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EVENTS NEWSROOM
NEWS & EVENTS





India's Women Home-Based Workers Were Resilient In The Pandemic But Their Recovery Is Far From Over

May, 2022






Minister Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo Addressed Farmer-Academician Platform

April, 2022






Diverse Stakeholders Discuss Green Recovery Strategies at Odisha Workshop

April, 2022

Despite Policy Support, Labour Participation by Women Still Low

March, 2022

Investigating Barriers Hindering Rural Women Entrepreneurs Digital Growth

November, 2021

Researchers Study Delhi Schools’ Parent Outreach Programme

November, 2021

Evaluating the Role of External Factors in the Business of Clean Cookstoves

November, 2021

Joint Accounts in the Fintech Era

October, 2021

Does Access Liberalise Gender Norms Around Phone Use for Rural Women?

October, 2021

Digital Readiness of Rural Women Entrepreneurs Evolving: LEAD Study

October, 2021

Mapping Evidence to Advance Gender Equality in Agriculture and Food Systems

August, 2021

Elevating Gender Equality in COVID-19 Economic Recovery

June, 2021

Covid-19 Decimated Rural Women-led Enterprises

July, 2021

India Needs to Empower its Women Entrepreneur

July, 2021

LEAD Finds Rural Women Entrepreneurs Ready for Digitalization

October, 2021

2020 Lockdown Shut 11% Women MSMEs, only 1% Got Back on Feet with Govt Help, Finds Study

May, 2021

Supporting Women’s Collective Enterprises In Informal Sector: The Need Of The Hour

April, 2021

Tales of Grit and Survival: How Covid-19 is Redefining Business for Women Entrepreneurs

April, 2021

National Rural Livelihoods Mission and IWWAGE launches Gender Samvaad

March, 2021

New Gates Foundation Research Calls For Focus On Childcare

8 March, 2021

How India could speed up the financial inclusion of women

8 March, 2021

WE HUB, LEAD sign MoU for strengthening women entrepreneurship in India

8 March, 2021

Women-owned enterprises can be the engine for economic growth

8 March, 2021

Will the pandemic undo generations’ worth of progress for women entrepreneurs?

27 January, 2021

This Event Aims to Decode the Impact of COVID-19 on India

28 December, 2020

Women-Led Micro-Businesses At Risk As Covid-19 Widens Socio-economic Gap

29 December, 2020





Study Reveals Resilience, Innovation of India’s Women Entrepreneurs amid COVID

29 November, 2020

COVID-19 impact on women-led micro biz widens socio-economic gap: Survey

30 November, 2020

Krea University sets up Atal Incubation Centre to support rural artisans

9 September, 2020

Putting together a great webinar: Five steps to follow

22 September, 2020

81% micro enterprises confident of recovery post coronavirus: Survey

9 August, 2020

Survey Says 57% SMEs Have No Cash Reserve To Recover from COVID-19

10 August, 2020







Supporting Women-led Microenterprises through COVID and Beyond

3 August, 2020

Coronavirus Outbreak: Bihar's rural poor at greater danger than rest of India

4 April, 2020

Liquidity, cash availability a priority for MSMEs and informal sector

23 April, 2020

Scoping Meso Level Insurance in Agriculture Sector in India

2020

Maharashtra lagging on child well-being

28 April, 2019

Payments: India’s cash conundrum

13 March, 2019

Kerala, TN, Himachal top India’s child well-being index, says report

27 August, 2019

PayNearby,NITI Aayog and LEAD partner for ‘Digital Sashaktikaran’ of India

8 March, 2019

Opinion | What fintechs must do to be successful

14 October, 2018

Can manufacturing change India’s demographic destiny?

5 September, 2018

Opinion | Regulatory sandbox: A roadmap and use-cases

20 November, 2018

Opinion | Strategies to digitize small businesses

18 September, 2018

Is Universal Basic Income a Good Idea for India?

6 August, 2018

Opinion: What makes merchants adopt digital payments?

