Press Release: Arghyam Announces the Retirement of Rohini Nilekani as the Chairperson

Arghyam announces the retirement of Rohini Nilekani as the Chairperson; Sunita Nadhamuni is appointed as the new Chairperson 

Since its inception, Arghyam has operated via an endowment of Rs 150 CR provided by Ms Rohini Nilekani in her personal capacity. 

Bengaluru, June 28, 2021: Arghyam Foundation announced that Rohini Nilekani has decided to retire from the foundation on September 30, 2021, as Chairperson and Member of the Board. Sunita Nadhamuni, currently Member of the Board at Arghyam and Head of Digital LifeCare, Dell Giving and Social Innovation at Dell Technologies, has been appointed to the position, effective October 1, 2021. 

Rohini Nilekani has been the Founder – Chairperson of Argyham, a foundation she set up in 2001 as a vehicle for her personal philanthropy, and which, since 2005, has been working exclusively on water sector issues. 

Talking about her retirement, Rohini Nilekani said: “Every organization needs a churning of its leadership to stay energetic and to bring innovation and new wisdom to its work. I have immense gratitude to the Board, the team, and to every one of our partners in civil society and in the government, for all we have worked on together. I hope I will always remain a spokesperson for better equity and sustainability in water. I am also delighted that the Board has appointed Sunita Nadhamuni as the next Chairperson of Arghyam.” 

Sunita Nadhamuni has been associated with the Foundation over the years as a Trustee and was the first CEO of Arghyam in 2005. Sunita is a technology professional with a decade of IT experience in the Silicon Valley, followed by a decade as a social entrepreneur in the development sector in India. She is currently the Head of Digital LifeCare, a social impact initiative of Dell Technologies driving digital transformation of public health services. As partner to Government of India for the Ayushman Bharat NCD (Non-communicable Diseases) program, their technology platform has been deployed in 28 states with 100 million people enrolled across the country. 

Commenting on her appointment, Sunita said: “I am privileged and humbled to take on the role of Chairperson of Arghyam succeeding Rohini. Under Rohini’s committed and visionary leadership, Arghyam has built up a rich body of work in diverse communities across the country through a strong network of partners and Government. I thank her deeply for her trust in me and look forward to working with the Board, Mala and the team as Arghyam continues its mission of equity and sustainability of water for all. 

Talking about the transition, Mala Subramaniam, CEO of Arghyam Foundation said: “Rohini’s vision and passion for equity and justice in water has been embedded deeply and firmly in what we do as Arghyam. It has been a shining light guiding us for all these years and I have no doubt that it will continue to drive us into the future. I welcome Sunita and together, we look forward to building on this foundation to enable more people toward better water security in the country.”