Sahapedia Team

Sudha is one of the founders of Sahapedia, as well as Vice President of Sahapedia's governing body. She has over thirty years of  experience in areas relating to policy, management, documentation and research pertaining to multiple aspects of Indian arts and heritage.  She received her PhD in Comparative Drama and Masters degree in English Language and Literature. She has prepared three successful  nomination dossiers for the recognition of three heritage expressions—Kutiyattam, Vedic Chanting and Ramlila—as UNESCO  Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’. Sudha was Mission Director, National Mission for Manuscripts, from  2003-2007. She has published 8 books (including original writing, translation and edited volumes) and contributed papers in national and  international publications.

Ayan graduated from NIFT (Delhi) and NID (Ahmedabad). He has worked with Getty Images as a photojournalist and IGNCA as a researcher, and has taught Communication Design at GD Goenka University. His current area of research is visual cultures of Southeast Asian countries.

Debojit studied English literature at Ambedkar University Delhi and journalism at School of Convergence. He has worked with The Quint and The Sunday Guardian, and his writings have appeared in publications such as Himal Southasian, The Wire and Motherland Magazine. Debojit is also a co-founder of the literary webzine Antiserious.

Deepak handles various responsibilities related to accounts, administrative and human resources. He has previously worked with CMC Ltd (now part of TCS). Deepak loves traveling, sports and music.

Dharmendra is responsible for the smooth running of the Sahapedia website and developing new projects. He holds an engineering degree in Computer Science and Engineering. Dharmendra has more than seven years of experience in industries such as publishing, education, NGO and travel.

With over 10 years of experience, Ela has worked with multiple organisations across sectors. She leads the outreach initiatives of Sahapedia and specialises in marketing, communications, partnerships and fundraising. Ela is passionate about empowering people and initiating social change. Ela is an avid reader and movie buff and loves to travel.

Mahesh studied BTech with specialisation in electronics and communications. He manages and maintains Sahapedia’s server and database of online repository.

Menaka is interested in community building and perceives archives and libraries as intimately connected to people. Her need to support communities she works with contributes towards her pursuit for personal clarity and connection.

Moby holds a master’s degree in history. She has previously worked with INTACH’s Heritage Education division as a coordinator and walk leader. Moby enjoys leading heritage walks and exploring monuments and architecture. A nature lover, she loves to sing, play badminton, and is a part of her church choir.

Neha has studied history, business administration and anthropology at universities in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Michigan. Neha has previously worked at IMRB and on multiple projects at the National Mission for Manuscripts. Having tried to learn Kiswahili, French and Spanish, she is now attempting the Carnatic violin.

Niharika Gupta studied literature and anthropology at the universities of Delhi and Oxford, and has worked in education, editing and translation, and programme management at Tibet House and the India International Centre.

Priya handles workshops and curated experiences for the marginalised. Her interest lies in modern and postmodern literature in English. She loves cooking and making people eat good food.

Ram has studied science, business administration, and cost and management accountancy, and is a certified CSR professional from IICA. He has worked for over two decades in the corporate and social sector. Ram is interested in music and languages, and has studied French at Inlingua and Alliance Francaise.

Shruti weaves stories out of the vast treasure trove of Sahapedia's research database. She is a trained journalist, who has worked with publications such as Mint, Businessworld and IndianExpress.com. A traveller and foodie at heart, her life's goal is to travel the world, and get paid for it.

A post-graduate in Literature from the University of Kerala, Sindhu’s translations from Malayalam into English have been published by Oxford University Press, International Collective in Support of Fishworkers and D.C. Books. She loves to read travelogues and books on mountaineering. Despite her weak knees, she dreams of climbing up to base camp on Mount Everest one day.

Soniya studied journalism and communication at Manipal University, Bangalore, and advertising and public relations at IIMC, Delhi. She has worked with CNBC Network18, WAT Consult, and Vibgyor Brand Services, and volunteered with Snow Leopard Conservancy in Ladakh. She hopes to travel the world and capture captivating stories.

Upama studied English literature at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and has a certificate in publishing from the Seagull School of Publishing. She has worked with Niyogi Books and Rupa Publications in the past. Upama believes ‘There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in’.

Vaibhav has trained in heritage conversation and management. A founder member of Sahapedia, he is responsible for resource development and operations. Vaibhav has worked with National Mission for Manuscripts and Sangeet Natak Akademi. He is passionate about leveraging technology to reach travellers, students and enthusiasts.

Akash is responsible for the smooth running of the organisation. He acts as a conduit between the rest of the team and is often the voice at the other end of the telephone when you call Sahapedia. Akash loves listening to music but refuses to list favourites.

Bhavya has a background in history and design research. She has worked as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator with Penguin Random House and Bloomsbury, and artistes like Prateek Kuhad and Peter Cat Recording Co. She enjoys Russian and Japanese literature, and wants to be a mangaka and animator.

Trained in computer sciences and management, Abhinav has worked across technology, design, ecological rights movements and is invested in nudging communities closer to their roots. He enjoys co-creating joyous forms of expression with children. A musafir at heart, he spends months gossiping with birds, trees and people wherever he goes.

Nemisha has completed her Masters in Philosophy from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. She hopes to widen the scope of philosophical and anthropological research by turning to alternative epistemologies that might also include psychological and cultural phenomena. She has previously worked at Ashoka University as a Teaching Fellow and spends her free time watching mundane TV shows and Friends.

Simran studied history at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. She wants to learn to overcome ostensible differences to understand cultures and lives vastly different from her own. She loves reading and drawing and hopes to publish her own illustrated novel someday.

Sivapriya worked in publishing for a little over two decades, heading Penguin Classics and fiction in translation at Penguin India, and the fiction list at Juggernaut Books. She has always been interested in narratives and the crafting of them. At Sahapedia, she’s learning how best to tell stories of culture.

A dancer, actress, public policy wonk, gender and environmental activist, Padmapriya has been juggling different passions for the past two decades. At Sahapedia, she is leading the work on mapping the cultural traditions, arts and heritage of Indian cities and hopes to build frameworks for cultural policymaking. She has trained at NYU and NLS Bangalore.

An undergrad from IIT Delhi and graduate from MIT, Rachna has worked in analytics and consulting. She is the founder of TripMyWay, which works in the culture and technology sector. Rachna is interested in how societies and technology interact and is excited about enabling great storytelling at Sahapedia.

Sindhuri has studied art history at the University of Hyderabad. Sindhuri has previously worked at museums like the National Museum and National Rail Museum. She loves discovering the most obscure museums while traveling to a new place. Her current area of research is Hygiene and sanitation museums in India.