The Gates Foundation has named Archna Vyas as its new Country Director for India. In her role, Vyas will lead the foundation’s engagement with central and state governments, philanthropists, civil society organisations, academia, and the private sector to advance its priorities in India, in alignment with the Government of India’s vision of Viksit Bharat.
Prior to this appointment, Vyas served as Global Director in the foundation’s Global Policy and Advocacy division, where she led initiatives spanning Growth, Opportunity and Empowerment. She brings deep experience in both country-level and global engagements, with a strong track record in strategic policy initiatives, high-impact partnerships, and external communications across key development areas including digital public infrastructure, agriculture, sanitation, nutrition, global education, and women’s economic empowerment.
Vyas joined the Gates Foundation in 2014 and has worked extensively across its health and poverty alleviation portfolio to drive outcomes across India. Before joining the foundation, she led communications and digital marketing efforts across South and Southeast Asia and supported Middle East and North Africa markets at Reckitt, and also held senior roles 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.