Our Trustee's

Mr. Ramesh Sarin - Chairman

Served as Managing Director Voltas Ltd., one of the largest Tata companies and Chairman of several companies including ITC Ltd. (Tobacco, Printing, Hoteliering & General Exports), Bhadrachalam Paper Boards, Coats of India (Printing Inks), Carrier Aircon Ltd, Roche Products Ltd. (Pharmaceuticals). Executive Committee Member of All India Management Association, Confederation of Indian Industries and other prestigious bodies. Named amongst the top 100 Businessmen in India

Mrs. Pheroza J. Godrej Served as Managing Director Voltas Ltd., one of the largest Tata companies and Chairman of several companies including ITC Ltd. (Tobacco, Printing, Hoteliering & General Exports), Bhadrachalam Paper Boards, Coats of India (Printing Inks), Carrier Aircon Ltd, Roche Products Ltd. (Pharmaceuticals). Executive Committee Member of All India Management Association, Confederation of Indian Industries and other prestigious bodies. Named amongst the top 100 Businessmen in India Mr. Y. H. Malegam Chartered Accountant. Senior Managing Partner in a reputed firm of Auditors. On the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India and the Board for Financial Supervision. Mr. Sunil Wadhwani CEO and Co-Founder of iGate Capital, based in the USA, with branches in other countries including India. Launched 15 new I.T. services business including UroTec Systems (medical services.) On the Board of Carnegie-Mellon University, the Information Technology Association of America and the Pittsburg Technology Council.

Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Ninad S. Gaikwad MBBS, DORL, MS (ENT), DNB.

He is a full time Associate Professor in ENT at Seth G. S. Medical College, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. He is on the Advisory Board of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India of which he is an active member. His preference is for cases pertaining to otology (ear) and correction of laryngotracheal stenosis. Dr. Gaikwad has volunteered many times on Impact India’s Lifeline Express. Dr. Kulin Kothari Ranked First in MBBS, Bombay University, Gold Medallist at the M.S. and D.O.M.S. examinations; received extensive training in cataract, glaucoma and refractive surgery in the U.K., U.S.A. and Germany. Senior Opthalmic Surgeon, Chairman & Medical Director, Bombay City Eye Institute & Research Centre and Managing Trustee, Vision Foundation of India. Dr. Taral Nagda MS (Orth) DNB, D’Ortho

He is a Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon with rich experience consulting at Institute of Paediatric Orthopaedic Disorders (IPOD) Clinics, Saifee Hospital Charni Road, Parel Hospital Mumbai, Parakh Hospital Ghatkopar and Jupiter Hospital, Thane. Dr. Nagda has volunteered for many camps including operating on rural patients from Impact India’s Community Health Initiative in rural Thane District, Maharashtra. Dr. Mansing Pawar M.D.S. (Mumbai) He is the Chairman, Clinical Board of Studies, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik. His positions include Professor and Head, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics and Dean, Government Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai; Member, Dental Council of India; Dean, Faculty, MUHS, Nashik; and Member Senate, Academic Council, Dental Faculty, MUHS, Nashik. A dynamic administrator Dr. Pawar is all for the provision to and sustenance of outreach dental services in underserved rural areas. His team has served over 10,000 patients in Impact India’s Community Health Initiative in rural Thane District, Maharashtra. Vaidya Balendu Prakash B.Sc. Honours in Meerut and B.A.M. S (Ayurvedacharya) from M. D. University, Rohtak

He has established Vaidya Chandra Prakash Cancer Research Foundation (SIROS) and has undertaken Clinical Research projects with the Central Council of Research on Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS), Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India, State Governments’ Department of Ayush in Uttarakhand and Kerala. He has been accorded European and US patents for his inventions in Research and Development of new treatment protocols for various forms of cancer.

His Ayurvedic treatment protocols extend to Nutritional Anaemia, Childhood Asthma and other diseases. He is the first and only Ayurvedic Physician to obtain a Life Membership of India Co-operative Oncology Network and International Headache Society, U.K. He is the recipient of the Padmashri and many National and State Awards Vaidya Prakash is a Director at IPCA Traditional Remedies Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai. Dr. (Mrs.) Vinita Puri MBBS. MS (General Surgery), M.Ch. (Plastic Surgery)

She is Professor and Head, Department of Plastic Surgery at Seth G. S. Medical College, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. She has many years of teaching experience, is published widely and has won the N. H. Antia Award 2008 for best publication in indexed journal by the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. She is an Executive Committee Member, National Association of Burns India, Member, Board of Studies, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences 2006 and Member, Editorial Board, Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery, 2002. She is a Clinical Fellow at the Dept. Of Plastic Surgery - Gyeong-Sang National University Hospital, South Korea, April 1998. Dr. (Mrs.) Puri has volunteered many times on Impact India’s Lifeline Express. Professor R. Rangasayee BSc in Speech Pathology and Audiology from AIISH Mysore, MSc in Speech and Hearing from AIISH Mysore, P.G. Certificate in Linguistics - University of Madras, Certificate in Clinical Instruction - U.C.L.A. USA, Diploma in Differential Psycho diagnostics of Deaf children - Institute Voor Doven, Netherlands

He is the Director of Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, (AYJNIHH) Mumbai, and an Audiologist and Speech Language Pathologist with 34 years of experience at various levels including at a State Medical College, Regional Rehabilitation Centre and AYJNIHH. He is a recipient of the USAID Fellowship, Rajiv Gandhi National Award, National Technology Award amongst many other Awards. He has launched several schemes and courses including the telephone Disability Information Line, Inclusive Vocational Training, Web-based Training for the Deaf and a Post Graduate Diploma Course in Media and Disability Communication. Prof Rangasayee is Chairman and Member of several national and international academic bodies. Over the years the AYJNIHH team has served many patients on Impact India’s Lifeline Express as well as in the Community Health Initiative. Dr. (Mrs.) G. Subbulakshmi MSc. (M.S. University, Baroda), PhD (M.S. University, Baroda), Post Doctoral (CFTRI, Mysore)

