Mr. David B.K. Thomas

(BT/ME/1977)

Mr. David B.K. Thomas is a Gandhian scholar, activist, author, and social entrepreneur based in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. He is the founder of India Nirman Sangh (INS), a grassroots organization working to empower women and support rural communities in the Palani Hills. With a career that spans engineering, humanities, global industry, and social change, he exemplifies a life dedicated to intellectual pursuit and meaningful development.

Profile

Mr. David pursued Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and later studied History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

He is the author of Rear Entrance (Hachette India, 2010), a novel that explores the struggles of four Indians living in Brussels as they navigate bureaucratic obstacles in their bid to enter the United Kingdom.

After over two decades in the Information Technology sector in both Europe and India, Mr. David dedicated himself to the development & empowerment of women through his organization, India Nirman Sangh (INS) based in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu. Today, INS works with more than 6,000 women across some of the region's most underserved villages, and actively engages with local farmers to enhance agricultural practices. India Nirman Sangh (INS) received the best NGO award from the NDSO.

For his work in rural development, David was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT, Kanpur. Through this work he rediscovered the significance of Mahatma Gandhi's thought leading to his establishment of a Gandhi Centre for Values in Vadakavunchi, near Kodaikanal in 2016.

Achievements and Honors

• Distinguished Alumnus Award, IITK, 2010