NLSIU recently launched a new conversation series by eminent speakers titled ‘Crafting Careers’.  our next session in this series features Ms. Astha Kapoor, Co-founder and Director, Aapti Institute
on January 7, 2026, from 5 pm to 6 pm at the NLS campus.

Crafting Careers

Crafting Careers is a new conversation series at the University under the NLS BA (Hons) programme, designed to help students navigate the world of work. Each session in the series brings leading professionals from fields such as media, government, public policy, business, finance, and the creative arts to campus for candid conversations about their journeys. These experts will share insights and advice from their professional experiences and offer reflections on how social science majors may relate to different career pathways. These dialogues will offer students a chance to learn from diverse experiences, gain practical insights, and reflect on how to build careers that align with their own interests, skills, and values.

About the Speaker

Astha has over a decade of public policy and strategy consulting experience, with a focus on the use of technology for welfare. At Aapti, Astha leads the Data Economy Lab, a vertical established to research and test new methods of data sharing, data stewardship and governance. Her recent work is focused on participative governance of data, and its use for building collaborative AI, through collective governance methods such as cooperatives. She serves on the advisory boards of the Data Trust Initiative (Cambridge University) and Indian Urban Data Exchange (IUDEX). Prior to Aapti, Astha worked with Future State, Azim Premji’s Philanthropic Initiatives, Dalberg Global Development Advisors, the Planning Commission, the Government of India and the Self-Employed Women’s Association. She’s a visiting fellow at the Ostrom Workshop (Indiana University), a two-time TEDx speaker, and a Global Governance Futures Fellow 2018-19. Astha’s writing has been published in the Mint, Hindu, and Deccan Herald among others.

Related Video – Watch the Crafting Careers Session with Mr. Vikram Bhat, Director, BIC, here: