Founder
Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS, is a historian based in Bangalore. He is the author of nine acclaimed books, including Splendours of Royal Mysore: The Untold Story of the Wodeyars, Voice of the Veena: S. Balachander, Women of the Records and Indian Classical Music and the Gramophone. His two-volume biography Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past and Savarkar: A Contested Legacy , Bravehearts of Bharat: Vignettes from Indian History and his latest book ‘Waiting for Shiva: Unearthing the Truth of Kashi’s Gyan Vapi’ have all gone on to become national bestsellers. In 2021, Vikram was elected a fellow of the prestigious Royal Historical Society. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi’s first Yuva Puraskar in English literature and the ARSC International Award for excellence in historical research in New York for his book My Name Is Gauhar Jaan: The Life and Times of a Musician. The book has even been adapted for a play, Gauhar, by Lillette Dubey.
Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS
He is a historian based in Bangalore. He is the author of nine acclaimed books, including Splendours of Royal Mysore: The Untold Story of the Wodeyars, Voice of the Veena: S. Balachander, Women of the Records and Indian Classical Music and the Gramophone. His two-volume biography Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past and Savarkar: A Contested Legacy , Bravehearts of Bharat: Vignettes from Indian History and his latest book ‘Waiting for Shiva: Unearthing the Truth of Kashi’s Gyan Vapi’ have all gone on to become national bestsellers. In 2021, Vikram was elected a fellow of the prestigious Royal Historical Society.
He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi’s first Yuva Puraskar in English literature and the ARSC International Award for excellence in historical research in New York for his book My Name Is Gauhar Jaan: The Life and Times of a Musician. The book has even been adapted for a play, Gauhar, by Lillette Dubey.
He was among four writers and artists selected as writers-in-residence at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in 2015. Vikram has a doctorate in history and music from the University of Queensland, Australia, and was a senior research fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi (2017–2019). He was also a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, Eisenhower Global Fellow and a visiting fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin. Currently, he is an adjunct senior fellow at Monash University, Australia. He is the Founder of the Archive of Indian Music and the Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research (FIHCR) that fosters new scholarship in Indian history, and curates ARTH: A Culture Fest.
Core Team
Devesh Varma
Chief Mentor
Devesh Varma
Shri Devesh Varma has over 20 years of experience in the development sector, both in the US and India. He has led large-scale business transformation projects across various states, designed platforms for extensive healthcare delivery in primary public health and managed significant grants programmatic budgets. His expertise spans program management, product development, organization development, biz-tech strategy planning & direction, partnership and funding strategy.
Prior to joining OLA Foundation as Head of Foundation, Devesh has held the role of Chief Technology Officer in organizations such as Piramal Swasthya, Apollo Telehealth & SocialAlpha where he was primarily responsible for leading, designing and implementing multi-state technology enabled healthcare delivery solutions to make healthcare more accessible, affordable and available.
The last 23 years of his professional life has also given him the ability to watch closely and understand the public healthcare space and the nuances of it, not only from a business & technology perspective but also from the human behavior, socio-cultural and the last mile delivery of quality services perspective.
His work in the field has helped him in gaining extensive experience in leading large scale multi state implementation of Integrated Healthcare Delivery Network of remote healthcare delivery and other healthcare applications for the frontline health workers and citizens. Devesh believes that, as technologists we have to ask the right questions which will help reveal the deepest issue / problems, understand human behavior and then build out from there.
Through his extensive travels in remote areas of India he has developed a profound interest in the rich and diverse culture & heritage of India, which boasts a tapestry of traditions, languages, art forms and historical landmarks. India’s unique cultural history, from its ancient civilizations & classical arts to its vibrant festivals and cuisine, deeply fascinates him and inspires his commitment to preserve and promote India’s heritage for future generations.
Rohan Pasricha
Chief of Staff & Communications Head
Rohan Pasricha
Rohan Pasricha is a seasoned communications professional with over a decade of experience spanning start-ups and corporates. With a strategic mindset and keen eye for detail, he excels in crafting compelling content, managing media relations, and enhancing executive visibility.
Rohan’s most recent stint included a senior management role at Blackbox Research, which specialises in decision intelligence, bridging the data gap for government agencies, multinationals, and NGOs worldwide.
Previously, Rohan served as Head of Content at Times Internet, and also as Visiting Faculty at the Xavier Institute of Communications.
Throughout his career across organisations, Rohan’s leadership, creativity, and ability to build strong stakeholder relationships have been instrumental in driving consensus and achieving shared goals.
