At Urban Plus Solutions, our strength lies in our people. Our multidisciplinary team is a dynamic blend of seasoned experts and passionate young professionals who bring together deep experience and fresh perspectives to reimagine urban development.
Together, we work across sectors—partnering with governments, international organizations, NGOs, and communities—to co-create tailored, practical solutions that drive lasting impact
Core Team
Dr. Sainath Banerjee, Ph.D. Ph.D Founder and Director
Dr. Sainath Banerjee is the Founder and Director of Urban Plus Solutions (UPS), an Indian organization working to improve the health and well-being of urban underprivileged communities through system strengthening, community participation, and capacity building. With over 30 years of experience, he is a leading expert in urban health, having held strategic roles with government bodies, UN agencies, and international donors. Dr. Banerjee played a key role in shaping India’s National Urban Health Mission and currently serves on expert committees including the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), New York. A medical anthropologist with a Ph.D. in Population Genetics, he was also a Research Fellow at NIHFW, New Delhi.
Dr. Gautam Chakraborty, Ph.D, Director (Innovative Financing and Health Economics)
Dr. Gautam Chakraborty is a pioneering expert in innovative healthcare financing with around 30 years of experience. His expertiseincludes structuring blended finance platforms, managing Social Impact Funds, and facilitating Social Stock Exchange listings for healthcare enterprises. At USAID, he designed India’s first Development Impact Bond and over $300 million SAMRIDH blended finance facility. His urban health policy contributions are significant—he assisted India’s Ministry of Health in developing budget norms and financial guidelines for the National Urban Health Mission and trained officials on city planning and vulnerability mapping. During COVID-19, he led urban health systems strengthening and designed multi-country city-to-city learning exchanges for pandemic response.
Advisors
Mr. George C Varughese
Strategic Advisor – Urban Planning and Environment
Mr. George C Varughese with over 40 years of experience, is currently an independent strategic advisor to multilateral agencies, industry associations, and other institutions.
Mr. Varughese was the President of Development Alternatives, where he was responsible for building up a trans-disciplinary group of professionals capable of addressing various facets of environment and sustainable development. He co-ordinated or actively participated in over 300 projects and assignments, and conceptualised and spearheaded several of the major initiatives. He has also worked in the construction industry and academia.
Mr. Varughese has been a member of several international and national governing bodies, advisory panels and working groups on environment and development. He has spearheaded several NGO initiatives and has travelled extensively within India and overseas.
Mr. Varughese holds a Master’s Degree, with distinction, in Urban and Regional Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela.
Dr. Sanjay Sinho, Senior Advisor, Global Public Health
Dr. Sanjay Sinho is a distinguished leader in global public health, with over 35 years of experience in conceptualizing, implementing, overseeing, and providing technical support for complex health portfolios across multiple countries and involving diverse stakeholders. His areas of focus include child survival, maternal and reproductive health, infectious disease, and nutrition. Additionally, he pioneered urban health initiatives with the American India Foundation (AIF), engaging sanitation workers and rickshaw pullers. Beyond health, Dr. Sinho has gained extensive hands-on experience in fields such as livelihood, financial services for the poor, education, leadership development, and the promotion of volunteerism and philanthropy. Over more than a decade, he served with CARE as the Sector Director of the Indian health program and later as Director of Health at CARE USA (www.care.org), overseeing more than 250 health programs across 50 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Throughout his career, Dr. Sinho has also held other key roles, such as the CEO of the American India Foundation (www.aif.org), Deputy Director of the Government Relations and Policy Advocacy Unit at the Gates Foundation-India (www.gatesfoundation.org), and Professor and Dean at IIHMR-India (www.iihmr.org). He has operated in difficult and hostile environments, including managing victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy, responding to the Avian Influenza outbreak in Vietnam, and addressing civil conflict in South Sudan. Dr. Sinho has been a regular speaker at international platforms, including the WHO, UN consultations, and academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, Kellogg’s School of Management, Wharton School, New York University, and the University of Hong Kong, as well as the TICH conference in Kisumu, Kenya. Dr. Sinho holds an MBBS and MD in Pediatrics, along with postgraduate qualifications in Sociology.
Anand Rudra (Water, Sanitation and Strategic Partnership)
Anand Rudra with 30+ years of experience leading donor-funded programs and cross-sector collaborations across South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the U.S. Skilled in designing and managing public-private partnerships that advance WASH, urban health, disaster resilience, and education initiatives. Proven success in leveraging corporate partnerships and philanthropic capital to amplify community-led solutions and support local ownership. Deep expertise in localization—channeling resources to grassroots organizations, building institutional capacity, and aligning global donor priorities with locally defined goals. Trusted by governments, NGOs, and private sector leaders for driving inclusive development and adaptive, results-driven implementation.
Consultants
Dr. Paramita Banerjee, Consultant
Dr Paramita Banerjee is an accomplished researcher and academician with almost 15 years of experience in the field of public Public health, population studies and use of Geographical Information System (GIS) in Health. she has worked in several International Research Projects funded by DFID, UNDP and USAID on various social issues including urban health. Dr. Banerjee was part of the research team which used NFHS data to understand the difference between urban poor and non-poor. She has presented papers in many national and international conferences. Dr. Banerjee received PhD in Population Studies from the Centre for the Study of regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Her doctoral thesis titled ‘Influence of Economic Factors in Maternal Health care Seeking Behaviour-A Study in Kolkata’, was in the area of urban health. Currently, she is head of the geography department in an undergraduate college in Kolkata.
Sajal Umalkar, Consultant
Sajal Umalkar is a seasoned professional with 10 years of experience in the public health and non-profit sectors. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is Project Management Professional (PMP) certified, bringing together strategic business acumen with hands-on project management expertise to lead impactful social development initiatives.
In the public health space, Sajal worked with NITI Aayog on an Urban Health initiative, contributing to the strengthening of primary healthcare systems in underserved communities. Internationally, he collaborated with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) in Canada, supporting policy efforts aimed at improving nursing practice and resident care in long-term care homes. Driven by a passion for community empowerment, Sajal has earlier led transformative programs as the Head of the Skills & Livelihood Division at an NGO, uplifting rural women in patriarchal regions of Northern India. He began his career as a public sector consultant with PwC and CRISIL, where he worked on large-scale programs with governments and international development agencies.