As Head of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Asia Regional Office, Deepali Khanna drives efforts to amplify the Foundation’s impact and initiatives to make opportunities universal and sustainable. She leads efforts to build and maintain networks with diverse institutions, leverage financing and partnerships, manage innovative grants, and provide thought leadership on trends shaping development across Asia.
Deepali previously led engagement with India’s G20 presidency to advance global economic equity, public health, clean energy, and sustainable food systems. She also served as Co-Chair of G20 India’s Business20 task force on Financing for Global Economic Recovery and Co-Chair of G7 Japan’s Think7 task force on Development and Economic Prosperity. In the G20 Brazil Presidency, she is a member of the T7 task force on Finance and Infrastructure. She serves as Chair of the Digital Green Foundation board, in addition to holding other board roles.
She frequently writes on topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals and the importance of South-South cooperation, contributing to publications across Asia, including Forbes Asia, The Straits Times, and Asia Times. A regular speaker at regional platforms such as the Ecosperity Week, the One Earth Summit, and the Milken Institute Asia Summit, she brings attention to key issues driving climate action.
Prior to joining The Rockefeller Foundation, Deepali held leadership positions at The MasterCard Foundation and Plan International, managing operations across multiple continents.
Authored Content
Sep 25 2023 Perspective Bold, Urgent Proposals for Using AI in Climate Action Digital Futures Lab is working with The Rockefeller Foundation to answer questions about Artificial Intelligence’s possible role in fighting or reversing climate change.
May 31 2023 Perspective The Fight Against Climate Change: The Rockefeller Foundation’s Biggest Bet “Three months are very difficult for us. With intense heat, we feel dizzy and dehydrated. At times, we lose consciousness.” This is the story of Vijuben – a salt pan farmer in Gujarat along India’s western coast. Rising temperatures in the deserts of Little Rann of Kutch make Vijuben feel dizzy and dehydrated, forcing her […]
Mar 30 2023 Perspective 5 Things We Can All Do Better to Advance Gender Equity Every day, women are helping women advance human rights, tackle climate change, drive economic growth, secure nourishing and sustainable food, and prioritize health, all around the world. As this Women’s History Month comes to a close, we carry the inspiration of their accomplishments forward throughout the year. While we applaud women supporting women, advancing gender […]
Aug 30 2022 Perspective Women Warriors: Breaking Barriers and Bridging Equality Gaps Shashibala runs a beauty salon in Tamkuhi Raj, a small town in North India’s Uttar Pradesh. She loves her work but continuous power outages and erratic access to electricity blocked her road to financial independence. “There were times when the customer was on the chair but there was no electricity. I would use a mobile […]
May 31 2022 Grantee Impact Story Amplifying Global Change: Insights From The Rockefeller Foundation’s Asia Regional Partners Meeting The two-day first ever meeting was a reminder of why we do what we do. It was a celebration and anticipation of what we have done, and what is to come next. It is unacceptable that in a world capable of so much, there are still so many with so little hope. That is why […]