Our Story

Dhara Shakti Foundation aims to be a catalyst and force multiplier for collective action to achieve sustainable and equitable development. Dhara (nature) and Shakti (energy), blend harmoniously to form the name of our Foundation. This is not just an organisation, it is a force to bring together people from all aspects of life who are eager to bring about a positive change- to support the underprivileged, to empower youth and women and to uplift each other through dialogue and collaboration.

The foundation was set up with the objective of providing opportunities, support, and mentorship to aspiring minds around India and particularly in Rajasthan. The foundation believes in a collaborative approach and seeks to leverage a strategic network effect to scale collective impact and share best practices. The main focus areas are Sustainable Development Goals 4,5,6 and 11; Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation and to promote Sustainability in cities and communities.

Our Mission

We are on a journey to work collaboratively to invest in the lives of children, youth and women to build the healthy environments they need to thrive, and empower them to create lasting change in their own lives and communities.

Founder & CEO

Devika Shekhawat was born and raised in Jaipur, Rajasthan, where she completed her schooling from Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls School. Devika has a degree in Business Adminstration from Symbiosis Centre of Management Studies, Pune, and a masters degree in Social Impact Leadership from the School of Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

She is committed to social upliftment and inclusion and has intensively worked with various organisations and led initiatives focused on inclusive and sustainable development. She also gained first-hand experience in relief work after the devastating earthquake in Nepal. Devika has worked with The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF) for 5 years on various high impact entrepreneurial ventures. A few included working with the Government of Rajasthan and UNICEF on a rural education initiative in Rajasthan. She then went on to be a founding member of the Global Citizen India movement, (a community of more than 500,000 individuals united to use their collective voices for social good), as well a founding member of Shuruaat Bus (a joint initiative with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission) and subsequently working on the Entrepreneurship World Cup in Riyadh.