New Delhi, Delhi, India, December 2025 — UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has appointed Babita Sharma as Head of People and Programmes, marking a significant leadership addition to its India-based operations.
In her new role, Babita Sharma will be responsible for strengthening UKRI’s people strategy, programme governance, and capability development across its research, innovation, and international collaboration portfolios, further reinforcing UKRI’s mission to empower innovation-led growth and societal advancement.
Babita Sharma brings strong programme leadership and public-sector governance expertise to UKRI, having built a distinguished career across UK–India government collaboration initiatives.
Before joining UKRI, she spent nearly three years with the British High Commission in India as Senior Advisor – Net Zero, where she led UK–India climate and sustainability portfolios, driving high-impact innovation translation, research partnerships, and policy-aligned programme delivery.
Earlier, she served as Deputy Head – Newton Fund at the British High Commission in India, where she coordinated flagship UK-India research collaboration programmes, working closely with the Royal Academy of Engineering to develop pipelines of future innovation leaders and enhance bilateral science engagement.
Her earlier career also includes impactful roles within the Chevening Programme, where she managed national-level scholarship operations, alumni engagement, communications, outreach, and financial governance, alongside programme planning, public diplomacy initiatives, and ministerial visit coordination.
Collectively, her experience spans international programme governance, public-sector partnerships, research translation, communications strategy, and high-level stakeholder engagement — capabilities that align strongly with UKRI’s global innovation mandate.
Babita Sharma has developed her professional foundation through extensive public-sector programme leadership and international engagement roles across UK–India institutions.
About UK Research and Innovation
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the UK’s public sector organisation that invests over £8 billion annually to support the country’s research and innovation system. UKRI empowers people, places, ideas, innovation, and impact, helping transform global challenges into economic, social, environmental, and cultural opportunities. Its work enriches lives by supporting innovative businesses, strengthening public services, and generating high-quality employment across the UK and internationally.
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