Our People

Inakshi Sobti, Chief Executive Officer

Inakshi Sobti is the Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Society India Centre. With extensive experience in education, research and business she is responsible for leading Asia Society’s mission and mandate in India and building a greater engagement across business, foreign policy and the arts between India, the rest of Asia and the US.

Prior to joining Asia Society she spent seven years with Harvard Business School’s India Research Centre leading Community Initiatives for them in South Asia. In this role she worked closely with HBS faculty, its South Asia Advisory Board and alumni to shape & implement the school’s strategy in the region and to deepen linkages with leaders in business, government and academia in South Asia. She curated and convened a series of conversations, conferences, research roundtables and led alumni delegations across South Asia making the HBS South Asia Centre an intellectual hub for academic and global expertise in the region. While at HBS, she also co-authored the center’s first case on Nepal, Chaudhary Group: Re-building Nepal as also a case on family business on the engineering company Thermax Ltd: Changing of the Guard.

Previously, she spent over 15 years with Citigroup India in its Corporate and Investment bank supporting senior corporate relationships over a spectrum of industries developing a comprehensive understanding of banking, credit and financial markets. 

An alumnus from The Lady Shriram College, Delhi University and the London School of Economics, she is an avid reader and has a keen interest in art and aesthetics. Committed to inclusion and social enterprise, she serves as a mentor for a not for profit called Katalyst and has supported Ummeed and the Akanksha Foundation.

You can connect with Inakshi at isobti@asiasociety.org

Radha Mahendru, Director- Strategic Partnerships and Development

Radha Mahendru is the Director Development and Strategic Partnerships at the Asia Society India Centre. She has vast experience in arts management, curating and programming. For the last ten years, she has worked with cultural organizations, furthering their mandate through conceptualising and executing their public programmes, exhibitions, and special events and has lead fundraising initiatives, collaborations and partnerships for grassroots and global art-based initiatives. She was the senior programmes manager and curator at Khoj International Artists Association till 2019 and a curatorial member of the Norient Film Festival, Switzerland, Abr Circle and Art Chain India.

An alumnus of Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore, she is the co-author of The Horizon is An Imaginary Line, an ethnographic graphic novel about a young Somali woman’s encounter as a refugee in India.

You can connect with Radha at rmahendru@asiasociety.org

Karishma Talwar, Programme Manager

Karishma serves as the Programme Manager for Business and Policy at Asia Society India Centre. Prior to joining the organisation, she graduated with a Masters’ in International Studies and Diplomacy from School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Prior to her Masters’ she was a Consultant with Michael Page India and holds an MBA with a specialisation in Marketing and Human Resources. 

You can connect with Karishma at ktalwar@asiasociety.org

Ketaki Varma, Programme Manager

Ketaki is Programme Manager for Arts and Culture at Asia Society India Centre. She has previously worked as an arts administrator and researcher with various arts organizations in India and abroad, notably Serendipity Arts Foundation and Critical Collective. She is interested in the visual cultures of South Asia, specifically the intersection between popular cinema and contemporary art. Ketaki graduated with a Masters in Art and Cultural Management from King's College London.

You can connect with Ketaki at kvarma@asiasociety.org

Taarini Savara, Programme Officer

Taarini is the Programme Officer for Arts and Culture at Asia Society India Centre. In the past, she has worked as an Administrator and Researcher with multiple Art Organisations including the Rubin Museum of Art (New York) and Serendipity Arts Foundation (New Delhi). While her interest in the arts spectrum is dynamic, her research has revolved around art accessibility and education initiatives. Taarini holds a Bachelors in Fine Arts from LaSalle College of Arts, Singapore and recently graduated with a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of San Francisco.

You can connect with Taarini at tsavara@asiasociety.org.

Jayashri Ramesh Sundaram, Programme Officer

Jayashri is Programme Officer for Business and Policy at Asia Society India Centre. She researches and works at the cross-section of policy, politics, and global affairs. She has worked in multiple capacities with NGOs and in the field of political consultancy. Apart from her regular work, she writes academic articles and papers, especially on refugee policies. She holds a Masters in International Relations from S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU Singapore, and a bachelors degree in Journalism from M.O.P Vaishnav College Chennai, India.

You can connect with Jayashri at jsundaram@asiasociety.org

Rohan Khattar Singh, Programme Assistant

Rohan is Programme Assistant for Special Projects, Social Media and Communications. He has previously worked at the Centre for Air Power Studies as a Research Associate and Nivia Sports as Assistant Manager of Communications. Rohan holds a Bachelor's in International Relations with a minor in Asian Studies from James Madison University, Virginia. He also holds a Master's degree in Diplomacy, Law & Business with a specialization in Peace and Conflict Studies from O.P Jindal Global University in Sonipat. 

You can connect with Rohan at rsingh@asiasociety.org. 

Rachna Shah, Administrative Officer

Rachna is the Administrative Officer at Asia Society India Centre. She is responsible for carrying out tasks involving finance, human resources and administration among others. Rachna has been working with the India Centre for more than 13 years. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Arts from the University of Mumbai.

You can connect with Rachna at rshah@asiasociety.org