Barsha Banerjee is the Managing Director of Perkins India, where she leads efforts to advance inclusive education for children with disabilities through partnerships with governments, educators, communities, and the private sector. With over 26 years of cross-sector experience across education, skill development, and social impact in India and Africa, Barsha has worked at the intersection of systems change, philanthropy, and inclusive development.
At Perkins India, she is focused on building scalable and sustainable models that strengthen education systems and enable children with disabilities to learn, participate, and thrive. She also works with Perkins International on unlocking philanthropic capital globally to advance inclusive education.
Barsha is passionate about bringing together diverse stakeholders to move from intent to meaningful, measurable change in education and inclusion.
Perkins is a nearly 200-year-old global organisation dedicated to advancing education and inclusion for children with disabilities. Founded in 1829, Perkins has a long history of innovation and partnership in creating pathways to learning and independence. One of its most celebrated students was Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan, whose journey at Perkins became a powerful testament to what is possible when children with disabilities are given the right opportunities, support, and education.
Building on this legacy, Perkins India works with governments, educators, schools, families, communities, and partners to strengthen inclusive education systems across India. Our work focuses on building the capacity of educators, strengthening schools and systems, engaging families and communities, and demonstrating models of quality inclusive education that can be taken to scale.
At its heart, the Perkins legacy is about believing in possibility—and ensuring that disability is never a barrier to a child’s right to learn, participate, and thrive.