Executive Team

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Anuja Maniar

Senior Research Associate

Anuja is a member of DAKSH’s Tax Systems Reforms Initiative. Her formal training is in law, taxation, and public policy. She has previously worked in tax advisory at Nishith Desai Associates in Mumbai and EY in New York City, and with Taxsutra, where she helped set up Taxsutra Pro, a research initiative focused on tax law and policy. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago, Georgetown University Law Center, and Government Law College, Mumbai.

Gautam Dembla

Director for Commercial Dispute Resolution

Gautam is a lawyer with an interest and experience in commercial and public law. He has earlier worked for leading law firms in New Delhi and Mumbai and appeared in diverse matters across courts and tribunals. He has completed LL.M. ( Law and Development) from Azim Premji University and LL.B from Symbiosis Law School, Pune.

Harish Narasappa

Co-Founder

Harish is a designated senior advocate. He was the founding partner of the law firm, Samvad Partners, headquartered in Bengaluru. Harish appears regularly before various courts and tribunals in India on a variety of matters. Harish also has extensive experience in advising on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, banking, corporate financing, private equity, projects, regulatory, and dispute resolution matters. Harish has a PhD and a BA, LLB (Hons.) from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, a BCL from the University of Oxford (where he was a Radhakrishnan Scholar), and a BA (Philosophy) from the University of London

Harshita Kesarwani

Communications Lead

Harshita Kesarwani is a skilled professional in impact communication and media, adept at crafting seamless end-to-end content. Passionate about storytelling and design, she channels these skills to create a social impact. She completed her MA from Christ University, Bangalore in 2019.

Kishore Mandyam

Co-Founder

Kishore is the Chief Executive Officer of PK4 Software, Bengaluru, a market leader in cloud and mobile business solutions for non-Western markets. He has over 24 years of experience in the software industry. He is the technology mastermind for all DAKSH 2019s initiatives. Kishore has a degree in electrical engineering from Bangalore University.

Lakshmi Menon

Research Associate

Lakshmi is a lawyer with experience in criminal law and criminal justice research. She graduated from Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad, in 2022 and has previously worked with organisations such as Project 39A at the National Law University, Delhi, and Parichay. Her research interests lie in critically examining the purpose, capabilities, and the impact of justice systems on various axes of marginalisation. During her free time, Lakshmi enjoys reading, taking long walks, and exploring monuments.

Leah Verghese

Research Manager

Leah is a lawyer and social scientist with wide-ranging work experience in corporations, nonprofits and political campaigns across India. She is a graduate of Columbia University and National Law School of India University.

Mamta Sundara

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Mamta is a lawyer with over two decades of experience in corporate law, compliance and business integrity. She was most recently Chief Business Integrity Officer and Global Counsel for Business Integrity & Commercial Operations at Diageo plc, London, where she advised the Board on compliance matters worldwide. She earlier served as General Counsel for Diageo India, advising the Board of United Spirits Limited on governance and related matters, and held senior legal roles at Diageo across London, Mumbai and Bangalore, as well as at British Telecom in Singapore. She has also served as a non-executive director on the boards of United Spirits Limited and Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited. She holds a BA LL.B (Hons.) from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.

Melisha Charles

Senior Research Associate

Melisha is a lawyer and policy professional passionate about governance, legal reform and access to justice. She previously worked at the Commonwealth Secretariat on civil and criminal justice reform and, more recently, at the Bar Council of England and Wales on market access and international arbitration. Melisha enjoys research and has published papers on various topics. She is an avid reader and climbs rocks for fun.

Navaneeth Joshi

Research Associate

Navaneeth Joshi is a legal and public policy professional with experience in legislative research, governance, and political consulting. He has worked with elected representatives and government institutions on public policy, governance, and institutional reform, including as a LAMP Fellow (2024–25). His interests lie in judicial reforms, institutional design, and the functioning of public institutions.

Neelesh Hundekari

Distinguished Senior Fellow

Neelesh has over 21 years of consulting and industry experience across sectors such as consumer goods, retail, luxury, logistics, energy, and financial services. He has advised clients globally, with expertise in growth strategy, supply chain transformation, and performance improvement, particularly in consumer-facing industries. Neelesh has authored key studies on the Indian premium consumer and serves on CII’s core committees for Luxury, Lifestyle, and Textiles. He is also the Honorary Vice Chairman of the Bombay International School, Mumbai.

Ritima Singh

Senior Research Associate

Ritima is a lawyer by qualification and has undertaken diverse research work encompassing themes such as intersection of gender and competition law, measuring regulatory performance in India, data protection, regulatory challenges in the digital era, etc. With her Master’s from Jindal Global Law School, she specializes in Corporate and Financial Laws. She has presented her multidisciplinary approach through authored and co-authored contributions in various publications.

Rohith C H

Data Lead

Rohith is a public policy professional with experience in policy research and consultancy. He is a graduate of MPP from NLSIU and B.Com from Christ University. His areas of interest are state capacity building, governance, youth development and rural economy.

Saniya Nasarjung

Data Analyst

Saniya Nasarjung is a public policy professional with a strong focus on evidence-based research and institutional analysis. She has completed her Master’s in Public Policy at the National Law School of India University, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Ashoka University. Her work lies at the intersection of governance, state capacity, and digital public systems.

Shruti Namboodiri

Community Manager

Shruti is a development practitioner with extensive experience working on community develpment projects across India focused on livelihoods, education, community health, and women’s empowerment. Experienced in social research, project management, and communications, she is passionate about using her skills to facilitate a harmonious and sustainable relationship between people and their ecosystems, both built and natural. She is a postgraduate in Development Studies from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi.

Shruti Vidyasagar

Consulting Editor

Shruti is a lawyer and editor. She has pursued a varied legal practice in Bengaluru for several years, advising clients on matters ranging from contracts, employment, intellectual property, foreign investment and corporate compliance, to women 2019s rights and matrimonial law. She consults with several Indian and multinational companies on dealing with workplace sexual harassment. She also edits books and journals on law, society, development, business and management.Shruti has an undergraduate degree (B.A.L., LL.B.) from Bangalore University and a post-graduate degree (BCL) from the University of Oxford.

Smita Mutt

Strategic Initiatives Lead

Smita Mutt has a background in development consulting with a focus on public participation & accountability in public services. She is interested in leveraging data to assess performances of public institutions.She is a graduate of the University of Chicago and National Law School of India University.

Sunidhi Hegde

Research Associate

Sunidhi Hegde is a lawyer and public professional. She worked in litigation across trial, High Court and Supreme Court levels. Her previous work involved building a research and policy function at an implementation-based organisation in the climate and social development sector through secondary, field, and qualitative studies. During her free time, she enjoys reading fiction, watching films, and dancing.

Surya Prakash B S

Fellow and Programme Director

Surya Prakash B S is a chartered accountant and a law graduate with more than 14 years of corporate experience. He has been with DAKSH since December 2015

Vallari Dronamraju

Research Associate

Vallari is a lawyer specialising in commercial and financial laws. She graduated from the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi, in 2022, and has since gained experience working with the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and Saakshya Law. Her work focuses on regulatory architecture and policy development within the commercial and financial sectors and has a keen interest in shaping legal frameworks through research-driven recommendations. During her free time, Vallari enjoys reading, listening to music, and trekking in the mountains.

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