PATH announces leader for India country program

PATH has named Mr. Neeraj Jain as its country program leader for India. Mr. Jain is based in PATH's New Delhi office and assumed his role on June 13, 2016.

"I am pleased to welcome Neeraj to PATH, where his impressive background and leadership on water and sanitation, nutrition, and health will be incredible assets to our India country program," said Kathy Cahill, PATH's vice president for International Development. "Over the course of his career, Neeraj has built strong relationships with government agencies and key stakeholders that are critical partners to PATH in India."

PATH has worked in India since 1978, improving health and saving lives through creativity and collaboration with local partners. PATH's wide-ranging work has included helping to develop and deploy vaccines, partnering with Indian firms to create low-cost diagnostic tests, improving nutrition, and working with governments and stakeholders to control and treat tuberculosis and encephalitis. PATH's current role in India focuses on bringing technical know-how for improving health to communities across the country–working alongside local companies, nongovernmental organizations, and public-sector partners.

Mr. Jain brings to PATH a broad range of leadership and organizational development experience in the public and private sectors. As leader of PATH's India country program, Mr. Jain will oversee partnerships with government officials, commercial firms, and communities to develop and scale up new vaccines, improve the health of mothers and newborns through better nutrition and safer births, and establish a unique public-private partnership to control tuberculosis in the crowded slums of Mumbai.

Mr. Jain's career includes more than 27 years of extensive experience in strengthening organizations. His strengths lie in setting up new ventures, organizational development, and market development, and he has provided strategic leadership for change management in organizations across Asia and Europe.

Prior to joining PATH, Mr. Jain led WaterAid India through a dynamic phase of transition as its Chief Executive. He was instrumental in the setup of the India Sanitation Coalition as part of the governing committee and heads the Engagement with Central and State Governments Task Force for them. The coalition, launched in June 2015, is leading the sanitation conversations in India by bringing together organizations and individuals to find sustainable solutions for sanitation.

Prior to WaterAid India, Mr. Jain was associated with the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, wherein he brought his extensive experience from the corporate sector to work for child development, with a focus on nutrition, early learning, and child survival in the perinatal period. He was also head of the Asia region for Vestergaard Frandsen, a Swiss company that manufactures water purifiers and insecticidal mosquito nets, primarily aimed at increasing the health impact against vector- and water-borne diseases.

Mr. Jain holds a graduate degree in Business Studies from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He completed his post-graduation studies in Business Administration with a major in finance from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.