About

At AVPN, Jaagruti Didwania works on building and strengthening the impact investing and blended finance ecosystem, with a particular focus on West Asia.

Jaagruti joined AVPN after earning her MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she developed a strong foundation in private capital–driven development finance. She complemented her academic training with hands-on experience at institutions including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Sall Family Foundation, and the Sustainable Investing Research Institute, working at the intersection of finance, policy, and impact.

Prior to Columbia, Jaagruti completed her BA in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and spent over six years as a cross-sector strategy and impact consultant, advising governments, businesses, and foundations across Asia and Africa. She has worked with organisations such as J-PAL and FSG, as well as independently, with a focus on scaling market-driven approaches to advance sustainable development outcomes. Alongside her professional work, Jaagruti also founded two community-driven initiatives—one focused on delivering holistic education to low-income households in her hometown in India, and another aimed at raising awareness of the challenges faced by women in informal economies during the COVID-19 pandemic.