International advisor, entrepreneur and connector.

About Ritu

Dr Ritu Mahendru is an international advisor, entrepreneur and the founder of Vashi Impact Group (VIG). Her work spans business strategy, research, partnerships, market development and institutional engagement across the private, public and development sectors.

Having lived and worked in India, the United Kingdom, Afghanistan and Uganda, she brings a deeply practical understanding of how different markets operate—from formal systems and regulatory structures to the relationships, cultural norms and institutional dynamics that determine whether an idea actually moves forward.

Ritu works with businesses, public institutions, development organisations, founders and senior leaders who need to enter unfamiliar markets, identify credible opportunities, build strategic partnerships or navigate complex stakeholder environments.

She is particularly interested in work that sits between sectors: where business meets government, where development organisations need private-sector partners, where investors need local context, or where leaders need someone experienced to help them connect the dots.

“I am most useful when the problem is not simply technical. It is when you need to understand the market, the people, the institutions and the route through all of them.”

VIG and beyond.

Through Vashi Impact Group, Ritu leads and contributes to research, evaluation, strategy and advisory assignments. Her personal advisory work complements this by focusing on high-level market navigation, opportunity development, partnerships, introductions and mentoring.