Asha Hans

Indian social entrepreneur who revolutionized education access for marginalized communities

Asha Hans (born 1972) is a visionary social entrepreneur from India whose work has transformed educational access for millions of children in marginalized communities. As founder of Pratham, she pioneered low-cost scalable models that have become global benchmarks for education initiatives. Her Read India campaign (2000) mobilized over 1 million volunteers to assess literacy levels, revealing shocking gaps that spurred national policy changes. Hans' innovative approach combines community engagement with technology - she developed the Mobile Learning Lab concept using solar-powered tablets preloaded with educational content. This model has been replicated in 12 countries including Kenya and Bangladesh. Her advocacy for girls' education led to the establishment of 500+ Girls' Learning Centers providing safe spaces for education and life skills training. Hans' work has been recognized by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and she serves on the UNICEF Advisory Board. A TED speaker and author of Education for All: Lessons from the Field, her legacy continues through Pratham's Read India initiative reaching 100 million children annually.