Dharma Rao

Senior public health and development leader with 25+ years of progressive experience designing, implementing and scaling national and multi-state programmes across India. Brings expertise in strategic leadership, programme design and implementation, health systems strengthening, policy advocacy, government engagement, donor-funded programme management, institutional capacity building, CSR partnerships, resource mobilisation and organisational operations. Has provided national-level technical assistance to the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, supporting implementation under the National TB Elimination Programme across all 36 States and Union Territories.

Experience spans Global Fund- and USAID-supported programmes, digital health implementation, community-led models, donor coordination and collaboration with senior government officials, development partners, academic and technology institutions, corporates and civil society organisations. Known for translating policy priorities into structured implementation, strengthening programme governance and monitoring systems, building cross-sector partnerships and leading multidisciplinary teams in complex operating environments. Sector experience covers tuberculosis, family planning, maternal and menstrual health, HIV/AIDS, leprosy, disability, nutrition, CSR, education, skill development and livelihoods, WASH, STEM, digital inclusion, social marketing, social franchising, microinsurance and community development.

National Consultant – Nikshay Mitra Initiative (Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan) - KHPT – IMPACT India Project (Global Fund) | Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

(2026-01)

KHPT – IMPACT India Project (Global Fund) | Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

(2025-04 - 2025-12)

Provides strategic and technical support to the Project Director for implementation of key IMPACT project components, combining national programme governance, technical backstopping, capacity strengthening, stakeholder coordination and performance oversight.

• Supports coordination across the National Programme Management Unit, Nikshay Mitra Initiative, Direct Benefit Transfer/finance and the Technical Support Unit for private-sector engagement, including support to Global Fund Prime Recipients and national/state technical teams.
• Provides technical backstopping, capacity support and troubleshooting to national and state consultants, while maintaining engagement with the Central TB Division, State TB Cells, the Global Fund, Local Fund Agent and technical partners.
• Supports financial oversight, resource optimisation, Global Fund compliance, and monitoring and reporting of financial and programmatic performance.
• Led annual and regional reviews of the Nikshay Mitra Initiative, a national DBT review and an orientation programme for 45 state and national consultants supporting private-sector engagement.
• Led development of the national capacity-building strategy, curriculum, user manuals and Training of Trainers for the TB Mukt Bharat mobile application, and supported nationwide rollout, adoption and troubleshooting.

National Technical Coordinator – Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan / Nikshay Mitra Initiative - JSI India – USAID TIFA Project | Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

(2022-10 - 2024-12)

• Led national coordination for a large community-led TB elimination initiative, supporting implementation, stakeholder engagement, resource mobilisation, monitoring, and programme representation.
• Worked with ministries, state and district administrations, PSUs, CSR institutions, IICA, DPE, civil society organisations and community partners to build Jan Bhagidari and patient-support partnerships.
• Engaged Governors, Chief Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, Health Ministers, senior administrators and other public leaders to advance programme visibility, ownership and resource convergence.
• Represented the TB programme at the G20 1st Health Working Group Meeting, Thiruvananthapuram (18–20 January 2023); Digital Economy Working Group, Hyderabad (17–19 April 2023); and Urban20 Summit, Gandhinagar (7–8 July 2023).
• Strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems and supported policy, communication and implementation processes across states.

Technical Strategist & Government Coordination (TS-GC) - World Health Partners – Closing the Gaps in TB Care Cascade Project (USAID) - Noida

(2021-02 - 2022-09)

• Led technical strategy and government coordination across Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Jharkhand for a programme reaching 100,000+ persons with TB.
• Supported pilot deployment and scale-up of AI-enabled portable digital chest X-ray, digital diagnostic pathways, referral systems and private-sector engagement.
• Coordinated with the Central TB Division, state governments, technology partners, consortium members, hospitals and private providers to strengthen implementation and public-private integration; consortium partners included IIPH Gandhinagar, Everwell and Harvard Medical School.
• Developed policy briefs, technical guidance, implementation documents and learning products to support programme adaptation and scale.

Deputy General Manager – Projects - ECHO India - New Delhi

(2020-02 - 2021-01)

• Led the national TB portfolio comprising 40+ projects supported by USAID and PATH, with responsibility for programme delivery, partner coordination, monitoring and reporting.
• Established 20 digital learning hubs and enabled training for 100,000+ participants on TB and COVID-19 management.
• Supported launch of a nationwide ECHO COVID-19 programme that trained an additional 50,000 frontline workers during the pandemic.
• Strengthening monitoring systems, programme documentation, budget oversight, compliance and stakeholder communication.

Senior Manager – CSR & Partnerships - Charities Aid Foundation India (now OneStage) - New Delhi

(2019-07 - 2020-01)

• Managed a total CSR grant portfolio exceeding INR 50 crore through NGO implementation partners and relationships with national and international corporate donors, including Accenture, Symantec and the Steve Waugh Foundation.