About Us
Our Story
SHIVIR was founded by a group of accomplished professional women with one mission: to give back to society by empowering women to be confident, self reliant individuals. What sets us apart?
Every member of SHIVIR’s leadership team has lived through an experience of resilience, women who have faced life-altering challenges, overcome adversity and built independent, successful lives from the ground up. Today, we channel those hard-earned lessons to support other women , find their voice in the world.
At SHIVIR, we don’t believe in empty promises or performative social activism. We work on practical, results-driven solutions:
- Skill development and vocational training to create self-employment opportunities
- Workshops on financial literacy, personal safety, and entrepreneurship
- Counselling for holistic health, hygiene and social awareness
- Enabling mothers bring up responsible and aware children
- Hands-on programs that enable women to earn, sustain, and grow their livelihoods
Our focus is simple yet powerful: help people help themselves to create a better tomorrow. By equipping women with the tools to become self-reliant, we not only improve individual lives but also strengthen families and communities.
We invite corporates, CSR initiatives, and development partners to collaborate with SHIVIR in creating measurable, sustainable impact. Together, we can build a future where women don’t just survive—they thrive.
Our Team
Sujata Jhingran Barman - Founder Trustee, SHIVIR
A psychologist by education and training, and an accomplished businesswoman by profession, Sujata Jhingran Barman brings a deep commitment to social change with her guiding belief: “to make a meaningful difference in as many lives as possible during my lifetime.”
After dedicating her early years to motherhood, Sujata began her professional journey as a sales consultant. Her natural empathy, ability to connect with people, and strong leadership skills quickly propelled her from team management roles to becoming a sought-after coach and counsellor. Over the years, she has positively impacted the lives of more than 1,000 individuals—helping them overcome personal and external limitations to unlock their true potential.
Currently, Sujata successfully balances the demands of running a manufacturing enterprise with her deep involvement in the grassroots efforts of SHIVIR. Her work is fueled by a powerful vision: to empower every woman to be self-reliant and resilient. She firmly believes that “an empowered mother is the foundation for an empowered generation,” a principle that lies at the heart of SHIVIR’s mission.
Rupa Gandhi – Founder Trustee, SHIVIR
A Chemical Engineer by education and a marketing and communications strategist by profession, Rupa brings nearly four decades of diverse expertise spanning education, instructional design, direct marketing, wildlife conservation, hospitality marketing, fine art, brand building, strategic planning and communications.
As the Founder Trustee of SHIVIR, Rupa channels this wealth of experience to position SHIVIR as a results-driven, impact-focused organization committed to empowering women and fostering self-reliance.
Her tenure in varied roles as Campaigns lead, Strategic Planner and CMO for a leading wildlife conservation NGO sharpened her ability to craft sustainable, scalable outreach and communication strategies, a skill she now applies to build SHIVIR into a recognized force for women’s empowerment and social transformation.
Rupa’s core focus is simple: to ensure SHIVIR is not just another charity, but an organization that delivers measurable change—creating pathways to self-reliance through equipping women with skills, opportunities, and confidence to build better futures for themselves and their families.
Vandana Kapuria – Founder Trustee, SHIVIR
Vandana Kapuria brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial, coaching, and community leadership experience to SHIVIR’s mission. As Director of Enmax Smart Systems, she champions energy-efficient and sustainable technologies for the construction industry. She is also the Founder of Thousand Petals, an NGO dedicated to mental health and personal growth for teens and adults, and serves as a Circle Leader at Lean In, the global women’s leadership network founded by Sheryl Sandberg.
A certified relationship and behavioral skills coach and adolescent life skills coach, Vandana leverages her expertise to help individuals overcome emotional and mental barriers to unlock their full potential.
As a Trustee of SHIVIR, Vandana is committed to empowering individuals from all walks of life—helping them achieve financial stability, emotional well-being, and personal growth, while enriching SHIVIR’s programs with her hands-on experience in youth and adult development.
