Aashraya Seth

Aashraya Seth is a Fulbright scholar, an award-winning social innovator, and Senior Advisor with the Department of Industry, Science & Resources, and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water at the Australian High Commission, New Delhi. His career has been defined by working across interconnected systems- science, education, technology and energy policies, space, and gender equity, recognizing that lasting solutions emerge at their intersections. In his government role, Aashraya manages technology partnerships in solar photovoltaics, battery storage, and hydrogen technologies, translating Australia’s innovation expertise into commercially viable pathways for India’s energy transition. He also provides advice on green metals (and oil and gas), areas critical to both nations’ clean energy ambitions and geopolitical positioning.

Aashraya is the Gates Foundation’s Goalkeeper (SDG 5), a Fulbright scholar in Public Policy, and has advised the British, Indian and Australian Governments for over a decade. During his time in the US, Aashraya was a Policy Specialist at the Minnesota Senate, advising 15 US Senators and State Representatives on tech, health and education policies. He continues to serve as (an honorary) Senior Fellow at UN Women’s HeForShe, authoring their flagship Barbershop Toolkit 2.0 (launched at UNGA80) to convert institutional intent into measurable gender equality actions. 

As founder of Happy Periods (happyperiods.org), Aashraya built India’s most affordable sanitary pad vending machine and Lakshmi, a Google-funded SRHR chatbot, and launched a menstrual health curriculum and menstrual cups, supporting over 100,000 girls every month with access to free period products and education across India. Aashraya has studied Physics and Public Policy, and has fellowships from the Governments of the UK, the US, Germany, and South Korea.