Our Team

Trained as a mechanical engineer, Yogesh Shastri began working in grassroots rural development during the 1990s. He contributed to watershed management and model village initiatives with the Deendayal Research Institute in the Chitrakoot region.

Since 2004–05, he has been engaged in studying and teaching Madhyasth Darshan. He is associated with the Manviya Shiksha Shodh Kendra in Parda, Buldhana, where he has facilitated numerous Jeevan Vidya Shivirs.

Contribution to AKSG: Value education, village development and the integration of educational programmes with community-level initiatives.

Ummed Nahata has extensive experience in business development and organisational leadership. He has been associated with his family business since 1980 and later established Evosys, a global IT enterprise that merged with Mastek in 2020.

He began studying Madhyasth Darshan in 2013 and subsequently established SHAPE Foundation to support initiatives in human development and social wellbeing.

Contribution to AKSG: Programme direction, organisational coordination, partnerships and resource mobilisation.

Dr. Sanket Thakur has a background in agricultural science and plant biotechnology. He completed his PhD in Plant Tissue Culture at the University of London and has worked in scientific research, agricultural organisations and farmer-producer enterprises.

His experience includes working with tribal farming communities across four districts of Chhattisgarh, with a focus on agricultural development, production systems and farmer entrepreneurship.

Contribution to AKSG: Sustainable production, agricultural initiatives and the development of locally relevant, self-reliant production models.

Naresh Baluni has a background in psychology and business leadership, including experience as the CEO of an FMCG company. His work and interests include the study of human consciousness, behavioural development and the practical application of Madhyasth Darshan.

He is also involved with Utsav.Earth and other initiatives related to human development and learning.

Contribution to AKSG: Development of value education curricula, with particular attention to psychology, self-regulation and learning methods appropriate for village communities.