspire reflection, connection, and well-being. Dakshayani is also a lawyer by education and a lifelong student of Indian philosophy, spirituality, and human behavior. Her work blends artistic practice with social impact, nurturing creativity and confidence among young learners.

Divya is the Executive Director of Jhatkaa.org, where she leads campaigns to build a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable India. With a Master's in Public Health and Human Rights and over 12 years of experience, she works at the intersection of grassroots activism and digital advocacy, focusing on climate change, public health, gender, and social justice. Divya collaborates with campaigners and technologists to design impactful campaigns, and advises civil society organizations, communications teams, and changemakers across India.

Dr. Mittali Sethi is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2017 batch and a dental surgeon and orthodontist by training. She began her career as Sub Divisional Magistrate  and Project Officer for the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) in Melghat, Dharni, Maharashtra, later serving as CEO of the Zilla Parishad in Chandrapur and as Director of VANAMATI, Maharashtra’s agricultural training institute. She is currently the District Collector of Nandurbar, an aspirational district in Maharashtra. A recipient of the SS Gadkari Award for innovation in public administration, she has worked extensively on forest rights, public health and nutrition, migration, and rural development.

Jayant is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer currently serving in Chhattisgarh, where he focuses on strengthening governance systems that improve education, healthcare, technology integration, and outcomes for tribal communities. Passionate about public service and institutional effectiveness, he works to design and implement programs that create lasting social impact. His work centers on building responsive government systems that expand opportunity, improve service delivery, and support the well-being of underserved populations.

Mashqura is the Founder and CEO of the Eastern Himalayan Foundation, where she works with young adults to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and platforms they need to lead local action on issues that matter in the 21st century. Originally from Darjeeling, she is deeply connected to the mountains and is committed to building a community of youth leaders who can protect and nurture the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

Maulik is a seasoned management professional and third-generation academician with over 22 years of experience building resilient, purpose-driven institutions. He specializes in operational strategy, sustainability, and resource optimization for charitable and grassroots organizations. With a background in engineering and human resource management, Maulik blends technical rigor with people-centered leadership to strengthen systems and organizational culture. His work spans education, sports, and health sectors, where he has consistently advanced institutional effectiveness and cultural alignment.

Monika is the CEO and Co-Founder of Buzzworthy Ventures, where she is working to transform India’s beekeeping landscape by improving hive productivity, reducing the gender divide, and promoting beekeeping as a low-barrier economic opportunity. A silver medalist from IIT Kharagpur, Monika began her career as a technologist at Goldman Sachs before earning a postgraduate degree in Liberal Arts and Leadership from Ashoka University. She previously co-founded the social enterprise LetsEndorse and has received multiple honors, including the Women Transforming India Award and the MeitY-NASSCOM Women Entrepreneur Award. Monika is a GRI-G4 Sustainability Reporter, a Salzburg Global Fellow, a Vital Voices Fellow, and a WE Empower UN SDG Challenge Awardee. She is passionate about technology, sustainability, and advancing micro-entrepreneurship.

Neelam is a farmer and the Managing Director of Pabhoi Greens, an organic farm and certified seed bank in Assam dedicated to restoring seed sovereignty and preserving India’s heirloom, open-pollinated seed heritage. Through seed breeding, training programs, and community-based knowledge sharing, he helps farmers adopt organic, climate-resilient practices. Pabhoi Greens also advances sustainable agriculture through agro-tourism, farm stays, and hands-on workshops that make ecological farming accessible and appealing. Neelam’s work empowers local farmers with high-quality, locally adapted seeds and promotes regenerative, self-reliant farming systems rooted in biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Pooja leads the Panchvktra Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering underserved communities by providing skill development, employment opportunities, and health facilities. An engineer by training, she previously worked as Project Manager in the R&D department at an electricals company before shifting her career toward social impact. Deeply committed to uplifting her rural community, Pooja focuses on creating pathways for children, women, and youth to build secure and dignified livelihoods.

Rinju is the Co-Founder and CEO of Tech4Good Community, an organization that helps nonprofits and social enterprises build context-aware, resilient digital systems. An alumna of IIT Madras and a Young India Fellow, she previously worked as a fundraising specialist at Amnesty International. Rinju works at the intersection of technology and ecology, championing inclusive tech that is locally grounded and responsive to community needs. She is passionate about strengthening the social sector’s technological capacity so organizations can scale their impact sustainably and equitably.

Sahil is the Co-Founder of Samarthya, a nonprofit working to strengthen participatory governance in India’s public institutions. Passionate about leadership and democratic participation, Sahil works closely with government systems to design scalable models that elevate citizen voice and accountability. An alumnus of the Teach For India Fellowship, Sahil went on to found Samarthya, bringing firsthand experience from classrooms and communities into the governance space. Sahil is committed to creating a more participatory, responsive governance ecosystem across India.

Shireen is the Founder and CEO of Medhavi Association, a volunteer-driven youth collective in Uttar Pradesh dedicated to strengthening youth leadership, civic engagement, and community action. Through mentorship, dialogue, and grassroots initiatives, Medhavi equips young people with the skills and confidence to address local challenges and shape their own futures. Shireen is committed to creating space where youth can question, collaborate, and lead change in their communities. 

Vishpala is the Founder of Ekibeki, a hybrid social enterprise that preserves, rejuvenates, and grows India’s rich craft heritage by creating contemporary, high-quality products rooted in traditional artisan techniques. Ekibeki builds market linkages and supports rural craft clusters, enabling a sustainable ecosystem and livelihoods for artisans. Vishpala’s work promotes artisan empowerment and the enduring value of craft culture in India.