Mandakini SURIE is an independent development advisor and senior consultant with nearly two decades of experience working at the intersection of governance, climate resilience, and inclusive development across South Asia. Her work focuses on development cooperation and South-South collaboration, with particular expertise in India’s evolving role as a development partner in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. She has led and contributed to regional and global initiatives on donor coordination, food systems transformation, and transboundary cooperation, and has authored policy research on development cooperation architecture, triangular partnerships, and digital public goods. Her work spans sectors such as natural resource governance—especially water, food, and energy—with a strong emphasis on gender and social inclusion. Mandakini previously held leadership roles with the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and The Asia Foundation. As an advisor and consultant, she supports INGOs, CSOs, and philanthropic foundations, with clients including IFAD, ICIMOD, IWMI, IOD PARC, and The Asia Foundation. A Chevening Scholar and Draper Hills Fellow, she holds an M.Sc. in Development Studies from the London School of Economics. Her work bridges research, policy, and practice—championing locally anchored, context-driven, and collaborative approaches to sustainable development and regional cooperation.