When at our campus, if you find someone softly humming Bollywood tunes or animatedly discussing different kinds of foods, you can be certain it is none other than Soumya! Having joined Samvada in February 2022, Soumya made a shift from the management field to the development sector after completing her Master’s in Development Studies from Azim Premji University. Prior to this, she completed a Bachelors of Management Studies in Marketing from Delhi University. The restricted worldviews in management and the lack of exposure and understanding of society pushed her to explore new experiences. She started interning at different organisations and realised that people’s circumstances are not individually formed but are systemic and rooted in social structures.

Soumya’s energetic resolve and enthusiasm to work with young people stems from the belief that youth should have the space, opportunity and support to exercise their agency in their lives, which can lead to embodying values of social justice and equity in our society.

Besides looking for fresh vegetables in local markets, she loves collecting and reading books, musing about extra-terrestrial life while sipping ginger tea, making origami figures, and exploring the city through cultural events.