Trustees
Suhail Abbasi is a media professional with over 25 years of experience across print, film, television & digital platforms. He holds a Master's degree in Visual Communication from IDC, IIT Bombay. In 1990, he co-founded BOMBAY DOST - India's first registered LGBTQ+ magazine. He's also the Co-Founder & Chairperson of The Humsafar Trust. He was one of the petitioners in the fight against Sec 377. Suhail has been a mentor for budding journalists and filmmakers through LIKHO - A Citizen Journalism Workshop and STUDIO DHANAK - A Screen Writing Workshop. He was also a member of the Institutional Review Board of The Humsafar Trust. Suhail also works as a 'proud and out' independent media professional. He has propagated diversity and inclusion in many corporations he has worked with. He has written & directed a short film COVER STORY which highlights the way to deal with your sexuality at the workplace.
Vivek Raj Anand (he/him) (Chief Executive Officer)
Vivek Anand is the Chief Executive Officer and a Board Member of The Humsafar Trust. He has been associated with the trust since 1996. He holds a degree in business management and is responsible for the overall implementation of HIV prevention, care, support, and treatment along with research, capacity building, and advocacy projects. He has presented several papers at national and international conferences since 2002. He has been responsible for Institutionalizing organizational capacities and these systems are considered model practices in community-based settings.
Dr. Subhojit Sen (he/him) (Board Member)
Subhojit Sen, a Mumbai native of immigrant parents, embarked on a journey that bridged the realms of science and theatre. Having studied at the University of Mumbai and MS University of Baroda, he earned a PhD in molecular biology from TIFR in 2002, followed by research fellowships at NIH and Johns Hopkins in the USA. His steadfast international support for The Humsafar Trust, spanning advocacy, fundraising, and artistic contributions, helped popularize the organization. Returning to India as a DBT-Ramalingaswami Fellow in 2013, he aimed to pay back to the system that had nurtured his pursuits. His diverse skill set in research, education, outreach, and advocacy led to his appointment as a Trustee of The Humsafar Trust in 2018, a platform he actively uses to promote societal acceptance for LGBTQIA+ communities. Dr. Sen believes in equity of all freedoms provided by the Constitution of India. He hopes that the rich cultural heritage and inclusive traditions of India will help us achieve the scientific temper and equal opportunities for all members of the global society. The dream is to witness a day when our very own parents and society will embolden us to lead a dignified life as queer individuals, and The Humsafar Trust will become one with the mainstream heartbeat of equitable India.
Pradipta Ray (she/her) (Board Member)
Pradipta Ray is an award-winning filmmaker, painter, animation artist, and educationist. A visiting Faculty at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and a guest lecturer at the Berlin University of the Arts, SRH Berlin School of Design and Communication, IDC, Mumbai, UID, Gandhinagar, Anant National University, Ahmedabad.
Amitabh Saksena (he/him) (Board Member)
A well-recognized name in the Lifestyle PR space, Amitabh has over 3 decades of experience in brand communications with some of the best home grown & international brands.
Chief Operating Officer
Murugesan Sivasubramanian (he/him)
Chair - Executive Committee & Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Mr. Murugesan has been working with The Humsafar Trust in the field of sexual health and human rights since 2001. He joined as a peer worker and was one of the first community counsellors at The Humsafar Trust.
Health - Sahyog Clinics & Target Interventions
Sandeep (Sakshi) Mane (she/her, they/them)
Team Leader & Director - Health
Sakshi, with 20+ years of experience, specializes in HIV treatment, prevention, outreach, and working with key populations. Her expertise includes research, capacity building, targeted interventions, and viral suppression.
Sujesh Mayilamkunnath (he/him)
Assistant Manager - Health
Sujesh Mayilamkunnath is looking after the Mumbai Clinic Coordination and looks out for the daily operations of the clinic and monthly reporting of the clinic.
