Gates Foundation appoints Archna Vyas as India Country Director

New Delhi: The Gates Foundation has appointed Archna Vyas as its Country Director for India.

In this role, she will oversee the foundation’s work in collaboration with central and state governments, philanthropists, civil society, academia, and the private sector to advance the foundation’s priorities in India, aligned with the Government of India’s vision of Viksit Bharat.

Over the past two decades, India has made substantial progress in improving health and economic outcomes, lifting millions out of poverty. The country’s domestically driven model of innovation and development has demonstrated globally how transformative and sustainable change can impact millions.

Archna Vyas previously served as the Global Director for the foundation’s Global Policy and Advocacy division, leading initiatives across Growth, Opportunity and Empowerment.

She has extensive experience in both country-level and global engagements, including strategic policy efforts, high-impact partnerships, and external communications across key development priorities such as digital public infrastructure, agriculture, sanitation, nutrition, global education, and women’s economic empowerment. Archna joined the foundation in 2014 and has worked across its health and poverty alleviation portfolio to drive outcomes nationwide.

Before joining the foundation, she led communications and digital marketing across South and Southeast Asia and supported MENA markets for Reckitt and held senior positions in leading marketing and advertising organisations. She holds a master’s degree in physics from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate diploma in business administration from the Institute of Management Technology.

Commenting on her appointment, Archna Vyas said, “India is our most significant country partnership, and her domestically driven model of innovation and progress shows how sustainable, transformative change can uplift millions. The strength of India’s talent and intellect, spanning world-class research, science, and technology, has made the country a global engine of R&D and innovation."

She added, "Solutions pioneered here are already shaping development outcomes far beyond India’s borders. I look forward to working closely with governments, communities, philanthropists, and our partners to support the Government of India’s vision of becoming a developed economy by 2047 and to help bring India’s insights and innovations to the world.”

Ankur Vora, Chief Strategy Officer at the Gates Foundation, added, “Archna brings a deep understanding of India’s development and innovation landscape and a demonstrated record of building partnerships that deliver impactful results. As the first woman to lead the India Office, we are delighted to have her at the helm at such a pivotal moment in India’s growth and global leadership journey.

Her appointment comes as India’s dynamic innovation ecosystem continues to generate solutions with global relevance, deepening a partnership with the Gates Foundation that has grown over more than two decades.”

Archna succeeds Hari Menon, who has led the foundation’s India Country Office since 2019 and will move to a global leadership role from January 2026.