9 August, 2018

VCCircle Summit: India lags in digital payments adoption, ahead on innovation

23 May, 2018

Despite high education levels, Kerala homes still use old-age cooking fuels

13 April, 2018

Kenya’s financial inclusion story, and ours

12 March, 2018

Payment Banks: A Reality Check

31 January, 2018

Hitting the bottom

9 January, 2018

These five startups are taking fintech to the last mile

5 June, 2018

8th Catalyst FINposium, Jaipur

26 October, 2017

Digital divide in India in access to net-banking, cashless payments

7 June, 2017







3-Day Digital Payment Camp in Barkat Nagar, covered by local dailies of Jaipur

24 March, 2017

Best of 2017: Did Chennai learn anything from the 2015 floods?

28 December, 2017

Digital payments have become a fashion statement

17 January, 2017

Partner Update

18 January, 2017

The Catalyst initiative to educate 6 crore Indian merchants on digital payments

27 December, 2016

USAID’s Catalyst to roll out digital payments pilot in Jaipur by January

28 November, 2016

USAID, Finance Ministry bring Catalyst for digital payments in India

18 October, 2016

Comics Designed to Teach Low-income Indian Women Financial Literacy

27 April, 2016

Impact evaluation to be done

10 August, 2015





58% of women in India report difficulty accessing credit, savings, or jobs

22 May, 2015

Jan Dhan hits customer service barrier

20 May, 2015

Chennai should levy Rs.30 per trip as congestion charge

30 April, 2015






Financial Inclusion 2020: Round Up 2014

6 November, 2014






New Research on Barriers to Basic Savings Accounts in India

15 October, 2014






Why Do Small-Scale Business Owners Prefer Cash Transactions?

4 August, 2014

Chit funds or cheat funds?

21 May, 2013






Empowering the Poor or the Rural Elite?

2 May, 2014

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Meenu Jothsna

Research Manager

Meenu Jothsna is a Research Manager with the Small, Growing Businesses and Employment vertical at LEAD. Meenu holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai alongside a B. Tech in Biotechnology, from Anna University, Chennai.

Previously, Meenu worked for over six years at the Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore anchoring a cross-section of research and academic responsibilities. She was particularly part of the curriculum development process of a certificate program offered at the institute, titled Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF). Meenu was also a Senior Field Investigator for an IFMR-Harvard University project which aimed to collect evidence on the economic costs of low caloric intake in India.

Her research interests revolve around public policy, health equity and sustainable development. Once she logs off, Meenu enjoys kicking back with classic movies and the latest sitcoms.

VANDHANA RAMESH

Project Associate, Small, Growing Businesses and Employment

Vandhana Ramesh is a Project Associate with Small, Growing Businesses and Employment vertical at LEAD. Currently, she is engaged with providing technical assistance to the World Bank Persons with Disabilities (RIGHTS) project in Tamil Nadu.

Before arriving at LEAD, Vandhana explored themes related to healthcare, labour and criminal justice as a part of Project Statecraft, a youth-led think tank.

Vandhana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stella Maris College, University of Madras. Deeply interested in widening the lens through which economies are examined, she is passionate about intersectional, pluralistic and non-traditional approaches to policy making.

When not working, Vandhana can be found catching up on compelling history reads and edge-of-your-seat investigative podcasts.

SUJEET KUMAR

Research Manager, Financial Well-being and Social Protection

Sujeet Kumar is a Research Manager at LEAD with the Financial Well-being and Social Protection vertical. Prior to joining LEAD, he has worked as a research consultant, where he was engaged in projects related to slum-upgrading for the marginalised, gender and field-based intervention projects with organisations such as Duke University, Centre for Advocacy and Research and University of Delhi.

Sujeet received his PhD in Law and Governance from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi where his doctoral research examined how vulnerable urban communities secure rights and citizen-state relations in the city of Patna (Bihar).

Sujeet is passionate about research in the intersections of rural and urban poverty, inequality, social justice and public policy. When he shuts off his laptop, Sujeet seeks calm by indulging in long walks while listening to audio dramas and commentary on podcasts.

DIBYAJYOTI BASAK

Research Associate, Financial Well-being and Social Protection

Dibyajyoti Basak is a Research Associate with the Financial Well-being and Social Protection vertical at LEAD.

Dibyajyoti holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and a Bachelor’s degree in English Honours from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Prior to joining LEAD, he worked with the Indian Political Action Committee.

Dibyajyoti is deeply interested in weaving his way through the different layers of public policy research and data science. He is keen to cultivate the interdisciplinary knowledge required to solve complex development issues.

