An economist by training, Dr Shah wrote a much-acclaimed doctoral dissertation at the Centre for Development Studies, Kerala. After teaching for some years at the Centre, he resigned to explore fresh terrain beyond the ivory towers of conventional academia, which culminated in 1990 in the formation of Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS), headquartered in a remote tribal village of Madhya Pradesh. Inspired by the life and work of Baba Amte, SPS is today one of India’s largest grassroots initiatives for water and livelihood security. As part of Team SPS, Dr Shah lived and worked with India’s tribal communities for over three decades, forging a new paradigm of inclusive and sustainable development based on the leadership of women.

In 1997, he established the DHAN (Development of Humane Action) Foundation to empower impoverished communities through the engagement of skilled professionals, facilitating their socio-economic advancement. Under his leadership, DHAN has expanded its reach to impact 4.81 million families across 17 Indian states. Mr Vasimalai champions the concept of “Community Swaraj” as essential for sustainable development, emphasising that deploying highly qualified personnel at the grassroots is not a privilege but a duty and an expression of “Giving Back to Society”.

In parallel, he is working on replicating this model through ‘Vedh’, a Professional Learning Community (PLC) of teachers and officers that has been meeting daily on Zoom since 5 July 2020.

With deep expertise in programme strategy, partnership development and institutional donor engagement, Rakesh has driven policy advocacy, public-private collaborations and community-led initiatives to foster inclusive and sustainable development. His leadership has been instrumental in strengthening CSOs, women’s economic empowerment and climate-resilient livelihood strategies. He holds a Master’s in Social Studies (Development Studies).

He graduated from BITS Pilani with dual B.E. (Hons) degrees in Electronics & Instrumentation and Chemical Engineering.

Previously, Mr Biswas was the Chief Executive of PRADAN (2007–2012). His deep engagement with farmer producer organisations, particularly producer companies, has spanned various capacities since their inception. He has also served as an independent director for large FPCs, including Paayas Milk Producers Company Limited, promoted by the National Dairy Development Board.

His recent publications include the Tribal Development Report: Livelihoods, Human Development and Governance (co-edited with Mihir Shah, 2 volumes), brought out by the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation and Routledge.

Manas has worked with organisations such as Transforming Rural India Foundation, the Rural Development Department of the Government of Jharkhand, Action for Social Advancement, Shamayita Math and PRADAN. His expertise lies in youth skilling and enterprises, integrated natural resource management, agri and agri-allied livelihood models, and convergence of government initiatives.

He has successfully delivered key assignments for ministries, state governments, the World Bank, GEF, NABARD and other reputed bilateral organisations nationwide. Before joining BRLF, he worked in different verticals with UNDP, ARIAS Society and OPML India. Dev is a postgraduate from IISWBM, Kolkata, and is pursuing a PhD from Utkal University, Odisha.