Principal Advisor
Jasojit (Josh) has a career of 40 years in research, starting off as a trainee from FMS, Delhi University. He has deep expertise and passion for measurement in market research, evaluation and research methods with which he has been partnering clients.
Josh got his grounding at IMRB Calcutta Office, and then headed different business units at IMRB: Lanka Market Research Bureau, IMRB Calcutta Office, IMRB International Business Unit and finally the entire India Consumer Research business. During this period, he partnered with large corporates like ITC across all its divisions, Pepsi, Coke, Nestle, Tata Consumer Products, Pernod Ricard, GSK, TVS, Airtel, and Maruti. He also developed and managed Kantar’s largest client, British American Tobacco (BAT) giving him recognition as a global leader.
Working out customized research solutions for business problems is what drives him, leading him to head the development of different consumer research methodologies like Tracking, Innovation Testing, Pricing, Segmentation.
Chief Executive Officer
Surya has 26 years of extensive experience in designing and leading various research projects that have been feeding into innovative communication strategies. In the development sector, Surya was leading very successful and large-scale pan-India projects on various sectors including Public Health, Livelihoods, Education, Gender, Social Development, etc. His contributions through his research work include various campaigns in India in the areas of immunization (pulse polio vaccination for UNICEF), family planning, behaviour change communication in HIV/AIDS etc. More recently Surya was leading the research project on vaccine hesitancy in India funded by GAVI for Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
The project, which has a mix of qualitative and ethnographic techniques such as Human Centered Designs, was expected to throw light on the barriers for the behaviour change among parents related to the immunization compliances for their children. Surya also has significantly contributed to the family planning and sanitation campaigns through research projects funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID and Government of India. Surya has extensive experience of also working with various corporate clients such as Pepsi, Nestle, Honda R&D, EID Parry on various research projects that influenced their communication, product and distribution decisions.
Surya worked as MLE head of Safal Shuruat Project funded by GAVI in partnership with Group-M. The project has been a landmark in changing the behaviors related immunization and handwashing in India with innovative research & implementation methods. The role that was played by Surya in terms of designing and implementing actionable research was widely acknowledged by various stakeholders.
Surya has been working with many government organizations and their partners including Government of India (Ministry of HRD, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare) along with development sector organizations like BMGF, Packard Foundation etc. Surya also has played key research and advisory role for clients in the corporate sector (Pepsi, Unilever, Marico, Nestle, Honda R&D and Airtel).
Surya worked with leading multinational organizations like Nielsen and Kantar. He was working as CEO-South Asia at Kantar when he decided to set-up Convergent, his current organization.
Head - DP & Analytics
Hema is proficient in Quantum, Dimensions – IOM/ TOM, SPSS, Excel VBA Macros, C, and C++. She has 17 years of experience in the Market Research industry and has worked on several projects of varying kind. She has been involved in data processing and analysis of projects across Consumer Behaviour, Social sectors, Auto, and Retail. In addition, she has extensive experience of streamlining numerous tracks. She has played a key role in successful conversion of crucial and complicated historical data for dipsticks and tracks from Quantum to Dimensions.
Hema has worked with leading multinational organizations like Nielsen and Kantar prior to joining Convergent. Hema possesses a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad.
She has been responsible for generating the resources for punching and its quality; conducting analysis activities and generating tables; and analyzing large data sets using software such as Quantum, Dimensions, IOM/ TOM, Excel VBA Macros, C, C++, FoxPro and social analysis packages such as SPSS for the following key engagements (in the states of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh):
Household Survey to estimate number of out-of-school children in India (3 Rounds) (pan-India covering 36 States/UTs) for Educational Consultants India Limit (EdCIL).
Chief Executive Officer
Venugopal is a Survey Research Operations Management expert with over three decades of experience. He started as an Interviewer and climbed to all India Operations Coordinator with passion in the profession. He started working with MARG (currently Nielsen) and moved to IMRB (Currently Kantar) and worked there for 21 years before moving to current role of National Operations Management advisor in the dynamic start-up ‘Convergent View’.
In his long career he had conceptualized and implemented many operationally challenging projects with complete success and satisfaction to the clients. Few such projects are Pre-Surveillance Survey to IBBS (Integrated Bio-Behavior Surveillance). This study involved in employing about 60 Qual teams covering all the states and UTs of India to conduct about 1200 FGDs and over 2000 IDIs among all the stake holders of the survey in record time of 1 month to facilitate launch of main survey IBBS as per NACO’s plans. He was part of Main survey Operations Management for the larger portion of India which was won by IMRB.
