Aanchal Bansal Gandhi is the managing editor at IDR. She brings nearly two decades of experience in media and communications to her role. Aanchal has been a journalist with The Indian Express, Open, and The Economic Times, where she reported on policy, politics, and gender-sensitive issues. She later transitioned to the development sector, taking on advocacy and communications roles at the Population Foundation of India and the Indian School of Development Management. Aanchal holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Lady Shri Ram College, a postgraduate diploma in social communication media from Sophia Polytechnic, and a master’s in development studies from SOAS, University of London.
Sidharth Bhatt is an editorial associate at IDR Hindi. He spent seven years in the machine manufacturing and service industry before transitioning to his role as a Hindi editor at Youth Ki Awaaz. He spent two years here refining his journalism and advocacy skills. Following this, Sidharth dedicated five years to grassroots activism and community development with SRUTI, working alongside organisations across 15 states.
Kumar Unnayan is an editorial associate at IDR Hindi. Over the past 12 years, he has worked in diverse formats as an oral history researcher, field journalist, writer, and translator. Prior to IDR, Unnayan has been associated with the Centre for Community Knowledge, International Institute for Asian Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Katha, and The Caravan. He holds a master’s degree in literature and a certification in oral history.
Pooja Rathi is an editorial analyst at IDR Hindi. She previously worked with Feminism In India as an assistant editor, where she covered gender, environment, and social justice issues. Pooja has been awarded the UN Laadli Media Award and is a Laadli Media Fellow 2024. She is also an ex-fellow of the Khabar Lahariya Rural Media Fellowship and the Behavioral Journalism Fellowship at the Atlas for Behavior Change in Development. Pooja holds a master’s degree in journalism.
Salman Faheem is responsible for planning and executing content and campaign strategies for IDR, helping to strengthen its digital presence. Prior to joining IDR, he co-founded The Logical Indian’s Hindi venture and played a key role in its growth. He also worked as a social media coordinator at News18, where he contributed to expanding the platform’s digital reach. Salman led the growth of Change.org’s Hindi operations in India, scaling the platform from 10,000 to more than 1 million users.
Sarika is the finance and compliance lead at IDR. She is responsible for managing the organisation’s financial strategy, budgeting, financial planning and controls, and compliance. She also ensures adherence to regulatory standards and organisational policies. Before joining IDR, Sarika worked as the finance and compliance lead at SEWA Bharat’s Women Enterprise Support System (WESS). Sarika has extensive experience in managing the finance and compliance functions for both nonprofit and for-profit organisations. She holds an MBA with a specialisation in finance.
Tanupriya Singh is an editorial associate at IDR, where she’s responsible for writing, editing, and publishing content. Prior to joining IDR, she worked as a journalist at NewsClick and Peoples Dispatch, covering people’s movements, politics, and issues of social and economic justice across the Global South. Tanupriya holds degrees in political science and global studies, is interested in critical development perspectives, and has experience in research on agrarian change and labour in rural areas of Punjab and Haryana.
Saloni Sisodiya is a multimedia analyst at IDR Hindi. Prior to this, she worked with Feminism in India as a senior digital editor, focusing on topics such as gender, culture, society, and cinema. Saloni holds a master’s degree in electronic media.
Juhi Mishra is an editorial associate at IDR Hindi. She has 14 years of journalistic experience and has worked with Patrika, Times of India, Roar Media, Duta Technology, and Gram Vaani. Juhi has completed a fellowship from Vikas Samvad Sanstha, where she researched the food systems and causes of malnutrition in the Basor community.
Shailesh Deshpande is the founder of Life Drive Lab, an independent consulting practice that focuses on the themes of personal growth, organisational effectiveness, and leadership development, as well as their intersections. Before starting this practice in 2022, Shailesh worked in the field of human resources (HR) across a wide range of roles such as business partnering, industrial relations, global HR, talent and leadership development, and consulting with Marico, Asian Paints, Accenture, and Godrej.
In his last corporate role, he led the talent and leadership development function for the Godrej group. Shailesh has completed a master’s in HR from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management and an executive master’s in consulting and coaching for change from INSEAD.