Usha Rani

Senior Specialist, Graduation Program Design

Program Design and Impact

Usha has 34 years of experience in large-scale community-based development programmes. Usha has worked on initiatives with significant impact on rural poor women’s lives spanning various sectors including microfinance and livelihoods. Most recently, Usha was leading institutional and human capacity building, implementing the Graduation approach, and gender, health, nutrition, water and sanitation convergence and human resource components of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), a flagship program of the Government of India.

Usha’s extensive background includes 23 years working with state and central governments in India and over nine years with international organizations such as CARE. She has supported five World Bank-funded community-driven development programmes and played a crucial role in policy advocacy, capacity building, and networking initiatives. Her collaborations span NGOs, civil society organizations, governments, and financial institutions.

Usha holds a Master’s in Social Work specializing in Rural Development. She also holds a diploma in Community Based Microfinance.