Venugopal has travelled across all the states and UTs in India as part of his role and gathered fair amount of knowledge about the variety of challenges and work culture across the states which helped him planning tailor made Project Implementation strategies to get best quality data within the planned timelines and budgets
As in-charge for South Asia Operations in the latter part of his job with Kantar he had implemented data collection in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He had also successfully completed few multi country studies across continents.
He is specialist in planning large scale Social, political and Consumer surveys with his proven record of conducting multi lakh sample sized Opinion polls and Health surveys (AHS for ministry of Health GoI). He had implemented large scale Consumer surveys such as General Consumer Survey, National Readership Survey etc. He has managed multiple Vehicle Clinics for popular Car and Two-wheeler brands. He has worked very closely with academicians with top International Universities in providing inputs while designing survey ‘tools’ and ‘methods’ to suit to Indian culture and topography.
In all Venugopal is a versatile Operations management expert with complete exposure with country and multiple subject surveys and had contributed his bit in the industry and continuing.
Advisor- Human Resources
Mouli is an HR professional, with over 24 years of work experience in various industries and environments –manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, bourses, education, automobile, market research, knowledge process outsourcing, and in the last 10 years, working as a Senior HR Consultant in the Development Consulting and Social Research space.
She has helped organizations in designing HR processes and interventions - HR related communication, direct and indirect mentoring and monitoring mechanisms, identifying key performance parameters, developing Performance Management systems which help enhance the overall performance of the organization. She also works closely with the organizational leadership in pre-empting and resolving people issues.
She believes in building quality at every stage in the Human Resource Process. And cannot over-emphasize on the value of consensus based action, culture of collaboration and shared ownership of all outcomes. She participates in all people related decisions –selection, training, managing performance, managing exceptions, senior level engagements with subject matter experts, defining policies, coaching high potential star performers, retaining critical talent, and enhancing the image of the organization as a preferred place to work. In HR, her motto is – “Less is More”. Less interventions, More space for the individual to blossom.
Trained as an Engineer, and later formally qualified in Human Resource Management, she understands the importance of suitable deployment of left and right brained individuals, for optimum benefit to both the individual and the organization. She places great importance on values of Patience, Tolerance, Gratitude and Simplicity. She loves to read and travel, and just stare into space and link the dots defined by dreams and thoughts!
Head- Data Acquisition (North)
Parveen is Management Postgraduate from All India Management Association (AIMA) and has more than 15 years of experience in market and social research. He worked with leading organizations like Kantar & Gartner. He was handling large national studies for clients such as Unilever, ITC, GSK, Samsung, JD Power, Marico, Dabur India, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Health & family welfare etc. during this period.
Parveen has worked as a Data acquisition head and has expertise in Primary data acquisition. Has worked in multiple states of India and deliver big projects like Annual Health survey, IBBS, NFHS etc. and was looking after Kantar world Panel before Joining Convergent. He is a Market Research Professional with over 15 years of experience in handling projects for various domain with Expertise in Social & Consumer research. He is involved in Mapping client’s requirements, project planning & scheduling, managing teams and involved in managing quantitative & qualitative projects from pre-fieldwork launch to final reports and Presentations.
Parveen’s expertise is in to communicate with Client servicing team to understand the project requirements and then develop and manage detailed project plans, including schedules, cost estimates, resource plans, communication plans, risk mitigation plans and issue resolution plans. Coordination and Collaboration with all operational departments to ensure understanding of work, client needs/objectives, project schedule and to ensure quality. Coordinate with team to understand the core issues in the study and resolve on ground issues & challenges.
Manager- DP & Analytics
Prasanna is proficient in Quantum, Dimensions – IOM/ TOM, SPSS, Excel, C and C++. He has 14 years of experience in the Market Research industry and has worked on several projects of varying kind. He has been involved in data processing and analysis of projects across Consumer Behavior, Social sectors, Auto, and Retail. In addition, He has extensive experience of streamlining numerous tracks and has played key role in successful conversion of crucial and complicated historical data for dipsticks and tracks from Quantum to Dimensions. He has been involved in enforcing new processes within Team.
Prasanna has worked with leading multinational organizations like TNS and Kantar prior to joining Convergent. Prasanna possesses a Graduate from Bihar University.
