Atharva’s work focuses on migration and mobility, urban sociology, informal sector studies, and grassroots-led community development. He is particularly interested in the intersection of urbanisation, migration & gender. His master’s dissertation explored the political economy of internal migration in India. He has been a part of several research projects in Delhi, Haryana, Assam and Meghalaya. In the northeast, he examined livelihoods, community development, internal displacement, and patterns of human trafficking. As a Research Assistant with the Centre for Migration & Mobility Studies at JSIA, he mapped aspirations and socio-economic mobility of seasonal and permanent migrants in Sonipat, Haryana.

Atharva has been associated with the India (North) & Afghanistan Regional Office of United Religions Initiative, a San Francisco based global grassroots network. He authored ‘Community Chronicles’ – an edited collection of grassroots initiatives and anecdotes. It was published in two volumes in August and October 2020. The books explore how not-for-profit organisations and civil society institutions address issues around urban poverty, education, peri-urban development and the politics of exclusion; and the role that grassroots organisations play in community development and peace-building processes.

He was presented with awards for his contribution to research initiatives and publications by JGU in 2020; and for his contribution to institution building in recognition of his stint as one of the Board Members of Diplomania, and as a student representative of the Committee on Gender Sensitisation Against Sexual Harassment (COGSASH) in 2019.

Outside of work, Atharva enjoys travelling around, and exploring cosmopolitan urban centres. He is curious about understanding the complexities and idiosyncrasies of crowded bazaars, urbanism, everyday lives, and queer identities in cities, especially Delhi. When he is not working, he can be found trailing smells, noises and momos around the city.