Vision-Aid Announces 2026–27 Leadership Team, Welcomes New Advisors and Youth President
Nonprofit organization names Dr. Inder Kaul and Manorama Choudhury to its Board of Advisors and appoints Aditi Wadhwa as Youth President as it enters its 22nd year.
LEXINGTON, Mass. — Vision-Aid, a nonprofit organization serving people with visual impairments, has announced updates to its leadership team for the 2026–27 term.
The volunteer-led organization’s leadership structure includes its Board of Directors (BOD), Board of Advisors (BOA), and Council of Ambassadors (COA). The team brings together professionals from a range of fields, including ophthalmology, optometry, occupational therapy, finance, technology, healthcare, management, academia, the arts, and law. Women continue to represent a majority of the organization’s leadership.
The new leadership team will begin its term in July 2026 as Vision-Aid marks its 22nd year of service. The organization is known for hosting community events that attract more than 1,000 attendees annually. Its signature fundraising event this year, Brothers in Arms: The Lions of Sivaganga, is scheduled to take place in Andover, Massachusetts, on July 26, 2026.
New Members Join Board of Advisors
Vision-Aid announced the addition of two new members to its Board of Advisors: Dr. Inder Kaul and Manorama Choudhury.
Dr. Inder Kaul, MD, MPH
Dr. Inder Kaul is a physician and global drug development executive with experience in regulatory strategy, translational science, portfolio governance, and commercialization. He currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Draig Therapeutics, where he leads development efforts for a treatment targeting Major Depressive Disorder.
During his career, Kaul has contributed to the development and commercialization of seven new chemical entities, including treatments for postpartum depression and acute schizophrenia. He also serves as a board member of Minerva Neurosciences and sits on the scientific advisory boards of several pharmaceutical companies.
In addition to his professional work, Kaul has held leadership roles with nonprofit organizations including the Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA), Volunteering for Seniors (VFS), and Sri Radha Bhakti. A Massachusetts resident for more than four decades, he lives in Concord with his wife, Sunita Kaul. They have two daughters.
Manorama Choudhury
Author, poet, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist Manorama Choudhury also joins the Board of Advisors.
Choudhury writes in Odia, Hindi, and English, and is known for poetry, essays, and blogs that explore themes of personal reflection, spirituality, and human experience. Beyond her literary work, she is Chairwoman of Avanti Holdings Company and serves as Co-Founder and Advisor to BhaMa Foundation and MSE Bazaar, organizations focused on strengthening micro and small enterprises and supporting economic inclusion.
Together with her husband, Bhaskar Panigrahi, Choudhury has supported initiatives for children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI), including the establishment of the Manorama Choudhury Nayan Jyoti CVI Center in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in partnership with LV Prasad Eye Institute. Proceeds from the sale of a book she co-authored are helping support the creation of a second CVI center in Balasore.
Choudhury delivered a keynote address at Vision-Aid’s 2025 fundraising event and has continued to raise awareness about CVI through her writing and advocacy.
She is the author of Ashtanayika: Tattwa O Kabita and co-author of Ashtanayika: The Romantic Heroines from Natyashastra to Modernity. Her recognitions include the Outstanding Woman of the Year for Art and Literature award from India New England in 2023, the Business Excellence Award for Outstanding Woman in Cultural Diplomacy from the Diplomatic Club in Delhi in 2025, and the Ekal Tara Award in 2024 for her song “Maa Tujhe Salaam.”
A supporter of initiatives related to education, women’s empowerment, and handloom traditions, Choudhury regularly participates in poetry events, including those organized by South Asian Poets of New England (SAPNE) in association with Harvard University. She has also produced cultural projects such as Malhar, a musical selected for the Kalakari Film Festival, Festival Angelica, and First-Time Filmmaker festival circuits.
Choudhury lives in Southborough, Massachusetts, and traces her roots to Odisha, India.
Recognition of Past Advisors
Vision-Aid also acknowledged the contributions of former Board of Advisors members. The organization expressed gratitude to the late Dr. Yogeshwar Dayal and to Cynthia Asums for their service and guidance, noting that their contributions continue to influence the organization’s work.
The organization also thanked continuing members of its leadership team for their ongoing support.
Aditi Wadhwa Named Youth President
Vision-Aid announced that Aditi Wadhwa, a student at Lexington High School, will serve as Youth President for the coming term
.
Wadhwa began studying Bharatanatyam at age six at the Triveni School of Dance under the guidance of Neena Gulati and is currently preparing for her arangetram. She volunteers with F.U.S.E. School, which supports neurodivergent children, and participates in Vision-Aid’s English-speaking program for visually impaired students.
Her volunteer work has included supporting nonprofit events for Hindi Manch and the Lexington Parents Association, preparing meals for homeless families through the Bhakti Center, teaching at the Shishubharti School of Language, participating in her school’s Best Buddies program, and volunteering at Lexington’s Lexploration Camp.
Wadhwa is CPR-certified through the American Red Cross, holds a black belt in karate, and has experience tutoring students, working at a Kumon center, and leading a watercolor workshop for seniors through Volunteering for Seniors (VFS). After performing at Vision-Aid’s annual event in 2025, she now assumes the Youth President role.
She was recently recognized as an India New England News “20 Under 20 Star” for 2026.
Leadership Welcomes Incoming Team
Vision-Aid leaders welcomed the incoming members.
“We are thrilled to welcome this remarkable group of leaders,” said Volunteer President Lalit Sudan. “Their breadth of experience and shared commitment to service will help Vision-Aid reach even more people living with vision loss.”
Founders Ramakrishna Raju and Revathy Ramakrishna reflected on the organization’s growth since its founding in 2004.
“When we founded Vision-Aid, we dreamed of a movement powered by passionate volunteers,” they said. “Seeing leaders of this caliber step forward, year after year, is the greatest affirmation of that vision.”
Vice Chair Veena Handa said the new members would bring valuable expertise and energy to the organization’s mission.
Chairman Emeritus Puran Dang added that their service reflects the spirit of volunteerism that has been central to Vision-Aid’s work since its inception.
Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, Vision-Aid is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling, educating, and empowering people with visual impairments. The organization’s U.S. operations are run entirely by volunteers, allowing the majority of funds raised to support programs in India.
Vision-Aid has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and focuses its work on three core areas: enabling access to assistive technologies and services, educating individuals through training programs, and empowering people with visual impairments to pursue employment and independent living.
Working with more than 25 eye hospitals and over 70 schools for the blind, Vision-Aid serves more than 100,000 beneficiaries annually across more than 75 locations in India. Its programs include training in spoken English, computer and mobile applications, orientation and mobility, Braille, artificial intelligence, Python programming, and digital accessibility testing.
The organization has also developed placement programs that connect visually impaired graduates with employment opportunities at companies including Microsoft and Infosys. In 2025, Vision-Aid launched a Smart Assistive Technology initiative that distributed AI-powered smart vision glasses, smartphones, tablets, and tactile Braille books to students.
Vision-Aid is also active in addressing Cerebral Visual Impairment, now recognized as a leading cause of childhood blindness, through multidisciplinary CVI centers across India.
The organization’s work has been recognized through honors including the Harvard University Derek Bok Public Service Prize awarded to founder Ramakrishna Raju, the India New England Woman of the Year award presented to co-founder Revathy Ramakrishna, and a 2024 Non-Profit Organization of the Year award.
