BOARD OF TRUSTEES


 Kamayani Jalan, Chairperson

President, Crafts Council, New Delhi

Kamayani Jalan is a post graduate in philosophy from Delhi University. She has been a very active member and volunteer with Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) for many years and served as a treasurer for 15 years. She also has been involved with the craft sector over a long period and currently serves as the President of Delhi Craft Council. She is a long-time Sadhna board member and supporter.

 

 
 Smriti Kedia, Member Secretary
Chief Executive, Sadhna
Smriti has spent over 15 years in the Development Sector in India working on community-led enterprise models with a focus on women and adolescents. She has worked extensively in reproductive health and on migration and workers in the unorganized sector. She is a founder-trustee at Plus Trust, an organization incubating rural women entrepreneurs in India since 2008.  She is also a board member of the Fair-Trade Forum of India. 

 

 

  R S Rekhi, Trustee

Operating Partner- India Nivesh Growth
An IRMA alumnus, R.S. Rekhi has worked extensively in the retail industry, largely with the Future Group, including Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, Mother Earth and Aadhaar Retail. Since 2014, he has been associated with the National Rural Livelihoods Mission. He considers it a privilege to be associated with Sadhna since 2000 and witness its journey of growth.

 

 

 

 Neelima Khetan, Trustee

Former Group Head - CSR, Vedanta Group

Neelima Khetan, is a senior CSR and Social Sector expert with over 3 decades of experience. She has worked with leading for-profit and non-profit organizations in the country. Her current affiliations include serving as the Visiting Fellow with Centre for Social and Economic Progress (earlier called Brookings India) and Partner, Nous Consultants.

 

 

 Ronak Shah,Trustee
Chief Executive, Seva Mandir
Ronak Shah has spent nearly twenty years in the development sector. Associated with Seva Mandir since 2007, he founded the associated community-owned company, Udaipur UrjaInititives in 2014, and became the Chief Executive in 2018. Ronak holds a Master's degree in Environmental Planning from the Centre of Environmental Planning and Technology, and a Master's degree in International Development (focusEnvironment) from the University of Manchester.

 

 

 

 Roopa Mehta,Trustee

CEO, SASHA, Kolkata

Roopa Mehta is the CEO of Sasha Association for Craft Producers (“Sasha”) and the Secretary of Sarba Shanti Ayog (SSA), its associate development organization. Sasha/SSA provides business support inputs and market access for sustainable livelihoods to artisan groups. She is the President of World Fair Trade Organization, Netherlands , the Managing Trustee of RuroAgro Services Association as well as a Board Member of All India Artisans and Craftspersons Association (AIACA).

 

 

 

Prof. Dr. Vandana Bhandari, Trustee
Professor at National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi
Dr. Bhandari’s area of expertise is fashion, dress, craft and textile. She brings new dimensions to the research of textile traditions and sustainability of crafts in India. Her teaching has focused on traditional Indian textiles, Indian dress, craft studies, fashion, forecasting and product development.  Her research encompasses economic sustainability for craft persons, craft-based studies, and ethnographic studies on dress and fashion in India. Dr. Bhandari is currently leading a national craft project titled USTTAD at NIFT.  

 

 

 

Bindu Yadav, Trustee
Artisan, Sadhna
Bindu Yadav was elected as an artisan trustee of Sadhna in 2021. Bindu Yadav migrated to Udaipur from her village under financial duress in 2010. Surprised to see her neighbours working on hand embroidered fabrics, she inquired and soon joined Sadhna as an artisan.  She is now a skilled and active artisan, proudly leading a group of 19 women.  She takes a lead to motivate her group members to be proactive for their families’ healthcare and child welfare in addition to providing guidance in embroidery.

 

 

 

Asha Yadav, Trustee
Artisan, Sadhna
Asha Yadav was elected as an artisan trustee of Sadhna in 2021. From the village of Delwada, Asha learned of Sadhna from her mother-in-law, a senior artisan, at the young age of 18. Now, 15 years later, she is an expert artisan.  She learned embroidery quickly, progressing from simple patterns to complex design.  As an expert artisan, her skill and knowledge are indispensable for Sadhna.  Asha also teaches other artisans and serves as the group leader for Delwada’s first block. 

 

 

 

 

 Leela Vijayvergia, Trustee

Former CEO - Sadhna
Leela Vijayvergia initiated her journey with Seva Mandir in 1992 and was instrumental in conceptualizing and building Sadhna. She went on to head Sadhna as the Chief Executive from 2004 – 2014. She has been on the board of Sadhna since 2014 and has served as a board member of Fair-Trade Forum of India for six years until 2014.