A Stranger Truth

Ashok Alexander`s has been an incredible journey. After qualifying from St Stephen`s, Delhi School of Economics and IIM Ahmedabad, he joined McKinsey in New York in 1986. Later, he was part of a small group that moved to India to establish its highly successful India practice.

His life took an unusual turn when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation asked him to head its India operations. There he set up Avahan, an initiative to stem India`s growing HIV epidemic. In less than three years, Avahan became the world`s largest-ever privately sponsored HIV prevention programme, credited with preventing over 600,000 HIV infections. Under Ashok’s leadership over a decade, the Gates Foundation had an Indian grants portfolio spanning health, sanitation and agriculture totaling over $ 1 billion.

He tells this story most engagingly in his book A Stranger Truth – Lessons in Love, Leadership and Courage from India`s Sex Workers, which Literature Live! will launch on Thursday, February 7 at 6.30 PM at the Ballroom, Royal Bombay Yacht Club. Following the launch, I will be in conversation with Ashok.

Seating is limited, so do RSVP and come early.