As the first woman to head the foundation’s India office, Vyas will oversee its priorities across healthcare, sanitation, gender equality, agriculture, digital public infrastructure, education and financial empowerment


The Gates Foundation has appointed Archna Vyas as its Country Director for India, entrusting her with leading the organisation’s work in close partnership with the central and state governments, civil society, philanthropists, academia and the private sector.

In her new role, Vyas will oversee the foundation’s priorities in India across healthcare, sanitation, gender equality, agriculture, digital public infrastructure, education and financial empowerment, aligned with the Government of India’s vision of Viksit Bharat. She will also play a key role in strengthening India’s position as a global source of scalable development solutions.

Vyas has been associated with the Gates Foundation since 2014 and most recently served as Global Director for Global Policy and Advocacy, where she led initiatives across growth, opportunity and empowerment. Over the years, she has worked across the foundation’s health and poverty alleviation portfolio, combining country level execution with global policy engagement.

Before joining the foundation, Vyas built a strong career in communications, marketing and digital strategy across South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Middle East and North Africa region, holding senior roles at Reckitt and 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.

Vyas succeeds Hari Menon, who has led the foundation’s India Country Office since 2019 and will move into a global leadership role from January 2026. Her appointment also marks a milestone as she becomes the first woman to head the Gates Foundation’s India office.