Debesh Banerjee

Senior Lead , Central Square Foundation

New Delhi, Delhi

A seasoned communications and public affairs leader with 18+ years of experience driving narrative change, stakeholder influence, digital advocacy, and policy engagement across Education, WASH, media, and social impact ecosystems. Looking for suitable opportunities at the intersection of Public policy & Strategic communications.

Contact Debesh Banerjee
Area of Expertise:
  • Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy
  • Communications, IT, Media, Knowledge Management, Editor
  • Social, Gender, Education, Youth, Child
Professional Experience:

I am a seasoned Media, Communications and Advocacy professional with over 18+ years of experience, spanning journalism, digital advocacy, strategic communications, social impact campaigns, stakeholder engagement and development-sector communications in India. My professional journey combines strong editorial and media expertise with extensive experience working on social and policy issues across education, WASH & gender equity, climate resilience and broader social justice themes.

My early career was shaped in journalism, working in publications like The Indian Express and exposure to BBC World News, provided a strong foundation in public-interest reporting, editorial planning and engagement with policymakers, experts and institutional stakeholders. This experience has subsequently evolved into a strategic communications and advocacy career focused on using media, digital platforms and storytelling to influence public discourse and support social and policy change.

Across various development-sector roles, I have progressively taken on leadership responsibilities in strategic communications, digital advocacy, campaign management, stakeholder mobilisation and policy advocacy. At Youth Ki Awaaz, I designed youth-led advocacy campaigns and developed platforms such as #PolicyPeCharcha to connect grassroots perspectives with policymakers. At British Council India, I led digital communications for arts and cultural programmes, strengthening my experience in cross-platform engagement and bilateral cultural initiatives.

At WaterAid India, I led external communications and digital engagement for the organistaion on issues at the intersection of WASH, gender equity and climate resilience, while developing national advocacy campaigns, media partnerships, executive thought leadership and supporting digital fundraising initiatives.

Currently, as Senior Policy & Comms Lead at Central Square Foundation, I lead the organisation's media and communications strategy, with a focus on education reform, foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), early childhood education, EdTech & AI and school governance. My role increasingly operates at the intersection of strategic communications, government stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy, coalition building and systems reform. I have also built and scaled the organisation's communications function, developed digital-first strategies, strengthened senior leadership positioning and mobilised government and ecosystem stakeholders around education reforms.

Overall, my professional qualifications demonstrate a combination of media expertise, strategic communications leadership, advocacy, behaviour-change communication, stakeholder mobilisation and practical experience influencing large-scale social and policy reforms.

Education:

I would describe my education journey as interdisciplinary, spanning journalism, multimedia communications, Social behaviour change communications & public policy. My formal education began with a BA (Honours) degree in Journalism from the University of Delhi in 2004-2006, providing me with a strong foundation in journalism, reporting, editorial practice, public-interest storytelling, and distilling various social and political issues from a critical lens.

I subsequently pursued a Master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University, United Kingdom, building advanced capabilities in journalism, digital media, multimedia storytelling, editorial strategy, and cross-platform communication. The international postgraduate experience also provided exposure to global media practices and strengthened my ability to operate across different cultural and professional contexts.

Complementing my academic qualifications, I have undertaken professional development in areas that extend beyond conventional media and communications. I pursued Foreign languages such as German, Portuguese & Spanish and earned a Diploma in German at B1 (Based on the European Framework of Languages) level from the Goethe-Institut, New Delhi, India, demonstrating intermediate proficiency in German and an interest in developing cross-cultural and international capabilities.

I have also completed a Certificate in "Leading Change through Policy Making" from British Council, in New Delhi, India, a virtual programme, which allowed me to understand the world of Policy making. This qualification is particularly relevant to my professional trajectory, providing exposure to policy-making and change leadership and complementing my extensive practical experience in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, government relations, and systems-oriented social impact work.

Taken together, these qualifications represent a progression from journalism and public-interest communication towards strategic communications, policy advocacy, stakeholder mobilisation, and change leadership. My academic foundation in journalism and multimedia communication, combined with professional learning in policy-making and change management, provides a strong platform for my current work at the intersection of public policy, strategic communications, behaviour change, and systems reform.

For a prospective international career transition, I feel that this educational profile provides me with a strong communications foundation while also highlighting an opportunity to deepen formal expertise in public policy, governance, systems thinking, international development, and institutional leadership through a future global postgraduate or executive programme.

Available for:

  • Job opportunities

Years of Experience:

15-20 years

Highest Qualification:

Masters

Languages:

English, Hindi

Nationality:

Indian

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