A passionate Manchester United supporter, Dibyajyoti is happiest when he is working his way through grand strategy video games and intriguing fantasy novels.

Durgesh Pandey

Junior Executive, Field Operations

Durgesh Pandey is a Field Executive at LEAD. He specialises in field team training, monitoring, and managing survey teams across different projects. He has extensive experience in managing field surveys for large-scale impact evaluations in the domains of agriculture, digital financial services, MSME development, women empowerment, and livelihoods.

Prior to joining LEAD, Durgesh worked as a District Coordinator with Ekal Vidyalaya, where he worked on programs that aim to alleviate poverty in rural parts India with a focus on both tribal and non-tribal communities.

Durgesh holds a Master’s degree in Social Science and Political Science along with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Dr. R. M. L. Awadh University, and is currently pursuing a PG diploma in Rural Development from Indira Gandhi National Open University. He also holds a Diploma in Information Technology from NIIT.

VARUN HARIHARAN

Research Associate, Small, Growing Businesses and Employment

Varun Hariharan is a Research Associate with the Small, Growing Businesses and Employment vertical at LEAD.

Varun holds a Master’s degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Math, from New York University. His college thesis analysed the effect of economic resilience on recovery after the onslaught of hurricanes in the United States.

Prior to working in LEAD, Varun was involved with the social impact investment scene in New York and public policy research initiatives such as The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania. Varun’s research interests include dissecting the historical impact of economic policies on marginalised communities. An avid bibliophile, Varun likes to unwind by rewatching the Sopranos.

SAMPURNA BASU

Research Associate, Financial Well-being and Social Protection

Sampurna Basu is a Research Associate with the Financial Well-being and Social Protection vertical at LEAD.

Prior to joining LEAD, Sampurna worked as a pro bono consultant and assisted with research work on development priorities for the Early-Stage Evaluation of the Human Capital Index at the Independent Evaluation Group, World Bank.

Sampurna has a Master’s degree in Public Policy from George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. Her research interests revolve around pressing questions surrounding women’s participation and work-family policies across contexts. On the weekends, you can catch Sampurna curled up in a cosy corner with a pile of pre-loved books and movies.

VYSAKH D. SATHEESH

Research Associate, Financial Well-being and Social Protection

Vysakh D. Satheesh is a Research Associate with the Financial Well-being and Social Protection vertical at LEAD.

He has previously worked on projects investigating group dynamics and social preferences among School Management Committee members in Delhi and later unpacked the policy landscape for Menstrual Hygiene Management in India.

Vysakh holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Ashoka University, during which time he completed a capstone thesis on the disparities in entry and exit and mobility among MSME entrepreneurs across caste groups. Vysakh enjoys blending a range of contemporary perspectives tied to micro-developmental economics in his work, such as discrimination, intersectionality, education and labour.

Vysakh employs books, movies and music as his tools of escapism. He’s a passionate fantasy and sci-fi reader but is usually just looking for a good story beautifully told. A certified cat-dad, Vysakh spends his free time planning his next travel adventure while indulging in local delicacies.

SUMIRAN ARDHAPURE

Research Associate, Financial Well-being and Social Protection

Sumiran Ardhapure is a Research Associate with the Financial Well-being and Social Protection vertical at LEAD.

Prior to joining LEAD, Sumiran worked as a research assistant at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics on a project measuring the impact of chronic stress on economic decision making.

Sumiran holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Warwick and a Bachelor’s degree in the same subject from Fergusson College, Pune.

He enjoys deconstructing inequality and its various interconnections, particularly its combined implications on economic-decision making and poverty. In his spare time, Sumiran whips up homemade recipes, reads for pleasure, makes art and plays the occasional football.

NR SRINIVASAN

HR & Admin Executive

NR Srinivasan is an HR & Admin Executive with LEAD. Previously, he has been involved in the core human resources space and held aligned roles in industries including construction & engineering. Srinivasan has hands-on experience implementing people-focussed strategies, procedures & policies for a diverse workforce.

Srinivasan has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Business Administration specialising in Human Resources from Periyar University.

Srinivasan loves exploring opportunities rooted in creativity and is often involved in generating collective ideas. He is also quite the DJ and enjoys dabbling in music production & editing. Srinivasan will be based at the Chennai office.

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