Malini Shankar ’82

Malini V. Shankar is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service and is currently serving as the director general in the Ministry of Shipping.

Shankar’s career spans more than three decades. Key assignments have been in the industry, electricity and water sectors, at the policy level. Her career focus has been on the introduction of technology and modern management systems and practices, as well as on citizen-friendly initiatives.

In recognition of her professional achievements, Shankar has been invited by academic and professional organizations to participate in policy making. She was a member of the government’s Task Force for Water Policy and the Sub Task Force on Urban Water Management. She was also a keynote speaker at the Asian Development Bank’s 2nd Asian Irrigation Forum in Manila in 2016.

Shankar holds a Ph.D. in public policy and institutional economics from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai, India, and a master’s in business management from the Asian Institute of Management in Manila. She has a master’s degree in chemistry from Mount Holyoke College and a diploma in international economics from the Institut International d’Administration Publique in Paris.

Her academic honors include a National Merit Scholarship from the government of India, an International Fellowship for Exchange Students in the United States, a Phi Beta Kappa scholarship and a CIDA scholarship for management studies.