She is a qualified, senior and highly respected Nutritionist with rich experience covering seven States of India with a focus on rural areas. She has been the Director of the Research Unit, College of Home Science, S.N. D. T. University Mumbai, Principal of Colleges belonging to Birla Education Trust, Pilani, and Sardar Patel University, Gujarat, amongst other senior positions. A Ford Foundation Fellow, Dr. (Mrs.) Subbulakshmi has been the recipient of many awards including the Fulbright Award. She is a Life Member of Scientific Associations, including Scientific Adviser for the Nutrition Society of India and Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India. Her publications are extensive and include research on Nutritional and Clinical studies on Traditional Foods: Use of Traditional Herbs for therapeutic purposes as well as subjects such as the Nutritional profile of unconventional sources of Foods, Food Safety and Quality Assurance and Nutrition Education.

Our Executive Team

Mrs. Zelma Lazarus - Founder Director and subsequently Chief Executive Officer, Impact India Foundation Zelma Lazarus is the Chief Executive Officer of Impact India. As General Manager Corporate Relations of Voltas Limited, a large Private Sector enterprise in India, she has had substantial experience in all aspects of public affairs. Her work experience is over 40 years.

She was World President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) for the year 1998; the first Asian Woman to head this prestigious body. IPRA constitutes the most genuinely international group of Public Relations Practitioners in 90 countries.

The basic prerequisite of Impact, which she leads successfully, is awareness. A nationwide communications package for India was therefore designed by her for a wide and diverse audience, from the slum dweller who is the potential beneficiary, to the industrialist who will financially support the programme.

She was invited by the Government of India to become a member of the Planning Commissions Working Group on Health, Education and Communications for the preparation of the Seventh and Eighth Five-Year Plans for the country.

She was commissioned by the Government of India to serve on the Film Censor Board.

An inspirational orator, she has been on the world speakers' circuit, delivering lectures at United Nations Headquarters, at various international seminars, universities and public platforms. She has appeared on live programmes on Television channels in many countries and several hundred articles have appeared about her in international dailies and journals including Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, Elle, The Times (London)...

She has completed a Senior Management Course on "Leadership" at the Ashridge Management College, U.K., and has edited several publications worldwide. She is a winner of several awards:

• The United Nations Award for Excellence in Public Service for the "Lifeline Project"
• The "Woman of the Year" Award from Zonta International
• The Rotary Club Public Award for Leadership in creating India's first mobile Hospital Train
• The Distinguished Golden World Trophy for Excellence in Internal Communications from IPRA in London; IPRA's Golden World Trophies for Excellence in Consumer Affairs and again, for Excellence in Public Service worldwide
• The prestigious Silver Bell Trophy at the PR World Congress for "The most outstanding PR Campaign in the country"
• The Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Good Corporate Citizen Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibilities by Association of Business Communicators of India (ABCI) in 2005.
• Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Relations Society of India(PRSI) IN 2007

Mr. P. M. Rajasekharan - Chief Operating Officer Inducted into Impact from 1st May 2007, Raj brings with him almost four decades of rich and extensive experience in varied fields such as Finance, Administration & Controls, Supply Chain Management, Customer Service, Global Support Operations and Marketing & Sales in Philips Electronics India Limited.

A Post Graduate in Commerce from Bombay University, Raj has augmented his wealth of knowledge through various trainings, seminars and workshops conducted within India and abroad. He is formally trained in ISO 9000, and was the Management Representative in his earlier assignment.

Raj has travelled widely on business in the Asia-Pacific Region and has interacted with multi-cultural people across the globe.

He has been associated with various local social organizations in philanthropic activities. Mrs. Neelam Kshirsagar - General Manager, Special Projects Joined Impact India Foundation from 1 March, 2001. Neelam brings to the position much experience that will help Impact in its efforts for the prevention and cure of disablement. She has worked in various capacities in the fields of social communications, research, education and training mainly with Doordarshan, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the Aga Khan Education Service, India.

Neelam is a Trustee of the Process Work Institute of India (psychotherapy and social action) and an activist with Action for good Governance and Networking in India (AGNI), mobilizing citizens from all classes towards civic action.

Neelam has travelled abroad on various scholarships and has attended several seminars on the many aspects of social development.

Her interests include organizing workshops, conflict resolution, yoga , meditation, integrating dreams and a growing interest in "ageing". Lt. Col. Randhir Singh Vishwen - Chief Executive Officer - Lifeline Express Col. Vishwen comes to the Impact India Foundation with a wealth of experience covering nearly 40 years, as Chief Executive Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir, to General Staff Officer Grade I at Army Headquarters Eastern Command, to Administrator of a College of Physical Education and a senior appointment in the corporate sector. Mr. Pius Moraes- Project Director - Community Health Intiative A Gold Medalist in Psychology from the University of Mumbai and a postgraduate in Social Welfare Administration from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai has been in the Developmental field for the past 3 decades. He is a person with wide range of experience and has held senior positions in the fields of Social Work and Education.He has been the Director of Centre for Studies in Rural Development (CSRD) in Ahmednagar, Regional Head (Gujarat) of Aga Khan Education Service, India; CEO of a large NGO in Gujarat and also has been a Resource Person for evaluations in Watershed Management. He excels in writing, administration, training and Human Reource Management