Sharmistha Ray has joined the American India Foundation (AIF) as Director, Human Resources. She took up the role in October 2026 after nearly seven years as head of human resources at Tech Mahindra Foundation, where she’d worked since November 2019.
At AIF, Ray will lead the organisation’s people strategy. Her remit covers talent and performance management, leadership development, organisational effectiveness and HR governance. She’ll also work on aligning HR priorities with the foundation’s mission and supporting teams across functions and geographies.
Why AIF is investing in its people function
The appointment comes as AIF looks to strengthen its people practices and institutional capabilities while its operations grow in scale and complexity, HRKatha reported.
AIF is a non-profit founded in 2001 after the Gujarat earthquake, at the initiative of then US President Bill Clinton following a suggestion from then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It works on education, health and livelihoods across India. Its India operations are headquartered in New Delhi, and its US offices are in New York and California. The foundation marks 25 years in 2026, according to its official website.
Over two decades across corporate and development roles
Ray brings more than 20 years of HR experience spanning the automobile, technology, test and measurement, and development sectors. Her areas of work include organisational development, workforce planning, talent transformation, employee engagement and HR operations.
| Period | Organisation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 onwards | American India Foundation | Director, Human Resources |
| Nov 2019 to 2026 | Tech Mahindra Foundation | Head of Human Resources |
| May 2017 to Jul 2019 | Concorde Motors India | Head of HR; National Head, HR, Administration and Legal |
| Feb 2015 to Jan 2016 | UST Global | Senior HRIS Manager, HR Solutions Practice, Global Business Services |
| May 2007 to Feb 2015 | Agilent Technologies | Manager, HR |
| 2004 to 2006 | American Express | Email Servicing Specialist and Subject Matter Expert |
| After 2006 | 24/7 Customer | Voice and Accent Coach; Customer Experience Trainer |
At Concorde Motors India, which her LinkedIn profile describes as a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors, Ray’s responsibilities covered HR leadership along with administrative and legal functions. During her nearly eight years at Agilent Technologies, her work included HR generalist functions, recruitment, employee benefits, vendor management, learning and development, and HR reporting.
She began her career in customer-facing and training roles before moving into HR.
Ray holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from XLRI Jamshedpur and a bachelor’s degree in Arts from the University of Delhi. She’s based in New Delhi.
