
We help citizens in small cities influence development, make their voices heard in decision-making, and build unique, authentic and resilient cities-through accessible, high-quality knowledge and tools
Our Story
We grew up in two small towns: Rishikesh and Panchgani, where life moved in rhythm with its people. Like many others, we left in search of opportunity, living across global cities from Delhi, Mumbai to New York, but our hearts never left our hometowns.
In 2009, our paths converged in Singapore. Despite different journeys, we shared a deep connection to our small-town roots and a growing realisation: the voices of small cities were missing from everyday as well as policy conversations.
So we set out on a journey: 50 towns, 5 months, 2 seekers-to understand Small-Town India. What we found was a deep knowledge gap: small cities were excluded from both creating and accessing the knowledge they needed.
In response, we founded Nāgrika, a knowledge hub and a platform to centre small-city voices, create actionable knowledge, and bridge the gaps in India’s urban future. Since 2017, we’ve been based in Dehradun, working with a passionate team to amplify voices of change from within small cities themselves.


Team
Nāgrika is comprised of a passionate, close-knit team of urban practitioners and researchers dedicated to empowering smaller towns across India. This diverse group blends insights from public policy, architecture, planning, design, social research, and other disciplines to co-create accessible knowledge, amplify citizen voices, and foster resilient, inclusive urban policy in small cities.

Tarun Sharma
CO FOUNDER
Tarun Sharma is a city thinker and social innovator committed to deepening voice and agency in India’s small and mid-sized cities.

Yutika Vora
CO FOUNDER
Yutika is a co-creator of pathways for reimagining small towns as thriving centers of civic engagement and resilience.

Juhi Chavda
OPERATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE
Juhi brings a background in operations and project management to Nāgrika, with experience building systems and coordinating teams across fast-moving, multi-stakeholder environments. Drawn to the intersection of organisation and purpose, she is passionate about ensuring that the work of amplifying small-city voices is supported by reliable, human-centred processes behind the scenes. With a deep love for animals, literature, and the quiet rhythms of simple living, Juhi from Gujarat found in Dehradun both a home and a cause worth working for.

Shinjini Dasgupta
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Shinjini is academically trained in history and holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Curiosity has always been at the heart of her character and she brings it to Nāgrika as a research associate who enjoys discovering stories of places and people. She thrives in interdisciplinary environments, which stand at the intersection of people and academics, to ensure that research is always accessible and the process people-oriented, bringing their voices to the forefront. Starting out in her career, she has found a working space at Nāgrika which supports her vision and learning everyday. Shinjini hails from Kolkata, West Bengal.

Harsh Sharma
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Harsh Sharma enjoys understanding how systems work. Whether it's a business, a city, or a public institution, he is naturally drawn to exploring why things are the way they are. While his academic background is in business, his interests have gradually expanded to include data analytics, psychology, governance, and public policy. He is driven by the belief that meaningful insights come from careful observation, thoughtful inquiry, and a willingness to question assumptions. At Nāgrika, he finds a unique opportunity to bring these interests together through research that connects history, governance, and civic understanding. He is based in Delhi, India.
Supporters & Enablers
Nagrika’s journey has been made possible by the unwavering support of our supporters and enablers. Their belief in our vision and commitment to our work has been instrumental in helping us grow
The Nagrika Guild
Over the years, Nagrika has been enriched by a diverse group of individuals contributing to continue the values and vision we have set for ourselves. The work we do would not have been possible without the contributions of these incredible individuals.
TEAM MEMBERS
Riya Bhardwaj
Rini Annie Cherian
Arundhati Chowdhury
Pallab Deb
Abhilasha Hazarika
Radha Karmarkar
Ravjyot Kaur
Pranjal Kulkarni
Astha Negi
Sakshi Naphade
Nimisha Samadhiya
Anita Sharma
Nikita Sharma
Tanya Singh
Shreya Sinha
Alba Ferrat-Soares
INTERNS
Mallika Sarabhai
Nikhil Goyal
Satvik Jain
Oishika Basak
Snehi Gupta
Kritika Jain
Irawati Anand
Manas Mutatkar
Nayanika Kandula
Prathmesh Jaiprakash Gupta
Shreya Ramann
Garima Ahuja
Sakshi Hallan
Nisha Koppa
Shikha Matas
Shiva Kumar Gurijala
Manishankar Madishetty

Citizen Centered
It’s always about the people. Citizen residing in the small-cities are at the heart of everything we do.
Resourceful
We make the most of what we have, using our resources wisely to create valuable knowledge.
Credible & Rooted
We are committed to producing knowledge and insight from the small cities that is dependable and high-quality.
Curious & Objective
Our approach stems from curosity— focusing on the truth, making sure every voice in small cities is heard clearly and fairly.
Our Values
We focus on citizen-driven research, staying free from external agendas. By engaging directly with small city communities, we present their authentic realities, untouched by outside narratives. This hands-on approach keeps small city voices at the heart of everything we do.
Featured In
NDTV's Urban Agenda →
International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development →
Asian Development Bank Institute →
National Institute of Urban Affairs →
Comparative Urban Research From Theory to Practice →
The Palgrave Handbook of Climate Resilient Societies →
The Urban Lawyer, American Bar Association →