Raman V R is an expert in policy, financing, and governance issues in the Health and its determinants sectors, such as Water-Sanitation-Hygiene, Food Security & Nutrition, Education, Employment, Environment and Climate, mainly across Indian states, with some engagements in select countries in South Asia and Africa. Most of his research and practice have focused on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, in the most needy geographies in India and other locations.


His role has been central to establishing and strengthening some of the renowned state-civil society partnership organisations and programmes across multiple states of India and at the National level. The Mitanin Programme in Chhattisgarh, the Sahiyya Programme in Jharkhand, and the Swasthya Sathi Programme in Uttar Pradesh are examples of large-scale community health worker programmes that he helped initiate and establish. He is also one of the co-founders of key health systems strengthening initiatives, including the State Health Resource Centre, Chhattisgarh; the Public Health Resource Network; and the Health Governance Hub, as well as the National Nodal Institute for Health Policy and Systems Research at the Public Health Foundation of India.


He fulfilled senior leadership responsibilities with several organisations, including the State Health Resource Centre, Chhattisgarh; the Public Health Foundation of India; WaterAid; the Sanitation Learning Hub at the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex; and the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability.

At present, Raman is supporting select civil society organisations across India and volunteering with several important people's movements and initiatives. He is the National Convenor of the Public Health Resource Network, a member of the Steering Committee of The Feminist Policy Collective, and an invitee to the National Committee of the All India Peoples Science Network. He is also advising the pan-India project "A Learning Site Approach to Urban Primary Care Systems", jointly implemented by the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Public Health Foundation of India and the University College of London.

He did his public health studies and research at the University of Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.