Raju T Mathews has been working with CPPR since 2008. He has an MBA degree (with specialisation in Financial Management) from Berhampur University in 1988. He has more than two decades of experience working with various business organisations.

J Paul Zachariah is Programme Officer (Chairman’s Office) at CPPR. He works with the Chairman on the strategic development of CPPR and building partnerships. Paul is a blogger and writes for CPPR blog on topics like international relations and security. A graduate in Economics, he has also undergone training in NGO management at the Department of Training, YMCAs of India and International YMCA University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Before joining CPPR, he was the General Secretary and CEO of YMCA Thrissur for over 7 years. His interests are international relations, libertarian thought, reading, travelling and photography.

Anu Maria Francis works as a Senior Associate (Research and Project Management) at the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR). She received her law degree from the National University of Advanced Legal Studies in Kochi. She has worked as a UPSC exam teacher and mentor for several coaching schools in Kerala.

Her scholarly interests include legal and urban governance, as well as concerns of livelihood. She won the 2022 Think Tank Shark Tank Award by Atlas Network USA.  She spoke on the topic “Economic rights of women in Asia” at the Asia Liberty Forum 2022 in Manila, Philippines, and the Liberty Forum 2022 in New York. She has also interned with the Kerala State Information Commission, ACTIONAID India, Ceat Tyres Ltd, Biocon Pharma Ltd, Khaitan and Co Law Firm, among others.

Diana is a Human Resource Consultant. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Social work (HR) from Madras School of Social Work and has experience working for NGOs like World Vision India.

Vivek’s professional journey spans 16 years in retail and consulting. He brings a decade of leadership expertise, successfully overseeing both people and projects. His diverse experience encompasses roles in organiations such as Bhume, Thoughtworks, Target and Infosys.

April Suzanna Varkey is a Senior Associate in Strategic Communications at the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), where she spearheads branding, visibility, and multi-platform content strategy to advance CPPR’s mission and public impact. She began her public policy career at CPPR as a researcher, working on projects in Governance & Law and Urban Transport, before transitioning into communications to amplify CPPR’s outreach. April also volunteers with the Association for Public Policy Education, managing website and social media communications.

With a background as a Chartered Accountancy finalist and three years of articleship experience at Sankar and Moorthy Chartered Accountants, Trivandrum, April brings a rigorous analytical foundation to her work. She is passionate about social impact and has contributed to initiatives with the Kerala Federation of the Blind and supported the Kerala Police Academy on child online safety projects.

Binumol is Admin Associate at the Centre for Public Policy Research. She completed her MA in History from Maharajas College, Ernakulam, and her B Ed in Social Science from Mahatma Gandhi University College of Teacher Education, Ernakulam. She has seven years of teaching experience at Toc H (Residential) Public School.

Jishnu Ravindran earned a zoology degree from Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Sciences before going on to Goa University for his postgraduate studies in biotechnology.  His post-graduation project was centered around the production of plant-based protein from algae byproducts and the use of algae as a biofuel.  He worked as a microbiologist for a pharmaceutical company after completing his studies. He made the decision to switch careers in project management and development in the middle of 2022 and used CPPR as a launchpad for his new career after working here as an international relations research intern.

Nikhil Ali is an Associate, Research at the Centre for Public Policy Research. He Holds an M.Plan from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science and 3 years of experience as a Civil Engineer. Specializing in projects such as Local Area Plans, Master Plans, Development Plans, and Regional Plans. Expertise includes land use planning, suitability analysis, and growth models. Academic focus on water-sensitive planning practices like Sponge City and WSUD for urban flooding mitigation, utilizing tools like AutoCAD, ArcGIS, and Photoshop. Currently, serving as an Urban Mobility Researcher at CPPR, analyzing policies impacting India’s public bus transport system, with a particular emphasis on private sector integration.

Sreelakshmi holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Birmingham and BA Honors Economics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She has worked as Academic Coordinator at a Cambridge International School.

“Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly.”

Silas began his career in content marketing at a B2B health-tech startup in Chennai, where he worked for 2 years in copywriting, web content writing, blogging, ghostwriting, SEO, and product marketing. Having a background in both Zoology and Politics, he considers himself a student of both Arts and Science. Presently, at CPPR, he essentially plays the role of a full-stack marketer, handling social media, website updations, web & social media analytics, SEO, design & design coordination, photography (events), videography (events & podcast recording), basic audio and video editing, media relations, and strategy creation, looking to master them all.

He holds a Master’s (Hons) degree in Politics from Mumbai University and a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the Madras Christian College (MCC).

He likes talking about religion, politics, and sports. And everything else under the sun.

Sreelakshmi is a Program Associate at the Centre for Public Policy Research, where she provides research, business development, and administrative support to the Chairman’s office. She holds an MBA from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, where she achieved a university rank.

With nearly three years of professional experience in consulting and education research, she has developed expertise in business development, program management, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Her primary areas of interest include diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), gender justice, mental health, and education.

