Our Core Team

Our Core Team

At IDEA, we endeavour to work together, empowering ourselves and others.

Dr. Rakesh Malhotra

Chairman, IDEA

Dr. Rakesh Malhotra holds several academic degrees, namely, M.Sc. (Dairying), Ph.D. (Public Administration), and D.Lit. (Public Administration).

He has a cumulative experience of over 36 years in the Development sector through policy advocacy, strategic planning, project management, governance, vocational skill development, financial inclusion, community institution building, capacity building and research.

He has had the privilege of working in the capacity of the:
State Head, UNDP Madhya Pradesh;
Lead – Financial Literacy & Capacity Building in NRLM;
Project Director, Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Parishad, Rajasthan;
Head, Domestic Consulting Division of BASIX,
Managing Director of Rajasthan Mission for Livelihoods,


He has also worked for the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Bankers Institute for Rural Development (BIRD) for more than 22 years.

In his field, he has published more than thirty-five articles, monograms, and books. To his credit, there are about thirty-two Research reports. He has also presented papers at a number of National and International Seminars / Workshops. He is also a Life Member of six professional bodies.

Ms. Chandra Karki

Project Manager, IDEA
Ms. Chandra Karki, belongs to Nainital. Her education qualification is M.A. In Economics, M.A. in Sociology, PGDRD from IGNOU, MBA from Amity University.
She is trained from EDI- Ahmadabad, SIDBI-Lucknow, IMDUP Lucknow, NABARD-Meerut, ATI-Nainital etc. While working with various organizatons AAROHI, SOTEC, SUCHETNA, MAHILA SAMAKHYA, AFC Foundation, SHIVANSH and 3 companies of BASIX achieved 21 years of experience In Social Inclusion, Institutional Development Services, Gender Issues, Mobilization, Microfinance, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Capacity Building of SHG/groups, Cluster, Federation Members, NGO, MIS, Solar Energy, Disaster Management Training Program, Rural Artisans Development Program, Entrepreneur Development Program and Rural & Urban Project Management.

Mr. Rajeev Baalyaan

Social Media Officer, IDEA

Rajeev Baalyaan holds academic qualifications in Social Work, having completed both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from IGNOU. His educational background reflects a strong foundation in social development, community engagement, and welfare systems. Additionally, he has undergone formal technical training in Computer Hardware and Networking, which further strengthens his ability to integrate technology with social impact.

He is a committed and versatile professional with over 5 years of experience in IT and grassroots project coordination. His core strength lies in diagnosing and resolving computer systems and network-related challenges, along with a solid background in hardware support and troubleshooting.

 

Alongside his technical expertise, He has worked extensively in the development sector with responsibilities ranging from project coordination, reporting, and stakeholder communication to digital empowerment initiatives. He has successfully led digital literacy sessions for marginalized groups, particularly the transgender community, focusing on real-world computer applications and technology inclusion.

 

He is known for his proactive attitude, problem-solving mindset, and ability to adapt technology to empower communities. His balanced experience across IT engineering and social development projects makes him an asset to any impact-driven organization.

Ms Saumya Gupta

Research Associate, IDEA

Journey of Ms Saumya Gupta started in History at Gargi College and continued for her Master’s degree at Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, where she discovered her fascination for gender studies, South Asian history, and the Partition. She is engaged through IDEA on the prestigious national study sponsored by NABARD on mapping the 50-year story of Regional Rural Banks in India, blending past insights with present challenges.

Rohit Kumar Bharti

Data Entry Operator, IDEA

Rohit Kumar Bharti  has done his graduation  (BA)  from Rammanohar  Lohia Avadh University Ayodhya  (UP) in the year 2021

He also earned his Advanced Diploma in Computer Application from DDGKY. He has professional experience of about 5 years, having worked in – Commercial Syn Bags, Dhar (Madhy Pradesh); Hero Cycles, Ludhiana (Punjab); Marble Home Fashions, Panipat (Haryana).