Aajeevika Bureau is a public service organisation committed to protecting the rights and well-being of migrant workers in India’s vast informal workforce. Aajeevika was conceived in response to the growing, all-pervasive reality of migration becoming central to the survival of rural poor. Despite their enormous contributions to India’s economic prosperity, migrant workers remain on the margins – they earn meagre wages, work and live in precarious conditions, lack legal rights and do not avail of basic social security or services. Aajeevika Bureau seeks to bring lasting change in these conditions confronting migrant workers and their communities – both in their rural homes and in their urban destinations.
In the geographies of our direct presence, we function through a network of “Shramik Sahayata evam Sandarbh Kendras” (Workers Facilitation Centres). These centres are located in rural blocks of south Rajasthan and correspondingly, in high density urban centres of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Our interventions support workers in migration sensitive sectors – construction, small manufacturing and processing, hotels and restaurants, transportation, agriculture etc.
Within the wide canvas of migration that’s taking place across the country, Aajeevika’s work is focused on supporting vulnerable segments within migration dependent communities across the western-Indian migration corridor.
At the rural end of this migration corridor, our work spans multiple districts in the tribal belt of south Rajasthan (populated by Bhil, Garasiya and Meena tribe), which serve as key source regions from where workers migrate to seek employment in the informal economy of cities.
This migration is seasonal and circular in nature, triggered by factors like marginal land-holding, low value agriculture, and the local economy’s inability to meet demands for non-farm employment. Districts in Rajasthan that are currently covered by our programmes include – Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara, Sirohi, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Jodhpur and Barmer.
At the urban end, we are located in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore – all massive recipients of migrant workers from Rajasthan and elsewhere in the country.
Rajiv Khandelwal
Co-Founder and Executive Director
Rajiv is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Aajeevika Bureau. In this role he oversees the organisation’s strategies, programmes, liaison, fundraising and capacity building functions. Over the course of his 30 year career, Rajiv has held leadership roles in a range of non-profit organisations, implementing programmes, conducting research and providing advice and guidance to NGOs, donors and government in Rajasthan. Rajiv worked for many years with the tribal communities of Southern Rajasthan, implementing large scale agricultural change programmes. The idea of Aajeevika Bureau took seed at this time, when Rajiv saw a significant change in livelihoods from farming to wage labour. Rajiv was named an Ashoka Fellow (2005) and India Social Entrepreneur of the Year (2010). He holds a degree in rural management from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand. Rajiv can be reached at [email protected].
Krishnavatar Sharma
Co-Founder and Chief Mentor
Krishnavatar is Co-Founder and Chief Mentor at Aajeevika Bureau after serving as the Director Programmes for 20 years. Krishnavatar brings decades of experience of developing programmes and leading field teams in Aajeevika. He has a deep understanding of community institutions and has been on the forefront of nurturing leadership in organisations of informal sector workers. Krishnavatar was named as the India Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010. He holds a degree in law from Rajasthan University. Krishnavatar can be reached at [email protected].
Rajendra Sharma
Director (Programmes)
Rajendra Sharma brings over a decade of experience to overseeing Aajeevika’s field teams and programmes. He supervises all field centres, trains and mentors programme teams and guides the growing operations of the organisation. In his association with Aajeevika since 2009, Rajendra represents rich experience in collectivization of workers, legal aid, social protection, occupational safety and advocacy for informal workers and their communities. His contributions have been pivotal in establishing and shaping some of the most influential workers’ collectives fostered by Aajeevika. He holds a Master’s in Sociology from Rajasthan University, Jaipur. Rajendra can be reached at [email protected].
Tara Nair
Co-founder and Director, Work Fair and Free Foundation
Tara is a prolific researcher with decades of work across various domains including livelihoods and labour, rural finance, and gender. Having completed MPhil and PhD in Applied Economics and Economics, respectively, from the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Tara previously served as member of the faculty of the Gujarat Institute of Development Research (GIDR), Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) and Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). She also headed research at the Friends of Women’s World Banking (India). She was a visiting scholar at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’homme, Paris; Media Management and Transformation Centre, Jonkoping International Business School, Jonkoping University, Sweden; and the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA. Tara can be reached at [email protected].
Divya Varma
Co-Founder and Director, Work Fair and Free Foundation
Divya has long years of experience in policy analysis, advocacy and research, non-profit strategy, management and fund-raising. Building on her experience in direct grassroots action in establishing and managing worker centres in high migration geographies, she has published widely on issues related to migration and informality in various academic and popular platforms. She has also made representations on the issue in several national and international fora, including at the Niti Ayog where she was a member of the sub-committee on labour migration. Divya is a recipient of many prestigious fellowships including the Fulbright- Nehru Fellowship for Leadership Development, Joint-Japan World Bank Scholarship and the Open Society Fellowship for Rights and Governance. She holds a degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Masters from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand. Divya can be reached at [email protected].
Abha Mishra
Programme Manager, Networking, Partnerships and Advocacy
Abha is a Programme Manager at Aajeevika Bureau. She oversees networking, partnership and advocacy, supporting Aajeevika Bureau’s relationships with local administration, governments, corporate and NGOs. She has a background in journalism and legislative advocacy and played a key role in setting up Aajeevika Bureau’s family empowerment programme. Previously, Abha worked at Democracy Connect. Abha is a graduate of Delhi University. Abha can be reached at [email protected].
