SOIL Report 2008 - ACCESS Development Services

Mona DikshitMona Dikshit has been actively involved in livelihoods and microfinance for over 15 years. Starting witha career in Seva Mandir, she went ahead to work with NDDB and in Tamil Nadu Oilseed growers’ federation.This was followed by a stint with Swiss Development Cooperation in managing the Credit andFinancial Services Fund set up within NABARD, and a technical assistance programme for promotionof non-farm sector based livelihoods in 8 states of India. She has served as an independent consultantfor Sir Ratan Tata Trust, and as a Program Manager of BASIX on initiating microfinance and livelihoodpromotion operations in Madhya Pradesh. Recently, she has been involved the establishment of theIndian School for Livelihood Promotion and in the reform of Primary and District level credit cooperativesocieties in Madhya Pradesh.Orlanda RuthvenOrlanda has been based in India since 1998 where she came with DFID’s private sector developmentprogramme to work on microfinance, small enterprise support and corporate social responsibility. Afterundertaking research and consultancy in microfinance, she pursued a PhD (University of Oxford, 2008),studying ethics in the workplace in a north Indian city exporting metal homeware to stores in Europeand America. Before joining DFID in 1996, she worked for two livelihood-focused NGOs in Londonand Sri Lanka. She has a degree in anthropology (Manchester) and a Masters in development studies(SOAS). She has worked with Impactt since July 2007.Preeti SahaiPreeti Sahai has a mix of both mainstream financial and development experience. Her basic qualificationsare in economics and finance, and initially worked on research and client advisory in the stock markets.Her experience in the social development sector includes research, analytical studies, strategy paperson livelihoods and microfinance, and policy work with state and central governments. She has handledrelationships and liaised with sectoral institutions and donor agencies. Her consulting experience coversrural finance and livelihoods, including the financial cooperative structure in India. She has managed afund in BASIX, which incubates livelihood ideas. Preeti is currently handing field operations in a fewslums of Delhi, and has set up and manages a Technology Assisted Financial Inclusion project.Ramesh S ArunachalamRamesh Arunachalam, Senior Consultant, Microfinance Consulting Group, works with low incomegroups, the private Sector, MFIs, NGOs, Governments, multi-laterals, bi-laterals and other stakeholders,in areas of delivering finance and other services to low income groups. He also advises on the useof information technology for financial intermediation, better governance and urban infrastructuredevelopment. Ramesh has worked on over 300 assignments in Asia, Africa, Europe and North Americaduring the last 23 years.Sankar DattaDr. Sankar Datta, is the Dean of the Livelihood School and also Director of the Indian Grameen Services.Dr Datta has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and animal husbandry from GB Pant AgricultureUniversity, Pantnagar, Uttar Pradesh, a post graduate diploma in Rural Management from the Instituteof Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat and a PhD in Economics from the Sardar Patel University, Gujarat.He was at MP Oilseeds Co-operative Federation, PRADAN and IIM-Ahmedabad, before joiningthe faculty of the Institute of Rural Management, Anand for five years. Dr. Datta has been involved inextending professional services for rural development activities, specially focusing on livelihood promotion,working with micro-enterprises for over two decades.Smita PremchanchanderDr. Smita Premchander is Secretary of Sampark, an NGO engaged with poverty reduction through215