Leadership

Poornima Garg

Poornima Garg is the Country Director of Room to Read India, an international non-profit working to improve early grade literacy and promote gender equality through girls’ education. In this role, she provides strategic leadership and oversight to Room to Read India’s programs, operations and partnerships, guiding a team of over 350 staff across 12 states. She plays a key role in developing the country strategy and engaging with government bodies, donors and other stakeholders to drive sustainable impact.

Poornima joined Room to Read in 2011 and has held several leadership roles within the organization. Prior to becoming Country Director, she served as Deputy Country Director, where she contributed to enhancing organizational capacity, strengthening leadership development and advancing Room to Read’s vision for education system transformation.

With a background that bridges both corporate and development sectors, Poornima brings over two decades of leadership experience across education, publishing and gender equality. Her experience in international children’s literature and her academic training in business management and social impact strategy bring a unique perspective to Room to Read’s work in India. She has previously worked with leading international publishing houses such as QBS Learning (formerly Q2A Media), contributing to global literacy products.

Poornima has played an instrumental role in fostering strategic collaborations with governments, communities and corporate partners, helping to scale Room to Read’s programs and embed foundational literacy within state systems. She is also deeply committed to advancing girls’ education and gender equality and continues to advocate for enabling environments where girls can learn, lead, decide and thrive.

Beyond her professional role, Poornima is known as a thoughtful mentor and a strong advocate for personal growth and inclusive leadership.