About us

Abhilash is a Grants Associate at the Mariwala Health Initiative. He has completed his Master's in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Abhilash has previously worked on issues of homeless persons with mental illness, labour rights and the implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017. He is interested in the intersection of gender, caste, homelessness and mental health. He also has freelance experience as a content writer and has contributed to various publications.

Mahroof holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Hindu College, University of Delhi, and further pursued a Master's degree in M.A Social Work in Mental Health from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. His professional journey as a dedicated social worker has led him to passionately engage in the realms of mental health and disability rights. Mahroof's focus revolves around driving positive change in the spheres of accessibility, awareness, and affordability. Currently, at MHI, he serves as an Associate - New Initiatives. In this capacity, he has been entrusted with the management of strategic projects, diligently coordinating project activities, and overseeing the delegation of tasks.

Aleen has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Applied Psychology from Ramanujan College, Delhi and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai respectively. At MHI, they are working as an Associate (Indigenous Mental Health). They have previously worked as a trainee counsellor (under supervision) and on research projects during their educational period. Their interest lies in mental health interventions, policies, practitioner’s education, power dynamics within the field, diverse human experiences and the construction of self and culture. In their spare time, Aleen observes the world, tries to capture its complexities and then consumes media content about it.

Amalina (she/her) has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Post-Graduate Diploma in psychology from FLAME University, Pune. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Social Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has conducted research on a wide variety of social science topics, including trauma-related disorders in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. At MHI, she works as a training associate, and is involved in the administration, impact assessment and curriculum review of MHI’s various training programs. She is interested in studying the impact of the lack of accessible reproductive healthcare on mental health.

Anugraha is Communications Manager at MHI. She is an editor and storyteller who has spent her professional life at the intersection of digital media and social justice. She has experience in training writers on social justice reporting, leading digital campaigns, and as a communications consultant in the development sector. Anugraha graduated in Journalism from Delhi University and received her post-graduate degree in International Journalism from Cardiff University.

Candice (she/her) is the Manager of the Training Team at MHI.  She has 14 years of experience in the field of disability and mental health as a mental health practitioner, researcher, and educator. Candice has an MASW in Disability Studies and Action from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and an MPhil in Psychiatric Social Work from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru. In her role as Manager of the Training Team, Candice oversees the execution of the team's work, communication, budget and development.

Darshan Vaghela is a Finance Analyst at MHI, leveraging over six years of experience in Accounts and Taxation. He has proficiency in general accounting, taxation, and audits, with a distinct focus on Forensic Audits. His responsibilities span comprehensive financial partner reviews, managing budgets for partners, and overseeing organization-level budgeting. He seamlessly aligns his skills and experience with MHI's objectives, contributing to financial prudence and optimal fund utilization. He holds a CA Intermediate certification from The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Debashree is a Grants Associate at Mariwala Health Initiative. She has a Master's in Applied Psychology from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and has experience working in academia in the past. She is greatly enthusiastic to learn more about the intersections of gender and mental health. Debashree also has an interest in animal behavior and literature.

Fizza Hasan is the Content & Social Media Associate at MHI. She has worked primarily in content, communication and social strategy — with focus on topics such as gender-based violence, sexual & reproductive health, economic empowerment, and climate justice. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Literature, and Political Science.

Mr. Mariwala, who leads Marico Limited as its Chairman, founded Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI) in 2015. He is also Chairman and Managing Director of Kaya Limited. Over the past three decades, he has transformed a traditional, commodities-driven business into a leading consumer products and services company in the Beauty and Wellness area. Under his leadership, Marico has received numerous awards, and over 100 external recognition. Mr Mariwala was President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 2011.

Mangala Honawar, PhD is Lead, Grants at MHI. Her experience spanning 15 years includes diverse roles as a social worker, project coordinator, project head, teaching associate and fieldwork supervisor. She led the access to justice portfolio at one of the largest philanthropies in India and her areas of expertise include project management and implementation, grant management, liaison with government departments across themes such as violence against women and children, homelessness, community policing, prison reforms, victim restoration and de-notified tribes. She has completed her PhD on recidivism among women offenders from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Mayura is a Content and Social Media Associate at MHI. She has 12 years of experience working with Broadcast and Digital media. Her work so far has been focused on caste, gender, culture and cinema. She has experience in training media students and faculty on critical perspective building on mass media & content creation. Mayura did her Bachelors in Mass Media with specialization in Journalism from Mumbai University and Masters in Media and Cultural Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. 

Nawaz is a Grants Manager at MHI. He has over 7 years of experience across sectors and has joined MHI after being associated with different civil society organisations, primarily in Rajasthan, working on issues of labour rights, transparency, food and social security having Constitutional values and rights as the underlying principle. His experience lies in programme management, organisational development, youth capacity building and working with the government.