Rakesh Thorat (he/him)
Lab In-charge - Mumbai
Rakesh Thorat has been working with The Humsafar Trust for 21 years. In his role, he oversees the flow of the Clinic Lab, signing reports, and presenting clinic data. Additionally, he manages meetings with MDACS.
Malini Mohite (she/her)
Senior HIV Counsellor- Mumbai
Malini Mohite is working with the Humsafar trust for 20 years. She has vast experience in pre and post HIV counselling. She takes care of post and pre counselling of HIV and STI testing.
Ashish Rathod(he/him)
Senior Lab Technician - Mumbai
Ashish Rathod has been working with us for the past 16 years and is responsible for HIV/VDRL testing of clients in the clinic. Additionally, he assists the Lab InCharge and handles reporting duties.
Santosh Karambe (he/him)
Health Care Worker - Mumbai
Santosh Karambe is working as a PLHIV Coordinator for the past 19 years.
Ganesh Acharya (he/him)
HIV ART Coordinator-Mumbai
Ganesh Acharya, a TB/HIV activist for 23 years, started as an HIV outreach worker at The Humsafar Trust Mumbai, now advocates through community workshops, and oversees treatment and counseling for HIV individuals.
Poonamchand Bora (he/him)
Health Facilitator-Mumbai
Poonamchand Bora is working with us for the last 19 years and an all-rounder person. He is working as a health facilitator and guides the client of the clinic flow as per requirements.
Nikunj K Joshi (he/him)
Clinic Coordinator-Nagpur
Nikunj K Joshi oversees Nagpur Coordination, managing clinic operations and monthly reporting. An LGBTQ+ activist for 18 years, he's the CEO of Sarathi Trust and a senior Master trainer with NACO.
Aarohi Walunj (she/her)
Program Manager - Aarambh
Aarohi Walung is working with us for the past 17 years towards the HIV/STI prevention outreach activity program for MSM/TG high risk population and managing the Aarambh TI.
Akshay Keluskar (he/him)
Program Manager-Yaarana
Akshay Keluskar is working with us for the past 4 years towards the HIV/STI prevention outreach activity program for MSM high risk population and managing the Yaarana TI.
Zoya Kamuni (she/her)
Program Manager - Dostaana
Zoya Kamuni, Program Manager at Dostana TI (Targeted Intervention), Goregaon (W), began her journey as an Outreach Worker in 2016. She is passionate and dedicated to working for community health and rights.
Advocacy
Sudhanshu Latad (he/him)
Team Leader & Manager - Advocacy
Sudhanshu Latad, 26, a proud gay boy from Aurangabad, is now Advocacy Manager at The Humsafar Trust, Mumbai. Manages advocacy, visibility, crisis, collaborations, and resources.
Nilofer Maske (she/her)
Senior Officer - Advocacy
Nilofer, a 35-year-old trans woman from Mumbai, empowers LGBTQ+ youth, focusing on transgender inclusion, partnerships, crisis management, and rights advocacy.
Dhruv Goenka (he/him)
Officer - Advocacy & Core Member - Yaariyan
Dhruv Goenka, 24, is a proud cis-gay social work graduate from Mumbai. Advocacy Officer at The Humsafar Trust, driving diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives nationwide.
Suditi Srinivas (they/them)
Officer - Advocacy
Suditi is a non-binary queer-feminist social worker with a Master's in Social Work specializing in Criminology and Justice, and is currently, an Advocacy Officer at The Humsafar Trust working on LGBTQ+ livelihoods.
Ravendra Kewlani (he/him)
Officer - Advocacy
Ravendra, a filmmaking graduate, began his social work journey with an internship at Humsafar. Now an Advocacy Officer, he is passionate about promoting inclusive narratives through film and driving social change.
Arnab Adhikari (they/he)
Officer - Advocacy
Arnab (21, they/he), a Non-Binary, Gender-Fluid, Gay Queer-Dalit activist, is an Advocacy Officer at The Humsafar Trust. They champion LGBTQIA+ rights and health and are passionate about fine arts.
