Dr. Kalpana Sankar, a pioneering impactpreneur and nuclear physicist turned social entrepreneur, has reshaped social impact over the past three decades. As the Managing Director of Belstar Microfinance Ltd. and the co-founder and Chairperson of Hand in Hand India, she has empowered 10 million rural women with sustainable employment opportunities.
Under Dr. Sankar’s guidance, Hand in Hand’s innovative five-pillar approach has fostered women entrepreneurs, created models for reducing child labor, and uplifted communities across nations. Her influence extends globally, having served with organizations such as IFAD, UNOPS, and UNDP. She is the recipient of prestigious awards, including the Nari Shakti Puraskar, Bal Kalyan Puraskar, and the inaugural Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment from the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Dr. Sankar is a double doctorate with a Ph.D in nuclear physics and gender studies. Dr. She recently launched her autobiography, ‘The Scientist Entrepreneur’.