Sanjay Chittora
Programme Manager, STEP Academy
Sanjay leads the Skill Training Employability & Placement (STEP) Academy, Aajeevika Bureau’s skills and training centre. With over 15 years of training and programme management experience, Sanjay oversees a range of vocational training, life skills and employability initiatives. Previously, he worked at Mine Labour Protection Campaign (MLPC). Sanjay earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from USSW-Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur. Sanjay can be reached at [email protected].
Santosh Poonia
Programme Manager, Legal Education and Aid (LEAD) Cell
Santosh leads Aajeevika Bureau’s Legal Education and Aid (LEAD) Cell. He guides and supervises legal aid and education for migrant workers and their families. He also mentors collectives of migrant workers and liaises with government departments, corporates and other NGOs. Previously, Santosh worked at the Indian Institute of Health Management and Research, Jaipur. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Shramjivi College (Udaipur), and a Master’s in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Rajasthan. Santosh can be reached at [email protected].
Kamlesh Sharma
Programme Manager, Regional Coordination
Kamlesh is a Programme Manager (Regional Coordination), for the Salumbar region of Rajasthan. He coordinates all support services for migrant families living in Salumbar, across health services, financial services and women’s empowerment groups and skill training. Previously he worked at ARTH, helping communities access and manage health care, and for two years at a local newspaper in Udaipur. Kamlesh is a trainer, organiser and programme manager, supervising field centres and teams in Salumbar. He holds a BA from Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur and an MBA in Human Resources, through distance education. Kamlesh can be reached at [email protected].
Mahesh Gajera
Programme Manager, Destination Services
Mahesh is Programme Manager for Destination Services, Ahmedabad. He provides strategic direction to Aajeevika Bureau’s programmes, and coordinates field teams in Ahmedabad. Previously, Mahesh worked at a range of organisations, including the Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation, Gramin Vikas Trust and Gujarat Livelihood Promotional Company. He has over 20 years’ experience in implementing participatory livelihood programmes among tribal communities. Mahesh holds a Masters in Rural Studies from Lokbharti Gram Vidyapith. Mahesh can be reached at [email protected].
Manju Rajput
Programme Manager, Family Empowerment Programme
Manju leads the Family Empowerment Programme at Aajeevika Bureau. She coordinates the day to day operations and capacity building among community members. She specialises in conducting training on women’s rights and equality and extends technical support to partner organizations. Manju has been with Aajeevika since 2012. Manju holds an M.A and Mphil in Sociology from Mohanlal Sukhadiya University (Udaipur) and Rajasthan Vidyapeeth ( Udaipur) respectively. Manju can be reached at [email protected].
Sanjay Patel
Programme Manager, Destination Services
Sanjay is a programme manager at Aajeevika Bureau, managing the Surat region. Sanjay has worked at Aajeevika Bureau in both Surat and Idar since 2008. Previously, Sanjay worked in a range of development roles, including at Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction (VIKSAT) in Ahmedabad. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University. Sanjay can be reached at [email protected].
Jitendra Jain
Programme Manager, Finance and Administration
Jitendra is a Programme Manager and is based in Udaipur. Jitendra designs, develops and manages Aajeevika Bureau’s core finance and administrative functions. He is also Founder Director of Shram Sarathi, Aajeevika Bureau’s partner. Previously, Jitendra worked at Vividha, Bank of Rajasthan and Government of Rajasthan. Jitendra has an M Com from University of Rajasthan. Jitendra can be reached at [email protected].
Kunal Singh
Dr Vanita Viswanath
Trustee
Dr Vanita Viswanath is the Chairperson of Aajeevika Bureau. She held the position of Udyogini’s CEO for over 15 years and continues to be associated as its senior Advisor. She is a leading expert on rural livelihoods, women’s entrepreneurship and institutional development.
Dr Jagdeep Chhokar
Trustee
For over two decades Dr Chhokar taught Organisational Behaviour at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and also held the position of Dean and Director In-Charge. He is the co-founder of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and actively involved in writing and speaking on the issue of electoral reforms and democracy.
Raghav Dutt Vyas
Trustee
Raghav Dutt Vyas is a social worker and activist who is a founding member of Astha Sansthan in Udaipur. He leads several community based organisations in South Rajasthan and supports people’s movements and networks for right to employment and food.
Sriparna Chaudhuri
Trustee
Sriparna Chaudhuri is a senior development professional with experience in participatory governance, gender and advocacy. After a long stint at the Hunger Project she is presently freelancing as a consultant.
Ashish Shah
Trustee
Ashish Shah is an environment educator and an expert in outbound learning from nature and wildlife. He has led programmes at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and is presently working in Delhi.
Rahul Duggal
Trustee
Rahul Duggal heads ARAVALI Exports in Jaipur and is an entrepreneur in the handicraft sector with keen interest in the promotion of social entrepreneurship for rural artisans.
Krishnavatar Sharma
Trustee
Krishnavatar Sharma is the Secretary of Aajeevika Bureau Trust.
Rajiv Khandelwal
Trustee
Rajiv Khandelwal is the Treasurer of Aajeevika Bureau Trust and works as the Executive Director providing overall leadership to programmes and administration.
Dr Pavitra Mohan
Trustee
Dr. Pavitra Mohan is the Co-Founder and Director of Basic HealthCare Services.
2022-23
- April 2022 – Mar 2023