Mr. Ved Arya is the Founder and former CEO of SRIJAN (Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action), which features among the top non-profit organisations in India in the sustainable Rural Livelihood Management space and empowerment of rural women.Mr. Arya is also the Founder and National Convenor of Responsible Coalition for Resilient Communities – RCRC - a network of Civil Society Organisations.

Mr. Ved Arya completed B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in 1979. In 2016 he founded the Buddha Institute, a unique platform offering a complete eco-system for young emerging leaders from India's premier educational institutions such as IITs and IIMs, an opportunity to build development enterprises. IITK conferred upon him the Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2020.

On January 21, 2025, Mr Arya received Schwab Foundation's Award for collective innovation at the World Economic Forum, Davos.

Awards and Honors

• Schwab Foundation Awardee, 2025
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2020
• Social Entrepreneur of the Year, 2018 (Business Standard)
• Aspire Fellow, 2014
• Ashoka Fellow, 2008
• United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Fellow, 1991
• Hubert Humphrey North-South Fellow, 1990-91