He has been responsible for generating the resources for punching and its quality; conducting analysis activities and generating tables; and analyzing large data sets using software such as Quantum, Dimensions, IOM/ TOM, Excel, FoxPro and social analysis packages such as SPSS for the following key engagements:
Technology Partner
Vikas is the technology partner for Convergent. A person with an entrepreneurial vision, zeal to accomplish challenging goals, Vikas currently manages his organization. He founded Triline Infotech Pvt Ltd, in July 2009, with a vision to solve problems related to a rising amount of data and the aim to help organizations manage information better. Since its inception, he has led the company as a Tech Lead to guide experts in creating and delivering state-of-the-art products and services.
With the industrial experience of over ten years, Vikas has gained knowledge and skills from multiple domains. He has completed more than thirty large projects in this short span, created a revolutionary data analysis and monitoring tool - FIELDATA and accomplished an eight-year-long relation with PRS Legislative Research to provide a CMS and MIS solution to track the functioning of the Parliament of India. He is proficient in Java, PHP, Python, Visual Basic, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, Team Leadership, etc.
Manager- Accounts & Administration
Kapil Kumar is currently working as the Manager- Accounts & Administration in Convergent View Research & Consultancy Pvt Ltd where he oversees the financial accepts of the company.
Prior to joining in Convergent, Kapil Worked in Butterfly Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd. (Gurgaon) as Sr. Accounts Executive from July 2019 to October 2019 and before that he worked as Accounts Executive at Beltek Canadian Water Ltd. (Franchise- Pepsico India Holdings Pvt. Ltd.)
Kapil holds a Diploma In ACCA (Advance Certificate In Computer Application) From “ GIIT ” Jalilpur, Bijnor (U.P.) and Accounting Fundamental, Reading Financial Statement from Corporate Finance Institute.
Data Scientist
Sai is a graduate in Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science with a total of 3+ years of work experience in the Research Sector. He has successfully executed a variety of projects in the political, health and WASH sectors while working with clients like Access Health International, IDFC Institute, West Bengal Youth Trinamool Congress, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and Dalberg Development Advisors.
Sai takes care of sampling, preparation of research tools, quantitative analysis, data integrity checks, and various other analysis activities. He is well versed using various social analysis packages such as SPSS, and adept at analyzing and linking data sets.
A person with an eye for detail, apart from Data Analytics and Processing at Convergent, Sai is passionate about Science-Fiction movies and Music.
Data Scientist
Sreevatsa is a data analytics professional with over 3 years of experience of working on evaluation projects across sectors such as Sanitation, Health, and Governance. He is an expert in ensuring the rigor of large-scale data and assuring the quality of the data. He clubs his expertise with technology in an efficient manner to deliver the real-time data in the most efficient manner. He is well versed with various analytics tools like FoxPro, SPSS, Excel, and VBA Macros to bring more efficiency, and expedite the delivery of projects.
Sreevatsa has a postgraduate degree in Business Analytics from BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad. He also holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from GITAM University, Hyderabad.
At Convergent, Sreevatsa supports the data acquisition activities along with managing data quality and field inputs.
Manager- Insights
Prakhar is a Manager- Insights at Convergent, currently based in Noida, India.
Since August 2021, his explorations at Convergent include generating insights on socio-political projects in Uttarakhand and Punjab, training resources on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy study conducted with Govt. of Nagaland and Dalberg Research, apart from working on international projects with Gallup International. Prior to joining Convergent, he worked as a Risk Analyst with Citibank where his team generated insights ensuring Citi’s Business Continuity in South Asia.
Prakhar holds a postgraduate degree in Disaster Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. His master’s thesis focused on understanding the impact of micro-watershed management on agriculture in the Okhamandal region (Gujarat) using geospatial technologies. He also holds an undergraduate degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University, Uttar Pradesh.
He has explored various domains like Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Policy and Governance, and Business Development in the form of internships. He is also passionate about Indian Classical Music and Urdu Poetry.
Research Analyst
Meghana, research analyst at Convergent holds a master’s degree from Amity School of Economics in Economics graduating in the year 2021.
During her Master’s she worked as an intern in Kantar on the title Gender differentiation in Education in India (a primary data-based study) from 17th May, 2018 to 6th July, 2018 and she also worked with Group M on the title Economic Impact of Digital Communication Tools with Reference to the Promotion of Immunization and HWWs from 15th April, 2020 to 31st May, 2020.Meghana also worked on three research projects A study on gender differentiation in education in India, A study on consumer loyalty and Exploratory study on Inflation.