Priti Sridhar is CEO at MHI. She focuses on building the Grants portfolio which is primarily community led, spearheads the advocacy initiatives where she leads the work on Suicide Prevention, Workplace Mental Health, working with government and collaborating with Funders to invest in mental health. Priti has been able to conceptualise and implement programs and training to build the mental health ecosystem in India. She has 25 years of work experience and has worked with Not-for-profit organisations working on the issue of Mental health, Child Rights and Homelessness as well with For-Profit organisations in Banking, Financial Services and Ratings. Priti has extensive knowledge in Finance, Strategy and HR and aims to combine these experiences with her interests in rights-based mental health to spotlight and support organisations and leaders providing community-based interventions.

Raj Mariwala is Director, MHI. Apart from being a practicing canine and feline behaviourist,  Raj is also a board member of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People.

Saisha is a Research Manager at MHI. Her experience includes grantmaking and research in community-based mental health in India, accessible mental health care, and intersectoral perspectives in mental health and suicide prevention. She holds a MSc in Global Mental Health and Society from the University of Edinburgh (2023), and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bard College. Apart from community-based mental health work, Saisha’s interests include media analysis on issues of identity.

Shruti Chakravarty, PhD, (cis woman; pronouns: she, her) has 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, as a mental health practitioner, researcher, trainer, and social worker. Her areas of engagement have been mental health, gender and sexuality, from a rights-based perspective. She has an independent therapeutic practice based in Mumbai, has in-depth experience working with LGBTQIA+ clients in the therapeutic space, and has co-authored Queer Affirmative Counselling Practice (QACP): A Resource Book for Mental Health Practitioners in India. She has completed her PhD on the subject of queer intimacies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Shruti is Chief Advisor at Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI) and also faculty at the Queer Affirmative Counselling Practice course run by MHI.

Smriti (she/her) has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a PG Diploma in Interwoven Arts from Krea University. She has dedicated five years to working with underprivileged and marginalised rural communities, focusing on promoting education accessibility and women’s empowerment through the ‘Jagriti’ project. Her impactful work earned her team the runner-up position at The Global Education & Leadership Foundation and the title of Changemaker from the Ashoka Youth Venture, recognising her efforts in addressing complex social and economic issues in rural India. Smriti researched to explore the relationship between sports engagement and its impact on alleviating loneliness among college students. At Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI), she serves as a Training Associate, coordinating the flagship Queer Affirmative Counselling Practice Course and spearheading a Suicide Prevention project focusing on the LGBTQI+ community.

Vandana (she/ they) is a Grants Associate at MHI. She has completed her Master's in Social Work in Mental Health from BALM-TISS, Chennai. She has worked in content localization and translation in parallel to her education for the past 4 years. She has a keen interest in the area of social justice.

Dr. Vaishali is a Grants Manager at MHI. She holds a Phd in Women’s Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Hyderabad. Dr. Vaishali has 15 years of experience with NGOs, Government Institutions, International and national networks and rights’ based movements across themes such as women’s health, dalit rights, manual scavenging and unorganised workers’ rights. Vaishali has training expertise in topics like gender and health. She is also a certified mental health professional.

Grants Associate at MHI, holds a background in Philosophy from the University of Delhi. Worked in community service with welfare committees of tribal organisations and Naga communities in Delhi for 6 years. Experience includes program coordination in disability management with NGOs. Interested in the mental health of Indigenous communities and their lived experiences.

Amalina Kohli Dave is a mental health activist, user-survivor, who has organised queer mental health discussion groups and co-hosted a series of workshops about mental health in theatre . She has also started support groups for people with chronic illness, including chronic pain and autoimmune illness. Her previous research includes studies on race and mental health access as well as queer persons experiences with cishet mental health professionals. While Amalina's day job is in rare book restoration, she has studied Gender and is inspired by a feminist disability rights approach and crip theory.

Kiran is a young doctor from B J Medical College Pune and his aiming to do his MD. In the past, he has actively worked with an organization working towards making caste affirmative mental health services available for people from Bahujan communities. His interests lie in making institutes of higher learning safe spaces for caste marginalized students. In the near future, he hopes to train mental health professionals on protocols for working with clients from marginalized castes.

Poonam Pardesi is blind since birth, and has a total of 16 years of work experience in the social sector. She is a trained social worker from TISS Mumbai, and currently works as a Programme Officer with Aide et Action International, a Switzerland based Funder as part of the Programme Development and Support Unit. Poonam believes that disability issues must be placed as human rights issues, and as part of humanity and human diversity.

Ruby Hembrom is an Adivasi cultural documentarian and practitioner based in Kolkata. She is the founder of adivaani (first voices), an archiving and publishing outfit of and by Adivasis (the indigenous peoples of India) started in July 2012 as a non-profit organization. She is the writer of adivaani’s Santal Creation Stories for children, a recast of the Santal Creation myths in English and the prize-winning Disaibon Hul, on the Santal Rebellion of 1855–57. Her documentation initiative grew out of a need to claim Adivasi stake in historical and contemporary social, cultural, and literary spaces and as peoples.