OUR TEAM
We have a vibrant group of people that bring originality, energy, and passion to the table. Our employees come from a variety of backgrounds and specialties, and they have graduated from some of the country’s most prestigious institutions. Center managers oversee and supervise our facilities. Each center operates as an autonomous organization, responsible for providing the whole skill programme cycle, from mobilization through placement. Head Office offers essential leadership and oversees Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, Training & Quality, and Placement.
Our team is led by seasoned and experienced experts who have worked in both the business and social sectors.
Board Members
Rajiv Sharma
Founder & Managing Director
Rajiv heads the organization from the front by providing strategic vision and leadership. He is a law graduate from Delhi University and did his MBA from FMS, Delhi University. He has held senior management positions for over 25 years at Kodak, HCL and was also the CEO of Airtel Enterprise Services before he quit the corporate world to join the social sector. Sensing an acute lack of enough skilled people in the Indian job market, he started Empower Pragati to contribute to bridging this skill gap and led it to become one of the most admired and innovative skill training companies in India.
Pritha Dutt
Director
Pritha heads the Training, Placement and Human Resource wings of the organisation. An MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, she has worked extensively in both the corporate and social sectors and has held leadership positions in organizations such as Oberoi Hotels, ICI paints, Airtel and Feedback Ventures. Pritha co-founded and nurtured Phicus Social Ventures before she quit to join Empower Pragati. With a passion in the fields of learning and development, she continues to drive Empower Pragati forward. She enjoys theatre and reading in her free time.
Pritha Dutt
Director
Pritha heads the Training, Placement and Human Resource wings of the organisation. An MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, she has worked extensively in both the corporate and social sectors and has held leadership positions in organizations such as Oberoi Hotels, ICI paints, Airtel and Feedback Ventures. Pritha co-founded and nurtured Phicus Social Ventures before she quit to join Empower Pragati. With a passion in the fields of learning and development, she continues to drive Empower Pragati forward. She enjoys theatre and reading in her free time.
Sanjeev Sharma
Director
Sanjeev heads the implementation of all Government Projects undertaken by Empower Pragati. He is an MBA from S P Jain School of Global Management and has more than thirty years of corporate experience in India, the Middle East, and Africa. He is known for his strategic insights to transform business results for profitable growth. He has had immense exposure in managing resources to improve organizational performance and enhance productivity while creating high-impact strategies for value addition. He has received many prestigious awards such as the NRI Achievers Award, Bharat Samman Pravasi Award, etc. In his leisure time, Sanjeev likes to play golf and enjoys meeting people.
Vineeta Shanker
Director (NSDC Nominated)
Dr. Vineeta Shanker did her M.A. in Economics from Lucknow University in 1975, M.Phil from IIT Kanpur in 1978 and Ph.D. from “Institut d’ Etudes du Development Economicque et Sociale”, Sorbonne, Paris in 1982. She has worked as a consultant with several multilateral organizations like ILO, UNDP, UNICEF and World Bank on issues such as equality and protection of women workers in formal sector, regional impact of financial crisis, gender mainstreaming, corruption and Governance. She worked as the project Director for World Faiths Development Dialogue, University of Birmingham from 2003 to 2005. Since 2006, she has been the Executive Director of Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation.
Vineeta Shanker
Director (NSDC Nominated)
Dr. Vineeta Shanker did her M.A. in Economics from Lucknow University in 1975, M.Phil from IIT Kanpur in 1978 and Ph.D. from “Institut d’ Etudes du Development Economicque et Sociale”, Sorbonne, Paris in 1982. She has worked as a consultant with several multilateral organizations like ILO, UNDP, UNICEF and World Bank on issues such as equality and protection of women workers in formal sector, regional impact of financial crisis, gender mainstreaming, corruption and Governance. She worked as the project Director for World Faiths Development Dialogue, University of Birmingham from 2003 to 2005. Since 2006, she has been the Executive Director of Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation.
Niraj Aggarwal
Director
A stalwart of the insurance sector, Niraj brings more than three decades of experience to our organization, which makes best suited to steer Empower Pragati in the direction of success and towards achieving its ultimate goals, of ‘Transforming Lives, Skilling India’.
Niraj completed his B.A and M.A in history from the reputed University of Allahabad and began his career with Life Insurance Corporation of India as Assistant Administrative Officer in 1984. Over the next three decades, with exemplary dedication and hard work, Niraj not only took LIC towards the peak of success but also ensured that his ascension within the ranks of LIC would be swift and deeply impactful. After 34 years of service, Niraj retired from LIC on 30 June 2018 at the post of Executive Director.