Meet our Community

Rachna works for Microsoft. She grew up in Kolkata and has lived in various cities across India. Her family of four includes her husband who works for ITC hotels, daughter a Mech Engineer working in Pune and her mother-in-law, whom she credits for what she is today. ‘She gave me wings to fly’ says Rachna. Rachna contributes to multiple charities and individuals, but this time she was keen to join SVP to see how she can contribute to what we are doing for Bengaluru.

Rachna is one of those few individuals who believe in working at the grass roots with the projects she takes on. She has been a driving force behind the the much talked about CSR program of Sudarshan Chemicals – SUDHA. She is currently the Director of the JM Rathi English School at Roha owned by the Rathi family trust which currently has 1600 children. She has been instrumental in the schools growth journey and remains deeply involved with the schools operations. Rachna also manages her family trust started by her grandmother which is today running a skill development institute in Mathura in UP which trains over 500 women on scholarship. She has a masters in Education and a Masters in clinical psychology and loves to travel.

Rachna Tahilyani is Director of the Columbia Global Centers Mumbai, with over 20 years of experience across corporate and education sectors. She previously led the research team at the Harvard Business School India Research Center and began her career at Citibank. She holds a Master of Management from IIT Bombay and a Bachelor’s in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from BITS Pilani.

Radha is a business analyst working for a company that makes trading software. She originally hails from Mumbai, and got her Post graduate degree in Commerce before working for companies such as e-Serve and UBS. She enjoys playing many different sports, from badminton to squash to aerobics. She enjoys listening to music, and loves taking beach holidays.

Radha traces her journey from Berhampur, Murshidabad, to Loreto Darjeeling, where she spent some beautiful years of her life, and then to Loreto House, Kolkata, where she pursued political science. Her family nurtured her entrepreneurial inclinations. From dabbling in colours and designs to co-founding the successful boutique Kalakriti, Radha's dedication to her craft and family never wavered. Taking a sabbatical in 2016, she prioritised travel and family time as her children entered adulthood. Engaged in multiple activities, Radha finds happiness and devotes her time to philanthropy, embodying a life enriched by social responsibility.

Radhesh Welling is Managing Director and CEO of Navin Fluorine International Ltd - A Padmanabh Mafatlal Group flagship company. Radhesh has 25 years of work experience, primarily in specialty chemicals, and has worked in the US, Europe, and Asia. He previously worked with JM Huber Corporation in Atlanta, USA, across various functions like Innovation, Business Development, and Operations. He is a Mechanical Engineer from NIT and has MBA from IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland. His other interests include theater and long-distance running. Radhesh and his wife Shubhangi have two children; daughter Ananyaa, who is currently pursuing her engineering degree, and son Advay who is in 11th standard. Radhesh is a member of the Executive Committee of the Indian Chemical Council.

Raghu Pareddy is a transformational leader and a technologist by trade. He is the Founder & CEO of Wissen Technology and the Founding Partner at Triguna. Before this, he worked as Director & Chief Architect at British Telecom, Director &Chief Architect of Verizon, and Chief Architect at Tekelec. Raghu has completed his Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Mysore and Master of Science in Computer Science from Oregon State University. Raghu’s contribution through his Wissen team to the Swaccha Belaku project has been invaluable.

Raghu Mangaraju is an accomplished Technology Leader with over 23 years of experience in the IT industry, He holds an Electrical Engineering Degree from JNTU. His career includes roles at CSC, Convergys, ADP, Barclays Capital, SAS Institute, Core Compete (Acquired by Accenture AI) and Blend360. He is currently heading the OSF Digital India GCC.He has deep expertise in building offshore delivery teams from ground up, focused in hiring top talent, building products & leading innovation initiatives. Raghu's mission is to create a high performing teams of 1000+ AI/ML engineers in the next three years and help clients achieve AI and data-driven success at scale. Raghu is actively working with TiHAN- IIT Hyderabad (Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation), a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research with a focus on Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Start-up Ecosystem. He provides continuous guidance on Technology Commercialization and Accelerator Programs for Early-stage Startups. Beyond his professional work, Raghu is associated with few organizations focused on girl child education and actively runs Blend’s CSR initiatives in support of these organizations. He likes to associate with SVP India to streamline his focus areas and bring in the associated impact by contributing his mentorship and guidance to the NGOs.

Raghu, an alumnus of IIM Kozhikode, is the CEO and founder of Trimurti Plant Sciences, a Hyderabad headquartered seed company with operations across the country. He is an avid reader and enjoys distance running.