Aabhas Maldahiyar
Senior Project Coordinator
Aabhas Maldahiyar
Aabhas Maldahiyar, an architect and urban designer, amalgamates his intense love for history with captivating storytelling. His architectural masterpieces, envisioned as repositories of future stories, ignite his diverse literary odyssey, spanning Marxist and ex-Marxist phases. Initially embracing Marxism in architecture school, Aabhas’ visit to the Ajanta Caves ignited a profound transformation in him. Shifting from Marxist literature to crafting fiction inspired by the Red ideology, he delved deeper into the realms of history and politics. His debut non-fiction, #Modi Again: An Ex-Communist’s Manifesto (2019), chronicles this remarkable journey. Babur: The Chessboard King stands as the inaugural volume in his forthcoming series on ‘Timurid Gūrkāniyān’ (erroneously known as Mughals), founded on primary sources. A skilled reader of Persian manuscripts, Aabhas offers a distinctive lens to historical narratives. He is a key founding member of the Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research, dedicated to advancing original research based on primary sources in Indian history.
Satyajeet Ojha
Program Manager: Fellowship
Satyajeet Ojha
Satyajeet Ojha brings over six years of experience across higher education, social development, and startup sectors. He is experienced in designing and managing diverse programs and projects, leading effective training sessions, and driving operational excellence.
Born and brought up in the beautiful city of Visakhapatnam, situated between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, Satyajeet hails from Odisha, a region rich in history and renowned for its architectural marvels such as the Konark Temple and Jagannath Temple, as well as its naval, maritime, and culinary heritage.
Satyajeet’s career began as a Gandhi Fellow under the NITI Aayog aspirational district program, where he worked closely with government officials, Panchayati Raj system, and community members in the aspirational districts of Pakur, Jharkhand, and Baran, Rajasthan. During this time, he immersed himself in rural Rajasthan, experiencing life and challenges at the grassroots level.
As Program Manager at the Rashtram School of Public Leadership, Rishihood University, Satyajeet Ojha designed and executed academic and executive programs, collaborating with high-level bureaucrats, national and international educators, and domain experts. He developed educational travel programs focused on governance and public policy in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and crafted history and heritage educational travel programs in Goa and Karnataka. Additionally, he contributed to Brhat’s flagship program, the Anveshi Karnataka chapter.
In his most recent role as Lead – People and Culture at The Learner Company (TLC), Satyajeet was a founding member. He was involved in the curation of online courses for government and various organizations. His responsibilities included overseeing operations, leading multiple projects simultaneously with cross-functional teams and training team members on various tools.
Beyond his professional work, Satyajeet travels extensively to places of historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. Over the past six years, he has explored 17 states, 4 union territories, and recently visited Nepal. He has also completed Vipassana in Jaipur, Rajasthan, and Inner Engineering. In his free time, he enjoys writing about food, culture, movies, temples, and travel, reflecting his deep interests.
Anuradha Srinivasan
Program Manager: YUVA
Anuradha Srinivasan
Anuradha Srinivasan brings over 18 years of experience in multinational corporations and non-profit organizations. She has worked in diverse functions across sectors, and excels in building and nurturing teams, and managing complex projects. At FIHCR, Anuradha leads the YUVA team, which focuses on developing and promoting engaging educational content for children and young adults.
She holds an executive post-graduate diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management- Kozhikode (IIMK), and a diploma in commercial French from the Alliance Française de Madras. She is interested in ancient Indian scripts and has studied manuscriptology and paleography from the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
A history aficionado, Anuradha enjoys reading and writing about Indian history.
Amruta Vaidya
Associate Program Manager: Fellowship
Amruta Vaidya
Amruta Vaidya is an architect with a specialisation in Architecture Conservation from School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal. She has 5+ years of experience of program design and management in the cultural sector. Her previous role was with INTACH, New Delhi. In her free time, Amruta enjoys photography, cycling and reading books.
Sudhamshu Hattangadi
Associate Program Manager: Projects
Sudhamshu Hattangadi
Sudhamshu Hattangadi, a cultural professional, has worked in diverse yet related roles in
the fields of historical and cultural research. He has worked as a Cataloguer, Research
Associate and Coordinator with multiple cultural and academic organisations, institutions and
cultural professionals. He has also worked on an ICHR project in the capacity of Research
Assistant.
He holds a Master’s degree in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, a Post-
Graduate Diploma in Indian Aesthetics from Jnanapravaha, Mumbai as well as a DALF C1
certification in French issued by the Ministère de l’Éducation nationale. He has also spent 3
years learning Persian language from native Iranian professors. In the capacity of Associate program
Manager – Projects at FIHCR, he aims to apply his multilingual skills along with his
understanding of archaeology, Indology and anthropology to enhance his multidisciplinary
work.
Apart from research and cultural heritage management, Sudhamshu is also interested in
cultural affairs and policy. Additionally, he has a penchant for poetry, travelling as well as
classical music, dance and art.
Rasika Bhale
Research Associate
Rasika Bhale
Rasika Bhale is deeply passionate about literature, history, and culture, recently earning her MSc in Creative Writing from the prestigious University of Edinburgh. While there, she served as the Editor-in-Chief for the esteemed Annual Anthology From Arthur’s Seat. She has also gained valuable industry experience interning with prominent UK-based publishing houses. She is particularly excited by literature that breaks conventional boundaries and uncovers unexplored historical narratives.
Partnerships
