New Delhi, December 15, 2025: The Gates Foundation has announced the appointment of Archna Vyas as its Country Director for India. In her new role, Vyas will lead the foundation’s work in the country, working closely with central and state governments, philanthropists, civil society organisations, academia, and the private sector to advance the foundation’s priorities in alignment with the Government of India’s vision of Viksit Bharat.
The Gates Foundation has been working in India since 2003, partnering with government and other stakeholders across sectors including healthcare, sanitation, gender equality, agriculture, digital public infrastructure, education, and financial empowerment. Over the past two decades, India has made notable progress in health and economic development, with domestically driven innovation emerging as a model for sustainable and scalable change.
Prior to her appointment, Vyas served as Global Director for Global Policy and Advocacy at the Gates Foundation, where she led work across growth, opportunity, and empowerment portfolios. She brings experience in country-level and global engagements, with a focus on strategic policy efforts, partnership building, and external communications across areas such as digital public infrastructure, agriculture, sanitation, nutrition, education, and women’s economic empowerment. Vyas joined the foundation in 2014 and has worked across its health and poverty alleviation initiatives in India.
Before joining the Gates Foundation, she held leadership roles in communications and digital marketing across South and Southeast Asia and supported Middle East and North Africa markets for Reckitt. She has also worked with leading marketing and advertising organisations. Vyas holds a master’s degree in physics from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate diploma in business administration from the Institute of Management Technology.
Archna Vyas said, “India is our most significant country partnership, and her domestically driven model of innovation and progress shows how sustainable, transformative change can uplift millions. The strength of India’s talent and intellect, spanning world-class research, science, and technology, has made the country a global engine of R&D and innovation. Solutions pioneered here are already shaping development outcomes far beyond India’s borders. I look forward to working closely with governments, communities, philanthropists, and our partners to support the Government of India’s vision of becoming a developed economy by 2047, and to help bring India’s insights and innovations to the world.”
Ankur Vora, Chief Strategy Officer, Gates Foundation, said, “Archna brings a deep understanding of India’s development and innovation landscape and a demonstrated record of building partnerships that deliver impactful results. As the first woman to lead the India Office, we are delighted to have her at the helm at such a pivotal moment in India’s growth and global leadership journey. Her appointment comes as India’s dynamic innovation ecosystem continues to generate solutions with global relevance, deepening a partnership with the Gates Foundation that has grown over more than two decades.”
Vyas succeeds Hari Menon, who has led the Gates Foundation’s India Country Office since 2019 and will transition to a global leadership role beginning January 2026.
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