Ashoka India Fellows
Ashoka Fellows are leading social entrepreneurs who we recognize to have innovative solutions to social problems and the potential to change patterns across society. They demonstrate unrivaled commitment to bold new ideas and prove that compassion, creativity, and collaboration are tremendous forces for change. Ashoka Fellows work in over 60 countries around the globe in every area of human need.
Read about all Ashoka fellows on the Ashoka Global website here.
Ketan Deshpande is unleashing the potential in India’s youth by changing India’s policies related to career guidance and employment through a career counseling system that not only bridges the information gap but also creates platforms for graduates to acquire the professional skills necessary for a successful career.
Minal Doshi is reversing the tragic national practice of neglecting children's disability to the point when it is too late for optimizing treatment and rehabilitation. She is opening new opportunities for disabled children and their families through multidimensional education on early diagnosis, prevention, and rehabilitation. Minal is addressing her pattern-changing education to all related...
Neichute Doulo is defusing the frustration of young people in Nagaland by building a new generation of socially responsible business entrepreneurs. By encouraging communities and Naga youth to change their attitudes and actions, Neichute hopes to return control of the economy to local hands and empower Naga youth to actively shape their own future and contribute to society.
Ritwick Dutta is restoring transparency and accountability to India’s Environmental Impact Assessment processes in order to protect the environment and at-risk communities from encroaching big industry. Through what he calls “environmental democracy” Ritwick gives citizens the tools to assess the impact of industrial development projects and challenge destructive practices.
Edith Elliot is tapping into an underutilised resource -- families of patients -- and equipping them to play a pivotal role in the healthcare system. By providing skills, awareness and tools to family members who accompany patients in hospitals, Edith is reducing their dependence on medical professionals like doctors and nurses, curbing the rates of re-hospitalisation and ensuring a smooth...
Dr. Armida Fernandez reorients and reorganizes the limited resources of India’s public health system, crafting efficient programs to secure quality maternal and neonatal health care for low-income families.
Judy Frater believes that the traditional craftsperson is the best designer to make the work of the craftsperson economically viable to consumers and a larger market. Through practical and relevant education on technology and marketing, Judy is building the expertise of the craftsperson to make a significant contribution to the sustainability of the craft tradition.
S.N. Gananath, a scientist and educator in South India, is reducing "math phobia" among school children. He has developed teaching aids and a hands-on method that allow children not just to memorize math but to understand it and use it as a tool for life.
Through interventions based on modern technology in Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa, India, Rikin Gandhi is focusing on the efficiency of information dissemination and application and creating new knowledge networks for agriculture extension services. Rikin’s method entails replacing the old architecture of agriculture extension services with a new one; and the community is...