National Foundation for India ropes in Narayan Devanathan as Chief Strategy Officer

The National Foundation for India (NFI) has hired media industry veteran and former chief client officer of Dentsu International India -- Narayan Devanathan -- as its chief strategy & communication officer.

Devanathan’s appointment is with immediate effect at the non-government organisation, which works as one of the key pillars of civil society in India.

“As a key cog in the wheel of civil society, NFI has been strengthening hundreds of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the past three decades to function at the intersection of the state, market and citizens. As India moves forward, our job is to help all three actors—government, corporates and citizens—ensure as few people as possible are left behind, by law, by culture or by community,” said Biraj Patnaik, Executive Director, NFI. “I’m delighted to have Narayan come on board this journey and help shape the narrative to create greater impact not just for NFI but for all the stakeholders in this critical movement.”


Founded in 1992 by Bharat Ratna C Subramaniam and MS Swaminathan – the two key architects of the Green Revolution, along with Dr Kamla Chowdhry – a pioneering educationist and institution builder, NFI has been undertaking pioneering work in building the foundations for progress-creating initiatives driven by a vision of a plural, equitable and democratic society.

After an 11-year stint at dentsu and a career spanning over 25 years in advertising, Devanathan calls this a significant shift.

“I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert in this field nor am I coming with any illusions of being a change-maker here. There are thousands of incredible people doing incredible work for the country, and I hope I can contribute by helping convey their stories with greater impact—for themselves and for all of us,” said Devanathan. “Civil Society plays an extraordinarily important role in the smooth functioning of a democracy and I feel incredibly lucky to get this opportunity to be a part of it. I am hoping to rope in as many of my colleagues from advertising and the industry in this journey together.”

NFI’s trustees over the years include former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, Ratan Tata, SP Godrej, Dr Devaki Jain, Dr Verghese Kurien, and Begum Bilkees Lateef among others.