About Us
Work With Dignity Foundation aims to inspire a movement that enables every Indian to work with dignity by encouraging workplaces that are rich in purpose, foster empowered teams & are rooted in dignity.
WWD convenes the Samaaj–Sarkaar–Bazaar triad, with leaders from corporates, NGOs, academia, and government-through CSR collaborations, livelihood programs, and volunteer-led mentorship to enhance wellbeing, inclusion, productivity, and human capital.
Why is Work with Dignity required?
India boasts a rich history, culture, and diverse population, fostering innovative ideas and the spirit of ‘Jugaad.’ Despite its potential, it faces economic challenges like large-scale poverty, unequal income distribution, high unemployment, and inadequate public services. India ranks 112th in the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goals.
Human Development Index (HDI) is crucial for gauging wellbeing, relying on factors like life expectancy, education, and income. Economic and social justice are pivotal for a positive HDI trend.
To harness India’s vast potential and promote dignity in work, Work With Dignity Foundation (WWD) aims to make India a great place to work. Success would mean a significant portion of India’s workforce operates with dignity, driving progress and prosperity.
Our Team
Rama Shankar Pandey is the former CEO of Tata Green Batteries and former MD & CEO of Hella India Lighting Ltd. He transitioned to the Work With Dignity Foundation following his national service as a Social Defence Fellow under the Indian Administrative Fellowship 2024–25 Cohort with the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE), Government of India, where he advanced initiatives centered on dignity and social protection.
With over 28 years of entrepreneurial and turnaround leadership, Mr. Pandey has built a strong record of sustainable growth and workplace excellence, particularly in the field of road safety. He is also a staunch advocate of the Right to Repair movement and is passionate about making skills aspirational in the Indian automotive industry.
With 20+ years in HR, leadership development, and organizational strategy, Rachana believes people are at the heart of every success story. As Chief People Officer at Great Manager Institute®, she built strong cultures and empowered managers to lead better. Her journey spans roles at Redbrick Offices, Zee Learn, and in executive search.
Now at Work with Dignity Foundation, she’s driving partnerships between academia, corporates, and government to create dignified livelihoods—especially for youth and women. Outside work, she recharges with music, long walks, and the occasional spa day – because even changemakers need good playlists and quiet moments.
Building Bridges: Work With Dignity’s Corporate Connections
The principal trustees of Work With Dignity Foundation, through their professional network and past endeavors, have built a substantial relationship network with numerous organizations in Corporate India, known as their ‘circle of influence.’ Leveraging this circle, Work With Dignity can create a community that will engage in the following endeavors:
Meet the Trustees
With a career spanning over 25 years, Basuri Dutta is a seasoned professional. She started her career as a practicing lawyer before getting into the field of Human Resources where she worked in Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. before joining Great Place to Work® Institute India. She played an instrumental role in building and growing the Institute for over 16 years where the key area of research and advisory is ‘Workplace Culture’. Just before joining Great Place to Work® Basuri had a short research stint at IIT Mumbai – SJM SOM. Basuri holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Nagpur University, a Master’s Degree in Personnel Management from Pune University and a MBA from SIBM, Pune.
Prasenjit Bhattacharya is the Co-Founder and CEO of Great Manager Institute® and the Founder of Great Place to Work® India & Sri Lanka. He has been a trusted advisor to leaders across hundreds of enterprises, helping them build high-trust workplace cultures that drive sustained business results.
With a master’s degree in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Prasenjit brings over three decades of experience spanning Indian and multinational organizations such as HSBC, Grow Talent, Eicher Consultancy Services (ECS Ltd.), Siemens, and Crompton Greaves.
A prolific writer and researcher, he has authored numerous papers and over 100 articles on workplace culture and leadership. He continues to be a sought-after speaker and thought leader on building organizations where people and performance thrive together.
Dalreen is the Director and Co-founder at Great Manager Institute and has extensive experience of working with leadership teams of organizations across multiple industries. Her areas of expertise include Culture Transformation & change management, Leadership Capability and Development, Employee diagnostics, People Practice assessment and re-design Learning and Development process design and implementation. She is adept at understanding organization strategy and aligning the same with the training needs, impact on customer service and business results.
Preeti Malhotra is a seasoned professional with over 22 years of experience. In her current role as a member of Work With Dignity, she is committed to the foundation’s vision of enabling every Indian to work with Dignity. Preeti was a Co-owner of Great Place to Work® India and spent 15 years at the institute. Her role primarily involved partnering with leaders across various industries in their journey of building great workplace cultures. She also commenced the wellbeing practice at Great Place India along with her team. Preeti holds a Master’s degree in science and is a gold medallist in Human Resources Management diploma from AMA, Ahmedabad. Prior to joining Great Place, she spent 9 years leading the human resources function in organisations in the IT and financial services sector.
