Achieving true health equity in India requires a strategic, systemic shift. While expanding medical infrastructure is vital, clinical solutions alone cannot bridge the gap for poor and marginalised populations. At the Centre, we address the root causes of health disparities. We specialise in building evidence and actionable strategies to tackle the non-medical factors—such as gender, class, caste, location, and disability—that overwhelmingly determine healthcare access and outcomes.

Our multi-disciplinary team works on scalable public health impact across three core pillars:

Rigorous, community-grounded research

Our research is fundamentally question-driven, high-impact, and intentionally collaborative. We work directly with marginalised communities and government entities to ensure our insights are context-specific and actionable. A key differentiator of our portfolio is our ability to move beyond uni-dimensional approaches to public health issues such as women’s health or adolescent health to look at the intersections of multiple sources of marginality and vulnerability. We extensively use mixed methods – quantitative and qualitative – as well as participatory research that includes theatre, games and other media.

Innovative training and knowledge products

To sustain long-term systemic change, we translate real-world field experiences and inequality research into high-quality educational materials. We develop field-based training programmes and accessible knowledge products designed to enrich public health education in India. These resources promote active engagement among a wide range of stakeholders, equipping the next generation of public health professionals, community leaders, and implementers with the practical tools necessary to dismantle social barriers to care.

Evidence-based policy engagement and advocacy

We bridge the gap between research, policy, and practice to drive evidence-based decision-making. By translating participatory and community-based knowledge into strategic action, we actively support state governments and engage deeply with key national and international health policy bodies. We foster robust linkages between researchers, programme implementers, and policymakers to ensure that frontline realities directly inform large-scale policy development.