About Wadhwani Foundation
Wadhwani Foundation is a not-for-profit with the primary mission of accelerating economic development in emerging economies by driving job creation in India and other emerging economies through large-scale initiatives in entrepreneurship, small business growth, innovation, and skilling. Founded in 2003 by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dr Romesh Wadhwani, today, the Foundation is scaling impact in 20 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Romesh Wadhwani
- Silicon Valley entrepreneur and philanthropist
- Until 1999, built three successful companies, the last of which was exited at over $9 billion
- Founding Chairman and CEO of $3.5 billion Symphony Technology Group
- Founder and Chairman of Wadhwani Foundation (2003)
- Founding Chairman of PE firm Symphony AI (2018)
- Member of the Gates Buffet Giving Pledge
- Padma Shri 2020 awardee
- President Obama appointee to the Board of Trustees of the John. F. Kennedy Center
- Board Member of Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
Ajay Kela
Dr. Kela leads the Foundation’s initiatives globally and is driving its expansion across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
- Expanded Foundation’s initiatives across 20 countries and enabled over $100M of Govt. investment during the past eight years
- Scaled startup Symphony Services to $175M with eventual exit at $780M
- Grew AutoCAD business from $170M to $850M during 10 years at Autodesk
- PhD research on computer graphics lead to multi-million dollar products at GE and Autodesk
- B-Tech, IIT Bombay, India and Ph.D from University of Rochester, USA
Wadhwani Advantage Leadership Team
Samir Sathe
EVP, Wadhwani Advantage
Samir leads the Wadhwani Advantage program in India, focused on accelerating small business revenue and job growth.
- Advised and executed 200+ engagements for domestic and multinational, small and large businesses, in a diverse set of manufacturing and service industries
- 25-years of experience in India, Asia, Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, and US
- Master’s degree in consulting and coaching for change from INSEAD, France
- Attended ‘Leading Professional Service Firms’ at Harvard Business School and ‘Challenges of Global Poverty’ at MIT
Barsha Chatterjee
Experience of 20+ years in Training and Development, BD for delivering Training/Skilling Services
Rashmi Khurana
Successful, passionate team-oriented business leader with excellent track record 20+ years of experience