Akanksha Modi — Co-Founder

Akanksha Modi, is an architect, urban planner, an expert in community engagement & participation, whose work is to bring the communities together and creating accountability & responsibility towards their heritage structures, especially the upkeep and maintenance of the lesser known stepped wells of Rajasthan. Her rich experience as a faculty for Architecture and Planning comes in handy for constant engagement across varied age groups and genders. A graduate from NIT Tiruchirappalli (B.Arch. 2006) and a gold medalist in post graduation (M.Plan 2012) from MNIT Jaipur, she combines technical expertise with deep sensitivity towards cultural heritage. She had been working as an independent researcher on identifying, mapping and documenting the lesser-known stepwells around Jaipur, Rajasthan. Starting November 2022, she has completed the photo documentation exercise of almost 130+ stepwells. Over the last 2 years she has collaborated with schools, colleges, various organizations like Jaipur Virasat Foundation, MNIT, Kanoria PG Girls College & NGO’s on creating awareness, community engagement and participation through activities like sketching meets, water walks, cultural events, exhibitions, workshops. Till now she has completed the rejuvenation of 2 stepwells, with community involvement & participation in its restoration as well as its maintenance, in collaboration with NGO’s and private fundings. Her initiatives of bringing communities together to revive and revitalize these heritage stepped wells, led many other organizations come forward to support various events in these forgotten stepped wells of Jaipur and surrounding areas. She got nominated in the category of " Grassroot Heroes" by the "Outlook Responsible Tourism Awards, 2025" in collaboration with Rajasthan Tourism, Rajasthan, India Her academic pursuits are ongoing with a MA in Conservation & Museology, expected to be completed in 2026 and upgrading her documentation skills by learning 3D photogrammetry & digital imaging, complimenting her work in the area of stepped wells rejuvenation and revitalization. Her work reflects a lot of consideration for local communities, their cultural roots and conserving oral traditions. This understanding reflects on the community engagement tools devised and the huge participation she is able to generate for her community events at the stepwells. Her approach is characterized by a quiet devotion to conserving our heritage with persistence in uncovering these lesser known heritage water structures with numerous tales to share and inspire our future generations

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Cultural Heritage and Urban Planning expert with a focus on community engagement.

Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Experience: 9 yrs 11 mos