About us
TGF is an organisation that is focussed on enhancing the quality of life in persons with SCI. Given that there is currently no cure for SCI, the objective is to bring about meaningful change by placing quality rehabilitation at the nucleus of all interventions that we carry out.
The genesis of TGF is the SCI suffered by TGF’s co-founder, the late S Vaidyanathan, in 1990 while a student at IIM, Bangalore. During his time, Vaidy was a torchbearer for improving the lot of persons with SCI, stemming from his own experience of receiving high-quality rehab at CMC, Vellore, which led him to lead a productive and fulfilling life.
TGF operates across the hierarchy of rehab, as outlined in the image
Details about the nature of our interventions across all these stages of rehabilitation are outlined in the section What We Do. Since its inception, TGF has, to varying degrees of impact, touched the lives of several thousand persons with SCI across India.
Inspiration
Dr Suranjan Bhattacharji is the inspiration for TGF and his vision underpins everything that we do.
Dr Suranjan is a Gandhian, the doyen of rehabilitation in India, and a former Director of Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. He enabled the Rehabilitation Institute at Bagayam, Vellore, become a centre of excellence to help restore lives of persons with disability.
In 1990, after Vaidy was admitted there for his rehab, Dr Suranjan told him and Elango, “As IIM Alumni, you guys will, in due course, be in positions of influence. You must do your bit to improve the quality of life for persons with disability in India”.
He was also instrumental in getting Vaidy back into Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, after re-admission was refused. His persuasive letter to the then-Director of the Institute requesting them to reconsider Vaidy’s candidature now adorns the Office of Inclusion at the campus.
The Ganga Foundation will always be inspired by vision, principles and guidance of Dr Suranjan Bhattacharji.
Leadership
Nath Balakrishnan
Co-Founder and CEO
Nath oversees all aspects of TGF’s operations, encompassing programme execution, donor liaisoning and fund- raising initiatives. He spent considerable time in the financial services space, before stepping into a full-time role at TGF [with Elango] post Vaidy’s passing in 2021. He holds post-graduate degrees in management and journalism.
Elango Thambiah
Co-founder and Trustee
Elango is an entrepreneur and an accomplished business professional, having occupied leadership positions in organisations such as Tata Tele and Bharti Airtel. He holds a post-graduate engineering degree from IIT, Madras, and a management degree from IIM, Bangalore.
R Sekhar
Trustee
Sekhar is a chartered accountant and is the conscience keeper for all things finance related to The Ganga Foundation. A seasoned professional, he’s had stints with organisations such as Franklin Templeton Asset Management Company.
Meera Srinivasan
Trustee
Meera is an engineering graduate associated with Vaidy and The Ganga Foundation since 2014. She has supported TGF for several years in its banking operations, backend support, and coordination with the volunteers. She is a homemaker and the mother of two school-going kids.
