ILSS Founders

Co-founders, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation

Amit Chandra and Archana Chandra

A.T.E. Chandra Foundation (ATECF) is a philanthropic foundation established in 2013 by Archana Chandra, Amit Chandra, and Anuj Bhagwati to channel their giving towards meaningful, lasting change at scale. Guided by philosophies such as Guru Nanak’s “Kirat Karo,  Vand Chhako” (work with honesty, share generously) and Chuck Feeney’s principle of “Giving While Living,” the foundation is committed to transforming lives through sustainable, equitable, and scalable solutions. ATECF works closely with communities, governments, nonprofits, and the broader ecosystem to address some of India’s most pressing development challenges.

The foundation’s core work is anchored in Water and Agriculture, where it partners with state governments and local institutions to rejuvenate water bodies in India’s most water-stressed regions and promote climate-resilient, regenerative agriculture—aiming over the coming decade to improve water security for more than 200 million rural Indians and significantly enhance the incomes of 25 million small and marginal farmers. Through its Capacity Building portfolio, ATECF strengthens the social sector by investing in nonprofit leaders, organisations, and platforms, and by advancing knowledge that helps the sector become more effective, resilient, and impact-driven.

In addition, ATECF makes select, strategic investments in areas such as urban research, governance and housing, conservation, and cultural preservation, reflecting a holistic vision for India’s urban, ecological, and cultural development.

Founder - CEO

Anuradha Prasad

Anu Prasad is the Founder & CEO of India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), a Delhi-based non-profit that works to strengthen the leadership talent pool in the social sector. Prior to setting up ILSS in 2017, Anu was the founding Deputy Dean of the prestigious Young India Fellowship (YIF) and a founding member of Ashoka University, India’s first liberal arts university. Before joining the social sector, Anu held leadership roles at multinational companies such as American Express and TNT. At Amex, she led the implementation of Amex’s global financial re-engineering as a part of launching Amex Financial Resource Centre in India. At TNT she was head of finance for the company’s North India region. An entrepreneur at heart, Anu has also co-founded and managed a successful travel company. She has also been a consultant for Dell Foundation on its education projects. Anu is an avid reader, an active volunteer in civic causes, and a passionate believer in lifelong learning, all of which she incorporates into the ILSS proposition of learning and values-based leadership. She also mentors young professionals and senior leaders and sits on the Board of two non-profit organisations. Anu graduated from HR College, Mumbai, and received her MBA from IMI, New Delhi.

The Convergence Foundation

Ashish and Manisha Dhawan

Ashish Dhawan is the founder and CEO of The Convergence Foundation (TCF). Ashish is also the founding Chairperson of Ashoka University and Central Square Foundation and was recently appointed to the governing board of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Before his second career as a philanthropist, Ashish was among India’s most successful private equity investors. He founded and ran ChrysCapital, the country’s leading private equity firm. Ashish graduated from Yale University and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Manisha is a founding Trustee and Advisory Board Member of The Convergence Foundation (TCF), which is focused on accelerating India’s economic growth and development. Manisha wears several hats at TCF. She is an ardent supporter of women’s empowerment and serves as an adviser to The Udaiti Foundation. She is also passionate about making quality education accessible to school-going children in India and is a Trustee at the Central Square Foundation. She is a core Founder of Accelerate Indian Philanthropy, which promotes strategic philanthropic giving. Prior to her role across TCF’s portfolio organisations, she taught English as a second language in economically weaker sections of society. Manisha completed her MA from Lady Shri Ram College and MPhil from Delhi University.
TCF incubates nonprofits focused on creating system-wide impact in the areas of economic growth, equality of opportunity, and sustainability. Its current portfolio includes organisations working on jobs and investment, rule of law, governance and state capacity, economic empowerment of women, science and technology, air pollution, unlocking philanthropic capital, and improving the effectiveness of nonprofits.

Founder and Managing Director, Signet Capital Pvt Ltd

Harish Shah 

Harish Shah is Co-Founder of Harish & Bina Shah Foundation. He was also Founder and Managing Director of Signet Capital Pvt Ltd, a family office with diversified investments.

Harish is deeply committed to philanthropy. Through his foundation, the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation (HBSF), he supports over 80 non-profits across education, healthcare, livelihoods, gender equity, arts and environmental sustainability.

His expertise spans strategic investments, business transformation and governance, making him a prominent figure in both corporate and philanthropic circles.

He also serves on the boards of Ashoka University, Plaksha University (Distinguished Trustee), Holy Family Hospital, and the Deccan Heritage Foundation, among others.

Founder, Ananta Family Office

Jaideep Khanna

Jaideep Khanna is the founder of Ananta Family Office, managing investments across listed and private markets with a focus on technology, sustainability, and real estate. Prior to Ananta, Jaideep was a partner and co-founder of Artha Capital Management, an emerging market fund based in Connecticut. Jaideep co-founded the firm in May 2002 and served as president, portfolio manager, and director. He has also served as an executive director and managed pools of funds at Morgan Stanley Asset Management in New York and London.
Jaideep generously funds and supports several philanthropic organisations dedicated to educational initiatives, the environment, and socially responsible causes. He serves on the national board of directors for Pratham USA and on the New York regional board of Room to Read. He previously served on the international advisory board of the Centre for Advanced Study of India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania.
He received a BSc in accounting and economics from Muskingum University and an MBA from Duke University.

