Neetisha Besra

Neetisha Besra is the Director for the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII) in India at Johns Hopkins University. Based in New Delhi, she leads GKII’s India strategy, partnerships, and operations to strengthen US–India collaborations in research, education, and policy. As the Institute’s founding India Country Head, Neetisha has built and led a high-performing team across India and the US, forged multiple partnerships with premier institutions, and has overseen the design and delivery of several flagship initiatives. Previously, Neetisha has worked in public sector consulting and private sector operations management. As a Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellow with the Government of India, she led large-scale community development and citizen service delivery programs. Neetisha holds an MPA in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School, a Master’s in Development Practice from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and a Bachelor of Technology from IIT Kanpur.