Meet the Urban Ethnographers Team
Advisor, Didactics and Innovations
Videhi Bhamidi
Videhi is a seasoned professional with expertise in educational innovations, digital strategy, and didactic design. As the Director of Research at Easygenerator, she leads e-learning product research studies, shaping innovative learning solutions. An Oxford University alumna with dual Master’s degrees in Education and HR Management, she specializes in social, mobile, and blended learning methods. She is also the co-author of Employee-Generated Learning: How to Develop Training That Drives Performance (2024), a guide to creating impactful, user-driven training programs.
Videhi strives for the fusion of Design, Research, Technology, and Pedagogy in her solutions. Being an experienced Learning Product Manager, she combines a host of skills including UX, Academic Research, Product Strategy, Thought leadership, and has a strong footing in Mobile Learning and Social Learning spheres.
With deep experience in instructional design, curriculum development, and technology integration, she plays a pivotal role in crafting innovative approaches for NGOs and social impact initiatives, driving meaningful change through tailored advisory and capacity-building programs.
Head of Programs
Tanya Toshali
Tanya has a Masters of Public Policy degree from National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Her academic interests lie in the realm of development policy, specifically dealing with issues like employment generation, labour rights, and gender parity. She has been working in the livelihoods and vocational education sector for almost 3 years now — taking on a host of projects ranging from primary research and impact assessment to content generation and program management.
In her free time, you can find her reading a good book, out on a walk with her dog, or exploring a new restaurant. She also tries to take out time and volunteer as a tutor for primary school children.
Team Lead - Proposals and Strategy
Nandini Mangalore
Nandini has completed her Master’s in Public Policy from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Pune University. Her diverse experiences have ignited a spark in her for Research, Urban Policy, Gender Studies, and Global Governance. In her free time, she lets her creative juices flow through two things, she loves cooking and dancing.
Team Lead - Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)
Shreya Sajeev
Shreya completed her MA in Applied Economics from Christ University. The Master’s Programme ignited in her a passion for interdisciplinary research. Her research interest lies at the intersection of the economics of gender, labour and institutional economics, and extends to political science, especially in the areas of Indian politics and geopolitics. Her undergraduate course was an interdisciplinary mix of economics, political science, and journalism, and that has piqued her interest in pursuing research in Applied Economics, using perspectives from political science and other allied humanistic disciplines.
She is also an aunt to a 6-year-old cat and a year-old GSD. When she is not playing with them, she can be found on the Gram scrolling through cat and dog videos. She also dances and plays video games.
Senior Research Associate
Shivani Sharma
Shivani has recently finished her Masters in Applied Economics from Christ University. She has completed her Bachelors in Political Science, Economics and Journalism from Mount Carmel College. Her area of interests and education have always evoked her to study and learn from interdisciplinary fields. She finds herself deeply drawn by the ideologies and theories of international relations and applying them to real world affairs. While also reading about politics, economy and history in depth, she is also committed to help communities and people by either writing about them, voicing their injustices and atrocities or actively volunteering in NGOs to bring a change.
During her leisure time you can find her reading a book, listening to music or watering the plants as she finds it rewarding to watch her plants grow and thrive.
Research Associate
Somya Pathak
Somya graduated with distinction earning a gold medal in M.A. Economics from Aligarh Muslim University. After her post graduation, she joined the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai as a Research Intern in the Department of Economic and Policy Research. Her experience at RBI acquainted her with numerous research methodologies and handle various kinds of data and research projects. This also helped her to dive deep into governance, sustainability and CSR space. She also loves to volunteer for important social causes and was recently associated as a volunteer with a Dehradun-based NGO (Dor Foundation) which works to provide free higher education to disadvantaged students. She takes out time regularly to read philosophical texts and classical literature, write and cook her favorite dishes.
Research Associate
Oishidatta Mukherjee
Oishidatta holds a Master’s degree in Economics and has consistently been drawn to exploring various socio-economic issues throughout her academic journey. Following her studies, she gained practical experience at a consultancy firm, where she actively participated in comprehensive research processes, and field surveys across India. This experience further deepened her passion for working in areas focused on inclusivity, sustainability, and empowering communities at the grassroots level. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and listening to music, which helps her unwind and stay inspired.
Research Associate
Muskaan Goenka
Muskaan holds a postgraduate degree in Political Science. She is interested in drawing strategic solutions for layered socio-economic hindrances to life. Her interest took her to intern and learn with different organisations working across issues like Education, Labour, Philanthropy. These opportunities led her to engage with diverse tasks, and explore both ground realities and policy requirements.
During her leisure, she likes to dedicate her time to cooking, reading, and tracking the developments in sustainable fashion. Currently, she is exploring more Indian authors, traditional recipes, and marketing and branding strategies
Research Associate
Simran Bhattarai
Simran holds a Master of Applied Economics from CHRIST University and has a strong interest in exploring the dynamic fields of economics and research methodology. With a strong grounding in behavioural, education, and labour economics, Simran excels at translating complex research insights into actionable strategies through stakeholder interviews, survey analysis, and data storytelling. She is passionate about using evidence-led approaches to drive meaningful and sustainable social impact. Beyond her professional pursuits, Simran enjoys cooking, meeting new people, and listening to music.
Research Associate
Gayathri Narayanan
Gayathri is a public policy graduate from IIT Tirupati. She also holds an undergraduate degree in social work, specializing in rural development, from TISS. Her background has provided a strong foundation for her interest in sustainability science, urban and rural issues, migration studies, and cultura studies.
In the past few years, she has gained experience by interning with numerous orqanizations where she has demonstrated her research skills by addressing issues related to adolescent education, the healthcare sector, and employment. Gayathri finds joy in dancing listening to music.
Research Associate
Akshika Jangid
Akshika is a solution-oriented public policy professional with a strong interest in writing and analysis at the intersection of people, power, and everyday life. She holds a degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Public Policy. Her professional journey began in the social impact sector, where she spent three years working with a non-profit organisation, strengthening her commitment to social justice and collaborative work. Akshika brings expertise in program evaluation, monitoring, and empirical policy analysis, with a focus on understanding how governance and institutions shape outcomes for marginalised communities. When Akshika is not analysing policies and working, you can find her lost in a book, filling up notebooks, or dancing the day away.
Design Intern
Malavika Pradeep
Malavika Pradeep is a graduate of CHRIST University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Media Studies, and Political Science. Her interests span design, gender politics, international relations, and development economics, with a strong inclination toward exploring their intersections. Professionally, she has worked as a Brand Designer at a tech startup, gaining hands-on experience in visual identity, UI/UX design, and content creation. Curious and detail-oriented, Malavika enjoys translating complex ideas into meaningful visual narratives. Outside of work, she likes journaling, reading, traveling, creating playlists, and (occasionally) promising herself she will finally update her design portfolio.