Autobayng News Team
Rama Shankar Pandey“>
For over two decades, Rama Shankar Pandey built his name in India’s automotive sector. At Hella India Lighting Ltd and later at Tata Green Batteries, he steered businesses through competitive markets. In boardrooms, he was known for his sharp strategy and operational discipline.
This week, at the Valedictory Function of the MoSJE Cohort 2024-25 in New Delhi, his corporate journey took a different turn.
At the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, in the presence of the Secretary and senior officers of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Pandey and three other Social Defence Fellows presented the final outcomes of their work under the The/Nudge Indian Administrative Fellowship. It is an 18-month impact fellowship providing a platform for socially conscious senior corporate professionals to partner with civil servants to transform public systems with technology-led innovations.Chosen from 840 CXO applicants last year, the four Fellows had worked full time with the ministry on projects ranging from beggary rehabilitation to credit access and drug demand reduction. The fellowship has been described as a “game-changing experiment in collaborative governance.”
Pandey joined the Indian Administrative Fellowship in 2024. His task was to support some of India’s most marginalised groups, from individuals engaged in begging to communities seeking credit access.
“The move was about giving back, but also about learning how Sarkaar works from the inside,” he said.
Reimagining policy through industry eyes
One of his key contributions was in Mission SMILE (Beggary Free India). He helped draft new guidelines, introduced cost revisions, and expanded implementation to 181 cities.Over 22,000 individuals were surveyed, and 3,400 people, including 728 children, were rehabilitated under the programme. He also launched the SMILE-B web portal with features like “Report a Person” for faster response.”Corporate thinking is about creating systems, not ad hoc solutions. The same principle must apply to governance if we are to deliver lasting change,” Pandey explained.
Lessons from the corridors of power
While working on the PM-SURAJ scheme, Pandey coordinated efforts to make the portal dynamic and accessible, enabling credit support for disadvantaged entrepreneurs.Reflecting on the experience, he admitted: “Advocating from the outside has its limits. True transformation requires working within the system, understanding its constraints, and finding ways to drive efficiency while keeping the human impact at the center.”Pandey’s portfolio also included reforms to the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR). He developed a model State Action Plan framework, introduced digital dashboards for fund flows, and built a three-tier training model for NGOs and master trainers. His work created a foundation for transparent and data driven delivery of rehabilitation programmes.
“Systemic change requires patience. The key is to stay committed, embrace the complexity, and keep pushing forward,” he said.
Today, India’s industrial ambitions are powered by PLI schemes, Make in India projects, and supply chain realignments. But bridging corporate ambition with government priorities remains a constant challenge. Pandey’s story shows what that bridge looks like in practice, a leader carrying corporate skills into public service, and bringing policy insights back to industry.
“India’s manufacturing future will be defined not in silos, but in the alignment of boardroom ambition with Sarkaar vision,” he emphasised.
A journey that redefines leadership
As Pandey returns to industry roles, he does so with a rare combination of perspectives. His fellowship outcomes, from expanding SMILE, strengthening PM-SURAJ, to redesigning NAPDDR, are proof of how industry and government can learn from each other. From corner offices to Sarkaar corridors, his journey shows what it takes to cross boundaries and redefine leadership.
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