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About the partner
With a Bachelors in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from St. Xavier’s Ahmedabad, Angana went abroad for a stint at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. This sparked her interest and motivated a career in genetics. She stayed on in UK to complete her Masters in Neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh.
Angana returned to India as a Junior research Fellow at the Gujarat Cancer Society. She worked on genetic factors causing gliomas of various grades, a one of its kind study on the Asian population which had a direct impact on treatment modalities of patients of Indian origin.
This bench-to-bedside experience successfully landed her a position at the Children’s National Medical Centre in Washington DC, where she worked on a similar project focusing on paediatrics.
In 2018, Angana took a year’s sabbatical from science to work for humanity, and has continued in the social sector since.
Arts, crafts and travel excite her. She has embarked on many a solo backpacking trip to various remote and culturally rich corners of India and the world.
My Journey at SVP
In 2018, I thought I was taking a year’s sabbatical from science. But the energy, enthusiasm and job satisfaction I found while working with SVP made me abandon science in favour of a career in social development.
I feel a movement has been initiated towards creating social equity globally. In India this would mean giving due citizenship to every resident of the country from diverse economic and social backgrounds. These two sentences and what they imply have helped me see my country through a different lens. I have got to know it more holistically, and realised that India is a world unto itself.
Working within this sector, I appreciate the multiple possibilities of capitalising on the inherent differences existing in society. I am learning more and more about the ‘jugaad’ philosophy each day that I work here. There is a stream of ideas and innovative thought processes which stem from the so-deemed ‘under-privileged’; an intelligence quotient that has so far been under-utilised. When channelled correctly, it forms the perfect ingredients for growth and eventually a more inclusive India. How can one not want to be a part of this fervour?
Moreover, the joy of reconditioning someone to help them believe that the world is their oyster, – that they can dream any dream and it can become a tangible reality – is a true high. Even though reconditioning is a slow, often frustrating process and the turnaround rate initially is quite negligible, it is well worth the effort.
I chose SVP as my means to achieve the goal of an equitable India. SVP enables one faction of society to look at another as equals, and work together towards a common goal. This equality is tremendously heartening to see in every relationship at SVP, between partners, Investees and General Managers.