Her passion led her into public service, where she served with distinction in key positions:

• Assistant Project Director (Women), DRDA – 2 years

• Assistant Project Director, DWMA – 8 years

• District Training Coordinator, Irrigation Department – 7 years

Throughout these roles, she implemented watershed programs, SHG-based livelihoods, and capacity-building initiatives. But more than the programs, it was the people—farmers, women, youth, government officers, and even the political system—that shaped her journey. Working closely with them, learning their challenges, and building consensus among diverse stakeholders trained her to tune herself to the real pulse of rural communities.

In 1997, along with a committed group of professional women from social work, engineering, law, HRD, and management, Ms. Nagalakshmi co-founded PRERANA with a vision to create just, empowered, and sustainable communities. As President of the organization for 25 years, she led from the front—designing and mentoring grassroots programs in agriculture, water resource management, women’s entrepreneurship, biodiversity conservation, and rural youth leadership.

The PRERANA Mission

In 2022, she formally stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PRERANA, bringing with her decades of administrative insight, field experience, and policy-level expertise. Under her leadership, PRERANA is expanding into new domains like climate change adaptation, tribal welfare, life skills training, renewable energy, and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

Leadership with Heart, Strategy, and Empathy

Ms. Nagalakshmi is known not only for her administrative acumen and policy insights but also for her deep empathy and people-first approach. Her work with SHGs and vulnerable communities has given her a rare blend of grassroots intuition and institutional discipline.

She credits her growth to many mentors and partnerships—especially Dr. Uma, who inspired her to serve with empathy and compassion, and the Director of ASSIST, whose guidance on “working with difference” continues to inspire her inclusive, bottom-up approach to development.

Her experience collaborating with government officers, elected representatives, community members, and development institutions has molded her into a dynamic, adaptive leader—able to balance policy with practice, vision with action.

Vision for the Future

As PRERANA’s CEO, Ms. Nagalakshmi envisions a future where every woman, every youth, and every marginal farmer has the opportunity to lead a life of dignity and purpose. She is committed to building a strong team, scaling impact-driven projects, and aligning PRERANA’s work with national and global development goals.

Her story is not just a personal narrative - it is the collective voice of communities she has empowered, and a living testament to the belief that true change happens when we lead with empathy, partnership, and unwavering resolve.