Since May 2021 she has been working with Convergent, managing several public policy projects of various domains. She has worked with national and international clients for Convergent such as Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Access Health International, Gallup International, Educate Girls and so on. Her role here is a blend of research analysis and project management. Key tasks include strategizing the launch of study; inclusive of designing of questionnaire; preparation of manuals and guidelines for field data collection teams; training of investigators and supervising data collection, managing and coordinating overall field & quality monitoring.
In addition, Meghana is also a part of the Convergent IRB (Institutional Review Board) team. She has managed several review applications for clients such as Access Health International and IDFC Institute.
Research Analyst
Milan Sharma, research analyst at Convergent, holds a master’s degree from Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai in Urban Policy and Governance graduating in the year 2021.
During her masters she interned with Centre of Urban and Regional Excellence and conducted research for the Delhi Master Plan 2041. Along with that, she was engaged in the research project on Understanding Impact of Air Pollution on Low Socio-Economic Groups in Delhi. She also interned with Praja Foundation, and was a part of creating and launching the Mumbai Civic White Paper 2021. She has further been part of research projects with the Hyderabad Urban Lab. During this time she was also engaged in multiple social work projects such as working at the Mankhurd transit camp and volunteering extensively at the Blind Relief Association, Delhi.
Since July 2021 she has been working with Convergent, managing several public policy projects of various domains. She has worked with national and international clients for Convergent such as IDFC Institute; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Resonance Global, Dalberg Research and so on. Her role here is a blend of research analysis and project management. Key tasks include strategizing the launch of study; inclusive of designing of questionnaire; preparation of manuals and guidelines for field data collection teams; training of investigators and supervising data collection, managing and coordinating overall field & quality monitoring.
In addition, Milan is also the Convergent IRB (Institutional Review Board) coordinator. She is the point of contact for clients seeking IRB approval for their research studies. She has managed several review applications for clients such as Gallup India and FSG Advisors.
Associate Manager- Research
Praveena holds a Master's degree from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in Social Work with the specialization in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship, graduating in the year 2021.
She previously worked with Goodliving. Eco Foundation as the Head of Community Initiatives. She was a part of research studies that focused on house damages due to climate induced disasters in Tamil Nadu. She engaged in various community activities to create green climate resilient houses for the low income groups, using methods focused on participatory approaches and inclusive design thinking practices.
She has done her MA research project titled "Opportunities and Challenges of Food Delivery Executives before and during the Covid-19 pandemic: A study in Chennai, Tamil Nadu". Previously, she has done "A study on the Challenges faced by the Wives of Alcohol dependents in the Urban Communities in Chennai" and "a minor study on the Socio-economic status of the Street Vendors in Triplicane, Chennai" during her under graduation. She worked as a student social worker and has also interned in various NGOs and GOs livelihoods, education, and health sectors.
Executive- Project Management
Asheesh is a Project Management Executive at Convergent.
A multi-tasker and a team player, Asheesh currently plans and monitors project progress.
He has conducted trainings for telephonic interviewers for the surveys conducted under the project for British High Commission in India. He also worked closely with Dalberg on a study that assessed the economic impacts of air pollution.
Apart from his active role in various projects, he provides continuous assistance on other projects as required along with performing financial and administrative support tasks as needed.
Asheesh possesses a degree in Arts from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and is currently pursuing a Management degree from Mangalyatan University, Harigarh.
Executive- Data Quality
Sachi holds a bachelor’s degree from Amity School of Economics in B.A. Economics graduating in the year 2021.
During her Bachelor’s she worked as an intern in Quantel as a content strategist where she managed a community of aspiring job seekers and at the Office of MLA Mr. Ninong Ering where she wrote various research papers and summaries regarding Policy analysis.
Sachi also worked on a research project A study on Linkages between Indian Economic Growth and Social Progress.
Executive- Data Quality
Priyadarshni holds a MCA degree from G L Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management Noida A.P.J Technical University (Lucknow) graduating in 2019.
After her degree, she worked as a Cloud Support Engineer in Evangelist technology Pvt. Ltd. and as a Data Management Executive in EPACK Group Pvt. Ltd .
Priyadarshni also has a proficiency in tools such as C, HTML, SQL, Intune and Power BI.