Gates Foundation Appoints Archna Vyas as India Country Director

The Gates Foundation has named Archna Vyas as its new Country Director for India, entrusting her with steering the organisation’s work in one of its most critical global markets. In her new role, Vyas will work closely with the central and state governments, philanthropies, civil society groups, academia and the private sector to advance the foundation’s priorities in alignment with the Government of India’s Viksit Bharat vision.Vyas succeeds Hari Menon, who has led the India Country Office since 2019 and is set to move into a global leadership role from January 2026.

Before this appointment, Vyas served as Global Director, Global Policy and Advocacy at the Gates Foundation, where she led initiatives across growth, opportunity and empowerment. Her work spanned key development areas such as digital public infrastructure, agriculture, sanitation, nutrition, global education and women’s economic empowerment, combining policy strategy with partnership-building at both country and global levels.

Having joined the foundation in 2014, Vyas has worked extensively across its health and poverty alleviation portfolio, contributing to programmes aimed at driving measurable impact across India. Prior to her time at the foundation, she held senior roles in communications and digital marketing across South and Southeast Asia, supported MENA markets at Reckitt, and worked with leading marketing and advertising organisations.

Commenting on her appointment, Vyas said, “India is our most significant country partnership. Its domestically driven model of innovation shows how sustainable, transformative change can uplift millions.” She added that India’s strength in research, science and technology has made it a global innovation engine, and said she looked forward to working with governments and partners to support India’s journey towards becoming a developed economy by 2047 while taking homegrown solutions to the world.

Welcoming the appointment, Ankur Vora, Chief Strategy Officer at the Gates Foundation, said, “Archna brings a deep understanding of India’s development and innovation landscape and a proven ability to build partnerships that deliver impact.” He also noted that as the first woman to lead the India Office, her leadership comes at a pivotal moment as India’s innovation ecosystem generates solutions with global relevance.