Rahul Gupta, despite severe sight and auditory impairments, became one of the youngest Senior Vice President in banking, leading billion-dollar projects. An alumnus of St. Stephen's and Delhi School of Economics, he founded Valuable, a $100 million fund empowering marginalized communities, earning a spot on Business World's Disrupt 40Under40 list. Through his blog, The Vision Beyond Sight, and work with NGOs like Sarthak Education, Rahul inspires resilience and inclusion. Seema, a development economist with a doctorate from SOAS, University of London, specializes in poverty, social protection, and education policy. With the experience of the World Bank and SEWA, she has contributed in assessing various policy initiatives. Passionate about inclusive development, Seema is eager to apply her expertise to drive social impact.

Raina is an experienced professional with over 20 years in the Tech Industry, having worked in Silicon Valley & India. She currently works at Google and leads the multi channel support strategy for various products including Google Search. She has a diverse background which includes launching new products and managing strategic partnerships in the digital marketing space.

Rajani has graduated in textile design from the Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC. She has worked with multiple brands throughout her career and currently serves as the Director of CSR at mPokket. Rajani is deeply passionate about art and is an accomplished artist in her own right. Travel is what keeps her sane. Gaurav is the Founder and CEO of mPokket, an app-based lending platform. He holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School. Gaurav’s passions and specialities include Fintech, Lending, Payments, Value Investing, as well as various sectors such as Telecom, Utilities, Industrials, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Chemicals, and Aviation. Both Rajani and Gaurav are devoted parents to two beautiful daughters. On the philanthropy side, they are committed to making an impact in empowering women and supporting children in need through various initiatives with SVP.

Rajan Navani is the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of the Indian arm of Jetline Group of companies and the CEO and Founder of JetSynthesys. With an aim to help India emerge as the Frugal Technology Innovation hub of the world, Rajan’s mission is to digitally connect India to the world and you to India. Rajan is currently the Chairman of the CII National Council on India@75, the Past National Chairman of CIIs Young Indians and is a member of CII’s National Council. Rajan is a Founding Trustee of the India@75 Foundation which is working to help create an inclusive, developed India of 2022. Rajan is also playing an active role in helping shape the government and business US?India partnership and is a member of the Singapore-India and Israel-India Track II strategic dialogues.

Rajan is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Laxmi Organic Industries Limited (LOIL), an NSE-listed chemical company. He joined LOIL in April 2023 after spending 19 years with BASF, a leading global chemical company. During his tenure at BASF, he held various leadership roles across different businesses and functions, working in Germany, Singapore, India, and Hong Kong. He holds a Master of Science in Chemistry from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, a Master of Philosophy in Polymer Science and Technology from The University of Manchester, UK, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Polymer Chemistry from Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands. Rajan enjoys playing badminton, listening to Carnatic Music, and reading novels by Terry Hayes.

Raja Poladi is a Seasoned Technology Leader. He holds a Computer Science degree from NITW and an MBA in Finance from IIMC. His career includes roles at Pramati, ADP, Cognizant & Egen. He co-founded Dhiva.ai, where he served as CTO until 2022. He has started Centre for Digital Technologies in Healthcare (CDiTH) at IIIT Hyderabad in February 2025 and is currently heading it. Beyond his professional commitments, he enjoys biking and playing online chess

Rajat is a Gurgaon based corporate leader turned startup enthusiast who is on the social journey of creating India’s leading open architecture mentoring platform for deserving startups, to get early stage business support. A IITDelhi and IIM Ahmedabad alumni, he founded PadUp Ventures in 2015 along with his partner Pankaj Thakar, who is a technology startup expert, from MIT and Harvard. PadUp is focussed on providing deep mentoring services to early-stage tech startups to help them survive and scale, to drive INNOVATION and create value. After a 30+ years career in Corporate India in leadership roles, Rajat is also now a Non-Executive Independent Director on several Boards including Aditya Birla Finance, Fino Payments Bank, Droom Technologies and Mahindra Holidays. He is also a trustee on the Board of the well known Make a wish Foundation, as well as Braj Foundation, an NGO focussed on environment and water conservation and an Advisor to the E&H Foundation, working for the education and health of underprivileged kids in Uttar Pradesh. In his corporate career, he has worked in the FMCG, media & entertainment, technology and telecom sectors in India, both at young stage companies and MNCs like Unilever, Sony, Walt Disney and Xerox. His last roles were MD of Xerox India and MD of Disney India before he started his social journey in 2015. His key areas of expertise include distribution and sales, understanding consumers across various spaces, mentoring and working with teams and building and growing businesses that revolve around services & brands.

