Rama will report to the Foundation’s Board represented by Prasenjit Bhattacharya (Founder, Great Place to Work® India & Sri Lanka; CEO & Co-founder, Great Manager Institute®). His mandate is to scale partnerships across society, government, and business, deepen program impact, and expand WWD’s reach to underserved working communities.
Mr. Pandey’s transition follows his national service as Social Defence Fellow of IndianAdministrative Fellowship of 24-25 Cohort with the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE), Government of India, where he advanced initiatives in dignity and social protection.
“This is not just a career move -it’s a continuum of purpose,” said Rama Shankar Pandey. “After serving Bharat Sarkaar, I now dedicate myself to serving Bharat’s people through enterprise. Work With Dignity is my mission to ensure every working hand contributes at their highest productivity with respect, safety, and purpose.”
With 28+ years in entrepreneurial and turnaround leadership, Pandey has built a record of sustainable growth and workplace excellence. As CEO of Tata Green Batteries, he repositioned the brand under “Naye India Ki Nayi Battery,” championing eco-conscious innovation. Earlier, as Managing Director & CEO, Hella India Lighting Ltd., he helped the company become one of India’s Top 25 Great Places to Work (2019) and a CII Innovation Award winner. An alumnus of IIM Bangalore, ISB Hyderabad and NIT Calicut, he has been recognized with honors including the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award, ET-Now CSR Leadership Award, and ET’s Most Promising Business Leader of Asia.
Beyond the boardroom, Pandey serves the ecosystem through leadership roles with ACMA, sector skill councils ASDC & MEPSC, co-founded Prayaas Bangalore (youth livelihood), founded Drive Smart, Drive Safe (road safety) and chairs FICCI sub-committee on Road Safety.
About Work With Dignity Foundation
Headquartered in Mumbai (CIN: U85320MH2016NPL285886), the Work With Dignity Foundation is building a nationwide movement for workplaces that are rich in purpose, rooted in dignity free from toxicity. WWD convenes the Samaaj–Sarkaar–Bazaar triad-corporates, NGOs, academia, and government-through CSR collaborations, livelihood programs, and volunteer-led mentorship to enhance wellbeing, inclusion, productivity, and human capital.
“Under Mr. Pandey’s leadership, the Foundation will scale its reach, deepen impact through industry–NGO-Government collaborations, and strengthen India’s human capital by empowering underserved communities,” said Prasenjit Bhattacharya, Director at Work With Dignity Foundation.
His role at WWD is in a combination of task along with his cofounder role at Autoverse Mobility and Director on the board of Paracoat Products Ltd. His role at Autoverse Mobility as Co-founder w.e.f. 1st of October 2025 is to empower multi-brand aftermarket workshops, technicians across the country get fastest delivery of parts. He also transitioned from non-executive board member role at Paracoat Products Ltd. to Executive Director w.e.f. 1st September contributing to its strategy & growth, thereby deepening his engagement in India’s automotive and mobility ecosystem while advancing social impact.
He will continue to contribute voluntarily to the #BeggaryFreeIndia & #NashaMuktaBharatAbhiyaan of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, GOI to accelerate its implementation and policy improvements.
Former Hella India MD Rama Shankar Pandey named CEO of WWD Foundation