Director, Forbes Marshall Group

Rati Forbes

Rati Forbes has been a director of the Forbes Marshall group since 1992, where she headed the human resources function till 2011, together with learning and development. During her tenure, Great Place to Work ranked Forbes Marshall — not once but thrice — as a top-25 company to work for in India, the highest rank being six.

At present, Rati heads the Forbes Foundation and is responsible for its CSR and foundation activities. She is recognized for her social initiatives, both within the company and beyond. She chaired the western region cell of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for six years, working on social development. The cell’s main objective is to sensitize corporate entities to their social responsibilities.

Rati has served on the boards of two international foundations, and continues to serve as an independent director on the boards of several listed companies, foundations and non-profits across India.

Rati graduated with psychology (honours) and sociology from the University of Mumbai, and has also undergone executive courses on human resources, organizational behaviour, and strategic philanthropy. She holds a master’s degree in sustainability management and leadership from Cambridge University, UK.

Director & Co-founder, Koita Foundation

Rekha Koita

Rekha Koita is the Director and Co-Founder of Koita Foundation. 

Koita Foundation is a not-for-profit organization which focuses on two key areas- Digital Health adoption in India and Transformation of NGOs. With consulting experience at Accenture and corporate training background at Mind Matters, Rekha spearheads the NGO transformation efforts. The foundation works with NGOs to optimize processes and implement technology to enhance program scale and outcomes. 

She holds a Masters Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.Tech from IIT Bombay

Rekha was honored with IIT Bombay’s Distinguished Services Award in 2019.

Director & Co-founder, Koita Foundation

Rizwan Koita

Mr. Rizwan Koita is an entrepreneur and philanthropist with a passion to leverage emerging technologies and business process innovation for meaningful social impact. 

He is Director & Co-founder at Koita Foundation. He is also Chairperson, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare providers (NABH) 

He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay & a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Mr. Koita co-founded CitiusTech, a global healthcare technology company. Under his leadership, CitiusTech became one of the fastest growing healthcare technology companies globally and became India’s 25th Unicorn in 2019 (the first Indian Unicorn in healthcare technology). 

Mr. Koita is the recipient of the prestigious IIT Bombay’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019, and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year Award in 2013.

Mr. Koita is now actively associated with his philanthropic venture, Koita Foundation which focuses on Digital Health in India. Koita Foundation partners with leading academic institutions, hospitals, and industry associations to drive Digital Health adoption in India. Koita Foundation partners include IIT Bombay, Ashoka University, Tata Memorial / National Cancer Grid, Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS).

EXECUTIVE CHAIRPERSON OF ANTARA SENIOR CARE AND VICE CHAIRPERSON OF MAX INDIA LIMITED.

Tara Singh Vachani

Ms. Tara Singh Vachani is the Executive Chairperson of Antara Senior Care and Vice Chairperson of Max India Limited.

As founder of Antara Senior Care, her vision was to give a new dimension to the senior care space in India. In line with its vision to be the most trusted brand for seniors and their families, Antara has positively impacted over 50,000 lives through its various offerings that cater to the evolving lifestyle and lifecare needs of the elderly. Today, Antara encompasses five verticals – Residences for Seniors, Care Homes, Care at Home, MedCare and AGEasy by Antara.

Tara is also the Managing Trustee of Max India Foundation, a role she is extremely passionate about. Max India Foundation plays an active role in the not-for-profit space through grant giving for capacity building in the Education sector and runs a program on Social Emotional Ethical (SEE) learning in collaboration with Emory University. Tara is a partner in Learning Matters, which is a dynamic, child-centred education organisation for children, parents and educators.

Furthermore, Tara holds positions of influence on various boards and organizations, including a board seat at the prestigious Indian School of Business. She is the member of the National and Delhi board for Teach for India. Tara contributes as a Governing Council Member of The Vedica Scholars Program for Women, an innovative MBA program tailored for women. She dedicates her time as a mentor for KARM Fellowship, enabling young women from less-privileged backgrounds to pursue their educational and professional aspirations. She is also the founder member of Giving Pi of Dasra — a philanthropic network where she leverages her personal experiences and connections to address India’s developmental challenges.

Throughout her journey, Tara remains a dedicated learner and embodies the core values of Max Group, including Sevabhav, Excellence, and Credibility

Her achievements are widely recognised. Tara was named a member of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2020 and featured as one of the ’40 under 40′ leaders in The Economic Times in 2018.

Tara has a major in Politics and South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, supplemented by courses in Strategy Management at the London School of Economics and Hospitality Business Strategy and Management at Ecole ho telie re de Lausanne, Switzerland. She is an avid traveller who maintains a deep connection with India, driven by her love for family and country. Known for her organizational skills and pursuit of perfection, Tara’s interests include reading and theatre, and she is always looking for new experiences. As the youngest child of the renowned business leader and visionary, Mr. Analjit Singh, she is married to Mr. Sahil Vachani and is a proud mother of two daughters.