Vivek Patil (he/him)
M&E Officer - Advocacy
Vivek Patil has been working with The Humsafar Trust for the last 23 years as an Advocacy Officer, supporting the community in crisis situations and engaging in police sensitization.
Ashu Goyal (he/they)
Officer - Advocacy
Ashu, a Non-Binary B.Sc. graduate from Indore, has 9+ years of experience in crisis management, POCSO Act, advocacy, and advancing LGBTQ+ community rights and health.
Finance
Hemant Thakker (he/him)
Team Leader & Associate Director - Finance
Hemant Thakkar, has 26 years of experience in nonprofit finance, grants, and administration, working with India HIV/AIDS Alliance and other major organizations.
Ramesh Jagtap (he/him)
Manager - Finance
Ramesh Jagtap joined as a Project Accountant in 2002 and is now the Finance Manager, managing overall finances and statutory compliances of the organization.
Hitesh Patil (he/him)
Assistant Manager – Finance & Compliance
Hitesh Patil joined HST in 2006 as an ORW and later became a Finance Officer. He now serves as a Senior Finance Officer and Assistant to the Finance Manager, handling various finance roles.
Pooja Falle Mudras (she/her)
Senior Officer – Finance
Pooja is a postgraduate in accounts (M.Com) with 10+ years of experience in accounting and finance. Currently handling the Global Fund NETREACH Project and experience in Global Fund project audits.
Sanket Ghanekar (he/him)
Senior Officer – Finance
Sanket Ghanekar has been with HST for 16 years, joining in 2007 as a Project Accountant. Now a Senior Finance Officer in the Research Department, he has managed 9 projects and considers Humsafar his second home.
Hrishikesh (Rishi) Bhardwaj (he/him)
Senior Officer - Finance & Administrative
Hrishkesh is part of the prestigious Finance Team of The Humsafar Trust. Based in the Delhi office, he takes care of Finance and Administration for HST Delhi.
Sunanda Kunal Abhang (she/her)
Officer - Finance
Sunanda is a graduate of accounts with over 8 years of experience in accounting and finance.
Communications Team
Archana Shetty (she/her)
Team Leader & Manager - Communications
Archana Shetty has over 10 years of experience as a communication professional in the fields of ecology, philanthropy, biological sciences, education, and currently sexual health.
Anju Mourya (she/her)
Media Buyer & Website Traffic Controller
Anju Mourya manages social media and paid marketing for HST. Having 4+ years of experience with renowned organizations, she uses technical and analytical approaches to marketing communications of HST.
Aishwarya Kaul (they/them)
Coordinator - Communications
Aishwarya manages communications, content creation, branding, and partnerships for the NETREACH Project.
Information Technology
Mukesh Surve (he/him)
Team Leader & Manager - Information Technology
Mukesh, an IT professional with 20+ years of experience, manages IT infrastructure and strategic alliances. He holds certifications in Microsoft, Cisco, and ITIL.
Strategic Information & Research (STIR)
Jayakant Singh (he/him)
Team Leader & Manager - M&E
Jayakant, a trained Public Health Professional, holds a Master's in Social Work and Population Studies, specializing in Sexual and Reproductive Health for over 8 years.
Yogesh Sarlam (he/him)
Officer - M&E
Yogesh started as an accountant 16 years ago at HST. He has worked on several projects and is currently the M&E officer for the pan-India project NETREACH 2.0.
Human Resources and Administration
Sumita Mehta (she/her)
Team Leader & Manager - Human Resources
Sumita Mehta is a self-driven HR professional with 20+ years of experience in Hospitality, Retail, Consulting, Law, Construction, and Nonprofits.
Bachchan Chauhan (he/him)
Administrator cum Supervisor
Bachchan Chauhan has worked with The Humsafar Trust, Mumbai, for the past 23 years. He looks after the overall administration and coordination of the organization.
Abhishek Kamble (he/him)
Office Assistant
Abhishek Kamble, pursuing MSW, has 12 years of experience in Counselling, Community Mobilization, Teaching, and Master Training, understanding community needs.