About Dr Saundarya Rajesh

Dr Saundarya Rajesh is an award-winning social entrepreneur, a sought-after DEI strategist and a torchbearer for women in the workplace. As the Founder-President of Avtar, India’s top DEI consulting firm, she is the trusted advisor for hundreds of organizations and has facilitated the creation of inclusive workplaces for nearly 10 lakh women.

Dr Saundarya firmly believes that women’s workforce participation can promote national economic prosperity and was one of the earliest proponents of gender diversity in the workplace, at a time when women’s careers were viewed as unnecessary. A pioneer of the idea of second career paths for women and the concept of career intentionality—an innovative success tool for women, Dr Saundarya has made it possible for thousands of women to make a career re-entry and flourish in the workplace.

She has demystified DEI for a remarkable range of audiences including women, policymakers, CEOs, HR leaders, and DEI enthusiasts, through her training sessions and speeches across various platforms. Her stellar contribution in the space of women’s workforce participation has won her several awards including the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s #100 Women Achiever Award, the Chevening Global Changemaker Award and NiTi-Aayog’s Women Transforming India Award.  

Dr Saundarya’s first book ‘The 99 Day Diversity Challenge’, is a unique and practical DEI guide for business leaders and is a bestseller.