Dr. Rajat Kumar is a former Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana, with a distinguished record in public administration, environmental governance, and infrastructure development. In a career spanning more than three decades, he headed several key departments such as Water Resources, Forest and Environment, Labour, and Industry. He also served as the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana, where he was recognised for his administrative effectiveness and institutional leadership. His professional experience was further shaped by independent assignments in the United States and Europe. Following superannuation, Dr. Kumar continues to engage in academic, advisory, and investment roles. He currently serves as Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Development at Woxsen University, Hyderabad, focusing on questions of growth, equity, and sustainability. He is also a member of the National Association of Impact Leaders on ESG, under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. Dr. Kumar is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi. In addition, he holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and International Development from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from Osmania University. His personal interests include golf, travel, and reading. He is also currently working on a long-term study of civilizational narratives as articulated through art and architecture.

Rajeev Mecheri is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor in technology startups. He co-founded one of India’s largest security, safety and building automation companies, which was later acquired by Siemens. Currently, he is the co-founder of Invicara & TwinIt, a digital twin platform. He is a Member of the board of management at Krea, board member at the Chennai International Centre, executive committee member of The Chennai Angels, charter member of TiE Chennai, former regional chair of YPO South Asia and founder President of EO Chennai. Rajeev is an alumnus of Loyola College and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In his free time, Rajeev likes travelling, watching movies and listening to music.

Rajendra has worked in Pharma Industry for 39 years and climbed the ladder from Medical Representative to Managing Director. Last 20 years of Rajendra's career were in leadership position as Vice President, President, COO and MD. Out of 39 years, 17 years he has worked in Abbott / Erst while Piramal Healthcare. Rajendra is passionate about growing businesses by influencing brands and overall productivity of team. His approach is to understand profit and loss account, capabilities, resources and optimise business outcomes. Rajendra works closely with people to bring out best in them and fulfil organisation and people personal objectives. Over last 4 to 5 years Rajendra is a business consultant focusing on small and medium enterprises to grow their businesses. Also a coach and mentor to CEOs. Rajendra enjoys mentoring the next generation leaders and getting them ready for future business opportunities. In personal life he is a fun loving person, travel, music, movies, reading and long walks are the energisers. Wife Ketki is a costume jewellery designer and has a studio at their residence. Rajendra & Ketki has two daughters.

Rajesh is an HR professional with a PGDHRM focused on Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General Management from the Management Development Institute. Rajesh is an experienced professional with a demonstrated history of working in core people & business domains. Skilled in HR Policy Management, Compensation & Benefits Management, Talent and Performance Management, Business Partnering, Plant HR, Supply Chain planning, and systems.

Rajesh is a career private banker who has spent nearly two decades between Kotak Private and ASK Private Wealth, where he is the Senior Managing Partner responsible for Western India. He is an MBA and Gold medalist from NMIMS and spent a few years in the hospitality industry before his post-graduation. Divya has spent 18+ years in Forex and corporate treasury roles across IDBI Bank, ING Vysya and Bank of Nova Scotia, and is currently at ICICI Bank based out of their headquarters in Bombay. She's an MBA in Finance from NMIMS, Mumbai and graduated from Jesus and Mary College in Delhi. Rajesh & Divya are parents to 11- year old Tara, and their journey with Philanthropy started thanks to the conondrum of how to celebrate her first birthday without doing an ""actually-for-adults"" kids' birthday party. It took them to Shikshangram, a home for at-risk and abandoned children, which they have been supporting since then, along with some adhoc participation across various groups, mostly working with children. Joining SVP is part of Rajesh and Divya's endeavour to give more time towards philanthropy in the coming years and to be a part of a collective which can deliver larger, more measurable outcomes.

Raj Gilda, Co-founder & Director (Strategy and Development), a banker-turned-social entrepreneur leads resource mobilization and external relations at Lend A Hand India. With over 20 years of experience in education, banking, insurance, and IT, he transitioned to full-time in social development sector in 2011. His past roles include positions at Citibank and Deloitte Consulting in New York. Raj has been involved in various government advisory roles, as a member of the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) appointed by GOI, part of the Curricular Area Group for Vocational Education under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). He is a Chevening Gurukul Scholar at the London School of Economics. He's recognized as a top 100 graduate alumni of the University of Texas at Austin and received an award for community service from the U.S. President. Raj is an Electronics Engineer from the University of Pune, and holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Raj is a lifelong entrepreneur who has founded a series of companies ranging from an art portal to sales acceleration and enablement businesses. He is currently advisor and a member of the board at PharosIQ, headquartered in Philadelphia.

Sales Professional and Manager with extensive experience personally closing large ticket deals with Fortune 500 companies and managing and motivating remote and global teams to out-perform competition and their own expectations.