Sowmya heads Impact and ESG function at Aavishkaar Capital – a global pioneer Impact Fund Manager that invests in impact enterprises across India, South and South East Asia and East Africa. She is responsible for delivering significant Impact, Gender & ESG value across Aavishkaar’s various Impact Funds and portfolio companies. 

Sowmya is a social development and sustainability professional with over 18 years of experience in analysing and recommending growth of inclusive business models across clean energy, financial inclusion, education and agriculture sectors across Asia and Africa. Prior to Aavishkaar Capital, Sowmya worked for a large agrifinance company, leading and managing strategic programs, including ESG management system and Impact framework to enhance sustainable financing to over 4 million smallholder farmers in India. Previously, as Head – CSR at Societe Generale GSC, a subsidiary of European banking major Societe Generale (SG), she designed and implemented the Corporate Citizenship (CSR) Strategy, Diversity and Sustainability Initiatives.   

Sowmya is actively engaged with many industry bodies and forums, including first woman Vice Chairperson (South) of the IFCCI CSR Committee (2018-19) that aimed to create a common platform for CSR professionals from French Companies in India; Member IVCA’s Impact and Inclusivity Council (2022-24), Steering Committee Member of Greening Finance for Women (GRoW) since 2022. Member of Thematic Activity Sub Group of the Advisory Committee to SEBI on Social Stock Exchange Co-Chair IVCA’s ESG and Impact Council (2024-26) and currently the Co-Chair IVCA’s ESG and Impact Council (2024-26). 

She received special appreciation from the Honorable Finance Minister of India, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on the Aavishkaar Group Impact Report 2022. In 2023, she won the ‘Sustainability Impact Leader Award’ from the Honorable Governor of Maharashtra, India. She was listed on the Forbes W-Power Self-made Women List in 2024. 

She holds a Master’s Degree in Economics, completed Oxford Social Finance Program from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, an Executive Education Program on Creating Value in CSR from Indian School of Business (ISB), a GRI Professional Certification Program on Sustainable Reporting using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the PRI Academy Course on Foundations in Responsible Investments.