Neena Singh is a former senior banker, now Chief Functionary & Trustee, Bharat Prakarsh Foundation, a non-profit based in Chandigarh, India, focused on improving health and education for underprivileged children. After three decades of working in public and private sector banks, Neena moved on from her last corporate position as Executive Vice President & Regional Head (North), HDFC Bank in 2007, where she was heading Branch Banking across seven states and also piloting the innovative Kisan Gold Visa Card developed by her for Agribusiness. Under Public-Private partnership with the Chandigarh Administration, Bharat Prakarsh Foundation (BPF) engages in many social welfare projects.Project Udaan: computers and libraries were set up in 70 government schools in 2010 and 2011. BPF was awarded the Education Quality Foundation of India Award at national level for this project. Post the RTE these centers were merged with schools. Scholarships are given to meritorious government school students every year.
In partnership with the Departments of Social Welfare, Punjab & Chandigarh, programs were launched to reduce child malnutrition in Anganwadis across rural Mohali and Chandigarh in 2015 and 2016. BPF initiatives included providing safe drinking water by installing Tata Swach water purifiers in 500 Anganwadis and 47 crèches, benefitting 15,000 children; revamping 20 Anganwadis under Project Uddhaar, and Project Nanhe Akshar in 2023 covered 450 Anganwadis where 5 story books were given to each Anganwadi to impact the lives of more than 12000 children every year.


Alongside social work, Neena devotes time to creative writing. Her Japanese short-form poetry appears regularly in international journals and has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Touchstone Award Shortlist for Individual Poems in 2021. Neena serves on editorial boards of several reputed journals. She has authored three books: Whispers of the Soul, One Breath Poetry, and A Peacock’s Cry. Neena is a member of key State committees, including the UTCPS , POSH. and ICDS. Past President of the Rotary Club, Chandigarh, Neena has served as Independent Director at Chandigarh Industrial & Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO), Punjab Communications Ltd, Kuantum Papers Ltd., Nectar Lifesciences Ltd., and Winsome Textile Industries Ltd. She has also served as an Advisor in Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration. Her contributions have been widely recognized, she received the Governor Punjab & Chief Administrator’s Award in 2010 for social service, and the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights Award for upliftment of girls in 2018, 2021, and 2022. Neena is a Founding Member of Suvichar, a think tank.
