Neelima Thota is an experienced Engineering and Management professional with over two decades of experience in the development sector with a special focus on water & sanitation and transportation, spanning over USA and India. In the past decade, she has influenced and managed decisions & investments towards equitable, innovative and sustainable development with a focus on water and sanitation. Currently, Neelima is Sr Advisor at Dasra, spearheading the WSH ecosystem. Prior to joining Dasra, she led the urban WATSAN programme at Arghyam Foundation and architected several projects that aim to demonstrate innovative models of decentralized approaches, embracing the principles of equity, efficiency and sustainability. Prior to Arghyam, she built and led project teams towards execution of several JNNURM projects and played advisory role with agencies such as GIZ, ADB, USAID, ASCI, and worked closely with several state governments, MoUD, MoHUPA, CPHEEO, Planning Commission and Finance Commission. She also works closely with United Nations University to enhance a broader knowledge sharing platform in water and sanitation sector through their flagship nexus observatory programme
