Dr. Janhavi Nilekani is a public policy professional working in maternal health. She is a 2018 alumna of Harvard where she completed her PhD in Public Policy, and holds a 2010 BA, cum laude, in Economics and International Studies from Yale.
Janhavi’s personal experience with childbirth in India left her feeling disempowered and disappointed. It brought to light the inadequate standard of maternity care in the country, and deeply inspired Janhavi to instigate change.
In 2019, she founded Aastrika Foundation, supported by Nilekani Philanthropies. Aastrika Foundation strives for India wide improvements in the quality of maternal healthcare, through capacity building initiatives and professional midwifery training programmes.
Janhavi founded Aastrika Midwifery Centre in 2021, an interdisciplinary birth centre in Bangalore. AMC provides ethical, evidence-based, respectful maternity care, and a team that supports mothers through every stage of their journey.
Anushree Kini is a HungryTraveller extraordinaire, a creative storyteller, a performing arts instructor, a mother of two, a partner, and more.
Anushree is a Board Director at AastarUrmika Health Systems, known as Aastrika Foundation. She uses her background in social work and legal justice to contribute to Aastrika’s mission of increasing access to high quality, respectful maternity care for 25 million women annually by 2025. Anushree is also a Board Director at AastarUrmika Health Care Pvt. Ltd, which operates Aastrika Midwifery Centre.
Through her experience with HungryTraveller, Anushree has built a deep understanding of the needs of young mothers, the challenges they face, and their incredible strengths. She brings this context into her work to ensure that expecting mothers are able to inform themselves, advocate for themselves, seek necessary help, and have an empowered, evidence-based birth.
Anushree holds a 2008 Masters in Social Work from TISS, Mumbai, and a 2006 BA in Psychology, Sociology, and Economics from Christ University.
Rohini and Nandan Nilekani serve as advisors to Aastrika and bring a wealth of experience and thought leadership. They support key decision making and provide valuable strategic counsel and mentorship.
Rohini Nilekani is the former Chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation she set up to work on safe, sustainable water. She was the Co-Founder of Pratham Books which she set up in 2004, to democratise the joy of reading for children. Nandan is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Infosys Technologies Limited. He was the Founding Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in the rank of a Cabinet Minister from 2009 – 2014.
Most recently, Nandan and Rohini co-founded EkStep, a not-for-profit effort to create a learner centric, technology based platform to improve basic literacy and numeracy for millions of children.
