Vyjayanti Desai

VYJAYANTI DESAI Program Manager, ID4D, World Bank Group Vyjayanti Desai manages the World Bank Group’s cross-sectoral Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative, and has been in this role over the last three years. ID4D aims to enable all people to exercise their rights and to access services by helping countries to realize the transformational potential of robust, inclusive and responsible ID systems, which will ultimately accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ID4D works across three pillars: thought leadership; global convening and advocacy; and country and regional action. In the last four years, ID4D has advised over 30 client countries and the World Bank has over $750m in active or prospective investments. Prior to joining the ID4D program, Vyjayanti has served as an international development professional in the World Bank Group for 19 years and spent time working on programs in Africa, East Asia and South Asia as well as in global roles. Within the WBG, she has shaped a range of joint Bank-IFC programs, actively working to develop a unified agenda and designing integrated multi-sectoral solutions on a range of topics. She managed a global team focused on private participation in infrastructure and social sectors in investment climate and led several joint World Bank-IFC multi-sectoral engagements on topics of small and medium enterprise development (SME), competitiveness, investment climate policy and regulatory reforms, and access to finance. Vyjayanti has a MBA in Finance from Wharton, Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and BA in International Relations from University of Pennsylvania.