VK Madhavan

Chief Executive WaterAid, India


Following a Master's in International Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1991, Madhavan commenced working with the Urmul Rural Health Research and Development Trust in Bikaner district, Rajasthan where he worked in various capacities till 1998. Subsequently, Madhavan worked with ActionAid and The Hunger Project in New Delhi following which he spent eight years working in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand with the Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (Chirag). Between 2013 and 2016, Madhavan was Managing Director of Skills Education Private Limited, a company that provided youth with access to information, skills and opportunities leading to employment. From May 2016, Madhavan has been the Chief Executive of WaterAid India. In his years as a development professional, Madhavan has worked on an integrated approach to rural development - community health, primary education, natural resource management, on and off-farm livelihoods and investing in young people.