President

Hema is a social, rural and development research expert, published author, and entrepreneur, with over 25 years of research experience. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PGDBA) from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Gujarat University.

Over the course of a rich career, she has led a wide variety of social and rural research projects across the length and breadth of India, and in countries in all corners of the world.

• A study on Diarrhoea in Rural India. Commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and UNICEF, this study, covered 35 regions across 16 states in India. This study also led to the publication of her first book ‘Diarrhoea in Rural India (Vision Books, 1988).
• A study among key influencers of HIV Vaccine Utilization Policies across 27 countries
• HIV Vaccine Uptake – a barriers and drivers study across 9 countries
• Immunization Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study. conducted in 12 districts across as many states.
• Water & Environmental Sanitation. This KAP study covered 8 states and involved detailed and in-depth discussions and interviews across close to 100 villages. Recommendations to the Rural Drinking Water Mission from this study were implemented over the years and a subsequent study showed distinct improvements in access to water in rural India.
• A seven-year study to assess behaviour change for Safe and Effective use of Pesticides: As a member of the International Steering Committee for this project, with responsibility for managing the study across three countries, India, Mexico and Zimbabwe. The results were published in a book titled \"Safe and Effective Use of Crop Protection Products in Developing Countries”, CABI Publishing, UK.
• A KABP study on AIDS in Myanmar. Commissioned by UNICEF, this study sought to understand and map attitudes to the AIDS threat.