Eliza Jo Varghese is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Political Science from Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi. Her research interests include women’s studies, public health and international relations.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Azim Premji University in 2024, Darshan is based in Kochi and joined CPPR as part of the CPPR Academy. He is constantly occupied with expanding his interests ranging from philosophy, sports, culture, hip hop, food, gaming, and most importantly film and television. His passion for videography and video editing led him to take up various projects early on. He is always looking for opportunities to shoot visuals on his tiny handy cam. An avid football fan, he is fascinated by and has delved into the intersection of football, economics, and data by writing a paper on ‘Is it Possible for Passion to Outperform Technicality in Producing Results’. His memoir on his journey as a dedicated Dortmund supporter was published in the Athletink Magazine.

When not in office, you’ll find him at the theatres, on a nearby football turf, or just chilling in the comfort of his home. Otherwise, he’s on the lookout for the next attractive tea spot in Kochi.

Former Executive Director of Kerala State Literacy Mission, Special Private Secretary to Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Excise, Government of Kerala, Project Chief at Kerala State Women’s Commission and Deputy General Manager of Kerala State Fisheries Federation. Dr Gopinath started his career in All India Radio, where he bagged National Award in Broadcasting followed by an overseas training programme in Advanced Communication by visiting England, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland. He holds MSW and PhD degrees.

Mr Antony retired from the service of the Government of Kerala as the Senior Deputy Transport Commissioner for the MVD of Kerala. He steered the motor vehicles mobility sector with strategic vision and regulatory prowess. His tenure as a top official with the Government of Kerala marked a dedication to effective governance. Post-retirement, he had lent his expertise as a consultant advisor to Kochi Metro Rail Ltd and played a key role in the formulation of the Kerala Metropolitan Transport Authority Act (KMTA). Antony also worked with the GIZ, the German development funder, on their e-auto project for Kochi Municipal Corporation. Presently as the Managing Director of a public limited bus company set up for the augmentation of public transport of private operators, he continues to shape the landscape of sustainable and green transit solutions. His journey encapsulates a lifelong commitment to the advancement of public transport and fostering environmentally conscious practices.

Jithin is a renowned lawyer whose expertise is in Banking laws, Civil laws and Constitutional matters with over 10 years of experience. He holds a BA LLB (Hons.) degree from the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi, Kerala and an LLM from M G University, Kottayam, Kerala.

Manoj Mathew is the Secretary of the Association for Public Policy Education (APPE) and Affiliate Advisor and Strategist at the Acton Institute, a think based in US. He has served in various senior roles at Indian and international non-profit organisations. He also volunteers for several local and global initiatives for institution building and communication strategy.

He is the former Chief Operating Officer of Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) and former Director of Centre for Civil Society (CCS); two of India’s prominent think tanks. He was instrumental in scaling the programs for filmmakers, journalist and students on livelihood freedom. He championed the policy reforms in the Bamboo sector in India during his engagement as the Festival Director of Jeevika: Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival.

Manoj was involved in various international consultations and facilitated workshops/trainings in Africa, Asia, Europe & Middle East. Manoj is the former Secretary General of the International Young Catholic Students (IYCS) movement. He is well travelled, worked, and lived in Manila and Paris, engaged in global advocacy for addressing student poverty and peace building.

He studied Commerce, Journalism & Communication, and Public Policy in India. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Jindal School of Government & Public Policy at the OP Jindal Global University. Manoj was born in Kerala, grew up in West Bengal and currently lives in New Delhi with his wife and two children.

Salahuddin Ayyub is a Research Consultant at CPPR and has more than 10 years of research and teaching experience. He holds both graduate and postgraduate degrees in Economics and MPhil and PhD degrees in International Trade. He specialises in International Trade Policy research, International Relations and Islamic Studies. He has worked with Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Centre for WTO Studies (Ministry of Commerce, Government of India), National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) and Evalueserve – a multinational research firm. Salahuddin has published several research papers in renowned journals and books and regularly writes for magazines and newspapers on economic and social issues. He has an extensive list of presentations in esteemed national and international conferences. He has a good command of Urdu, Arabic, Hindi and English languages. He has worked for PwC, DFID (UK), Spices Board of India, APEDA, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of MSME, World Bank, UNICEF and TNT.

Sherylene Rafeeque has been associated with CPPR as Consultant Editor since 2016. She has also managed media relations and programmes for the organisation briefly. A trained editor and author of several children’s books, she resides in Kochi. Sherylene earned her postgraduate degree in Visual Communication from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham headquartered in Coimbatore, India.

Dr Swapna Jambhekar is a Research Consultant at CPPR and is closely involved in the research studies undertaken by CPPR. She graduated as Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) from Mumbai University. After completing Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Administration (PGDHA) from All India Institute of Local Self Government, she pursued Master of Hospital Administration (MHA) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai (TISS). Swapna is also a Fellow of Insurance Institute of India (FIII) and has worked with well-known bilateral and multilateral agencies in the areas of microinsurance and public health. Her work experience encompasses working at the grassroots level community mobilisation and training, implementation, administration, research, documentation and consulting.

Vivek has a master’s degree in Marketing from Dayalbagh Educational Institute(Deemed University) and a PG certification in Data Analytics from MICA, Ahmedabad. Prior to joining the CPPR, he worked with a Political Consultancy. He has a total of five years’ experience in the areas of capacity-building, nutrition, sustainable development and Business Development. His desire to contribute meaningfully to Public Policy prompted him to join CPPR.