Policy Pod brings you engaging conversations with leaders, professionals, and changemakers in public policy and the social sector, sharing their career journeys, insights, and experiences to inspire and inform those passionate about making an impact
Policy Pod
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12 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Policy Pod brings you engaging conversations with leaders, professionals, and changemakers in public policy and the social sector, sharing their career journeys, insights, and experiences to inspire and inform those passionate about making an impact
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
1/14/2023
1 verified contact email on file for Policy Pod
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Recent Episodes
January 8, 2026
Choosing the Unscripted Path: Amitav Virmani on Education, Purpose, and a Life in the Social Sector
<p>In this episode of PolicyPod, Ayush is in conversation with <strong>Amitav Virmani, Founder and CEO of The Education Alliance</strong> — an education non-profit working on systems change in public education, for a wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation on leadership, education reform, and building change that lasts.</p><p><br></p><p>An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Amitav took an unscripted path from early stints in the private sector in India & the United States to a decisive shift to the social sector in his late 30s. </p><p>Over the last 17+ years, he has worked at the intersection of government, civil society, and philanthropy, helping strengthen India’s public education system at scale.In this conversation, Amitav reflects on what drew him to the education space, the realities of pay and progression in the social sector, the journey of building The Education Alliance and its key milestones, how government partnerships actually function on the ground, the role of NGOs and civil society in sustaining reform, and what it takes to build a long-term career in the social sector. Tune in!</p><p><br></p><p>Read more about Amitav here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitav-virmani-71716944/</p><p>Read more about The Education Alliance here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the_education_alliance/</p><p>Read more about Ayush here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayush-singhal-8b454434/</p><p>00:00 Introduction & early life</p><p>05:21 Choosing an unscripted path</p><p>14:14 Finding purpose in education</p><p>15:39 From corporate to social sector</p><p>19:47 Starting The Education Alliance</p><p>24:57 Reforming schools at scale – the TEA journey</p><p>29:20 Inside government partnerships</p><p>36:30 Impact vs showing impact</p><p>40:42 The permanence of civil society</p><p>46:46 Mission Ankur & FLN at scale (Madhya Pradesh)</p><p>54:09 Working in consortia & partnerships</p><p>59:58 Building careers in the social sector</p><p>01:08:02 Rapid fire & closing reflections</p>
November 29, 2025
Why I Went Back to School at 30: Journey through Policy, Purpose & Learning
<p>In this episode of <strong>Policy Pod</strong>, Ayush is in conversation with <strong>Diksha</strong>, <strong>Program Manager at Toyota Mobility Foundation</strong> and alumni Chapter Lead for <strong>Hertie School</strong> </p><p><br /></p><p>With experience across the <strong>LAMP Fellowship</strong>, <strong>WRI India</strong>, <strong>consulting and strategic communications</strong>, Diksha’s journey captures the intersections of public policy, sustainability sector and lifelong learning.</p><p><br /></p><p>From pursuing higher education at 30 to changing her field from communications to climate change, Diksha shares reflections on navigating policy careers, working remotely for a global organisation, and the value of mentors and networks along the way.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some of the things we talk about:</p><p>🎓 Why she chose to go back to school at 30 - and why Germany and the Hertie School</p><p>🌍 Public policy careers in India vs. Germany</p><p>♻️ Entering the sustainability and climate change space</p><p>💡 Working as a solo India employee in a global policy organisation</p><p>🧭 The importance of mentors and professional networks</p><p>🚀 Finding a job after studying abroad</p><p><br /></p><p>Tune in for a grounded, insightful conversation on policy, purpose, and the pursuit of learning.</p><p><br /></p><p>Read more about Diksha here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/diksha-choudhary-458b2124/Read more about Ayush here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayush-singhal-8b454434/</p><p><br /></p><p>Please do share and subscribe if you enjoy the podcast.</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 Introduction & Diksha’s journey into policy</p><p>05:56 Working remotely for a global policy organisation</p><p>08:23 Why sustainability and climate change?</p><p>10:16 Importance of mentors in your professional journey</p><p>14:18 Public policy in Germany vs India</p><p>23:07 Why I went back to school at 30: The Hertie Experience</p><p>30:53 Class profile, age diversity & admissions at Hertie School</p><p>44:45 Finding a job after an education abroad</p><p>51:11 Rapid fire & closing thoughts</p><p><br /></p><p>For feedback: https://forms.gle/D7XbeHaHAHBtJD3h9</p>
July 29, 2025
Fixing the plumbing : Data, Policy & the story of Outline India with Prerna Mukharya
<p>In this episode of Policy Pod, Ayush is in conversation with Prerna Mukharya, the founder of Outline India — a pioneering data-for-impact enterprise working across 65,000+ villages in India to strengthen how policies are designed, implemented, and evaluated.A Chevening Fellow at Oxford and one of Fortune India’s 40 under 40, Prerna shares her journey of building a research firm from scratch, her reflections on navigating the world of academia, the challenges of collecting reliable on-ground data, and why fixing the plumbing of India’s data systems is essential for real impact.From conversations about hiring in the research and policy space to lessons in founder discipline, career transitions from corporate to development, and creating tech tools like Pulse to make data more accessible — this episode explores it all.Tune in for a sharp, honest, and deeply relevant conversation for anyone interested in data, policy, research, or social entrepreneurship.Read more about Prerna here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/prernamukharya/ Read more about Ayush here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayush-singhal-8b454434/00:06 Introduction 09:19 Corporate crossovers in social impact space 16:10 Achievements of Outline India 18:48 Hiring on ground from project to project 22:38 Government data and its accessibility and availability over the years 37:33 Learning opportunities for a founder 45:00 Coping mechanisms and support systems 48:55 Careers in social impact 52:57 Hiring at Outline 59:38 Rapid fire Please do share and subscribe if you like our podcast. For feedback, you can write to us here - https://forms.gle/D7XbeHaHAHBtJD3h9</p>
12 total episodes available
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- What is Policy Pod?
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This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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