The Alliance brings together organisations from education, gender and livelihood-focused non-profits, grassroots mental health groups, caregiver collectives, philanthropic institutions, academic bodies, and other sectors. It aims to address long-standing fragmentation in mental health services by fostering structured collaboration between clinical expertise and lived experience, supported by resource mobilisation from philanthropy, government, and private sector partners.
Neha Kirpal, Co-Founder of IMHA, stated that the achievement goes beyond numerical growth, emphasizing its impact on ecosystem-wide collaboration. She noted that when cross-sector organisations are connected through a shared platform, they are better able to exchange contextual insights, build capacities, and strengthen overall effectiveness. She described IMHA as a catalyst that enables partnerships and knowledge exchange across the country, supporting the transition of mental health into a mainstream development priority aligned with the vision of a developed India.
Over the past year, IMHA has focused on strengthening four core pillars: connection, convening, collaboration, and capacity building. Its initiatives include the creation of a national member directory with QR-enabled discoverability tools, enabling stakeholders to connect with organisations across India. It has also established active digital engagement channels, including a nationwide messaging community, along with regular regional meet-ups across different geographies.
The Alliance has conducted monthly curated capacity-building sessions and consultations led by global experts. These sessions have covered organisational strengthening, youth mental health, integration of lived experience expertise, public health approaches, cross-sector programming, and engagement with funding agencies and government stakeholders.
As part of its convening efforts, IMHA has launched the “Connecting India for Mental Health” series. The initiative began with its first regional meet-up in Mumbai, with upcoming sessions scheduled in Guwahati in May 2026, Chennai in August 2026, and Bangalore in December 2026. These efforts build on its first annual convening, which brought together more than 130 member organisations for closed-door discussions aimed at deepening collaboration. The second edition of the annual convening is expected to be held in October or November 2026.
IMHA’s Knowledge Centre currently hosts more than 300 curated resources, including toolkits, policy documents, lived experience-led materials, data insights, and capacity-building content. The platform serves non-governmental organisations, funders, policymakers, students, and mental health professionals. It is now set to expand into video-based learning modules and multilingual content to improve accessibility and regional relevance.
Vasvi Bharat Ram, Founder Chairperson of IMHA, emphasized that national development is closely linked with mental health outcomes, noting that economic progress, education, productivity, and social cohesion depend significantly on psychological well-being. She highlighted the importance of coordinated long-term investment and shared responsibility across sectors, including philanthropy, government funding, and private capital, to strengthen India’s mental health infrastructure.
The Alliance has also begun expanding access to unrestricted philanthropic capital dedicated to long-term ecosystem development. Recent contributions include support from Manisha Dhawan of the Convergence Foundation of India and philanthropist Dr. Pheroza Godrej.
As India moves toward its centenary development vision for 2047, IMHA’s growing network reflects an emerging decentralized model of mental healthcare. This model prioritises equity, collaboration across sectors, and the inclusion of lived experience perspectives in care design, aiming to build a more accessible and responsive mental health system nationwide.
The India Mental Health Alliance, established in 2023 as a Section 8 not-for-profit organisation in partnership with Vasvi and Ashish Bharat Ram, Amaha Health, and Children First, continues to position itself as a national platform dedicated to strengthening India’s mental health ecosystem through coordination, capacity building, and systemic collaboration.
About The Author
Comment List