Experience

OMI Foundation

• India
• Think Tanks
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Director

  • Aug 2022 - Present

  OMI Foundation is a new-age policy research and social innovation think tank. OMI develops knowledge frameworks on all things mobility.

• Director and Head of Research

  • Jun 2021 - Aug 2022

  As the Head of Research, I work with all teams at the Ola Mobility Institute to develop knowledge products at the intersection of mobility innovation and public good. I oversee research across the five tracks of electric mobility, energy and mobility, urban mobility, accessibility and inclusion, and the future of work and platform economy. I ensure we as an Institute adopt scientifically robust and rigorous methods to develop evidence-based policy recommendations on a gamut of issues affecting the future of mobility and future of work, globally.

• Associate Director - Ola Mobility Institute

  • Apr 2018 - Jun 2021

  Heading research and outreach at OMI. OMI develops knowledge frameworks that focus on the intersection of mobility and public good. A few areas of interest include mobility as a service, the climate footprint of mobility innovations, skill development and job creation, transportation-oriented urban planning, and the digitisation of mobility.



Ola

• India
• Software Development
• 700 & Above Employee

• Community Relations Head - North

  • Jul 2017 - Mar 2018

• Zonal Head - North

  • Jul 2016 - Jun 2017

  Responsible for the P&L of North India - Auto Business

• City Manager

  • Oct 2015 - Jul 2016

  Responsible for the P&L of OLA Auto Hyderabad.



M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women

• Member of the Board of Studies, Department of Sociology

  • Mar 2015 - Jun 2016

  My responsibilities include1) Assisting in the creation of an illuminating, current, and highly competitive curriculum for undergraduate students in Sociology2) Drawing from my experience of learning in an international academic environment to share unique teaching methods and methodologies with the staff of the department3) Being an industry-institution interface by sharing current trends in internship, postgraduate studies, and career opportunities for students of B.A. Sociology.



AutoRaja

• India
• Travel Arrangements

• Founder-CEO

  • Sep 2012 - Sep 2015

  Co-founded one of South India's earliest and largest book-an-auto services, AutoRaja; the first company to run auto-rickshaws on meter in the state of Tamil Nadu where meters were unseen for almost a decade. AutoRaja uses technology to streamline the unorganised sector of auto-rickshaws, in an Indian state with the most notorious auto drivers. The company, in a first-of-its kind move, protects the interests of the auto-rickshaw drivers by facilitating their access to social and economic security benefits. Founded in 2013, with just 13 auto-rickshaw drivers, AutoRaja created a market for call-autos, grew to 200 auto drivers in a span of just 4 months, served several thousand unique customers with a repeat booking rate of over 60%, and brought about a policy change too. On August 25, 2013, within 4 months of AutoRaja's launch, the state government of Tamil Nadu called for an auto-rickshaw fare revision discussion - a first after 2007, inviting all stakeholders including driver unions, consumer groups, as well as AutoRaja. Our proposal of Rs. 12 per KM and a minimum of Rs. 25 got unanimously accepted at the meeting. This was the AutoRaja's first greatest milestone: acceptance by not just drivers and passengers, but by the government and unions too! The accepted rates got implemented across 72,000+ auto-rickshaws in Chennai, and 2.1 lac+ autos across the state of Tamil Nadu. Today, with funding and business support from Shell Foundation (UK), Embarq India, FedEx (USA), Australian Consulate-General, The Indus Entrepreneurs, and others, we impact the lives of 2,500+ auto-rickshaw drivers, and operate the book-an-auto service throughout Chennai. We also take pride in creating India's first women-auto-rickshaw fleet, christened, AutoRani. Our efforts are geared towards creating over 200 women drivers in Chennai alone in the coming months.



M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women

• Visiting Lecturer

  • Jun 2014 - Oct 2014

  Kindle the spirit of inquiry among students into welfare development subjects including Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sociology of Development. Kindle the spirit of inquiry among students into welfare development subjects including Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sociology of Development.



Teach For India

• India
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Campus Ambassador

  • Jun 2009 - Mar 2011

  1) Build awareness about the TFI movementa) Mobilize final year students from MOP Vaishnav to apply to TFI through posters, presentations, calls, e-mails, group discussions/debates, online and other media2) Serve as a liaison between TFI and MOP Vaishnava) Help coordinate a TFI presentation for MOP Vaishnavb) Help TFI connect with important stakeholders within MOP's network (e.g., placement head for your campus, the head of major student groups, coordinator of campus festival)3) Targeted Recruitinga) Manage relationships with the high-potential students from MOP Vaishnavb) Support TFI staff by managing conference calls with candidatesc) Solicit 30 high-potential applications from MOP Vaishnav.



The Centre for Law, Policy and Human Rights Studies

• Research Intern

  • Apr 2010 - Jun 2010

  “A Sociological Perspective into the Essence of Life: Water in Chennai,” Ascertainment of the state of drinking water in Chennai and proposal of methods to ameliorate the residents’ quandary, Research Intern, The Centre for Law, Policy and Human Rights, Chennai, 2010. “A Sociological Perspective into the Essence of Life: Water in Chennai,” Ascertainment of the state of drinking water in Chennai and proposal of methods to ameliorate the residents’ quandary, Research Intern, The Centre for Law, Policy and Human Rights, Chennai, 2010.



Tata Consultancy Services

• India
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research and Human Resource Intern

  • Apr 2009 - May 2009

  “Effectiveness of Communication Mechanism at TATA Consultancy Services (TCS), Chennai,” Determination of the most trenchant channel of internal employee communication at TCS and ascertainment of whether TCS utilizes the channels of communication expeditiously and efficaciously, Research and Human Resource Intern, TATA Consultancy Services – Chennai (April – May 2009), submitted to the Department of Sociology, M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, 2009. “Effectiveness of Communication Mechanism at TATA Consultancy Services (TCS), Chennai,” Determination of the most trenchant channel of internal employee communication at TCS and ascertainment of whether TCS utilizes the channels of communication expeditiously and efficaciously, Research and Human Resource Intern, TATA Consultancy Services – Chennai (April – May 2009), submitted to the Department of Sociology, M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, 2009.