Vikram Ravi Ramanathan

Who I Am

FROM SOCIAL IMPACT TO PUBLIC SERVICE

TRACK RECORD

Led 12+ projects impacting over 27 lakh people

💼

VP – Strategy

Brandwatch

Leading 120+ member global team across US, UK, Europe, and Australia

🚀

Founding Team Member

Unmetric

Acquired social media SaaS platform

🤝

Social Impact Leader

6+ Years

27+ lakh people impacted through 12+ initiatives

🏛️

Government Advisor

Pro Bono

Guidance to IAS officers and government bodies

🌍

NGO Collaborator

Multiple Sectors

Disaster response, public health, civic engagement, education

Vikram Ravi Ramanathan is a social media strategist and social impact leader. A founding team member at Unmetric (acquired social media SaaS platform), he now serves as VP – Strategy at Brandwatch, leading a 120+ member global team across the US, UK, Europe, and Australia.

Beyond business, he applies strategic thinking to public good — supporting initiatives that have reached 27+ lakh people, providing pro bono guidance to IAS officers and government bodies, and collaborating with NGOs in disaster response, public health, civic engagement, and education.

After 6+ years of social work, I've realized the biggest impact can only be made when we enter politics. The 2009 diversion channel — approved, budgeted, abandoned for 17 years. Every monsoon, families evacuate. Every year, the same excuses. I'm not running to make more promises. I'm running to complete what was started and build systems that outlast any one MLA.

Understanding Your MLA

WHAT AN MLA ACTUALLY DOES

Many people don't know what an MLA can and cannot do. Here's the truth:

Can: Raise questions and demand answers in the Assembly on behalf of Velachery - be it a stalled project, broken infrastructure, or systemic failure.

Can: Chair or serve on committees that audit state programs - where the actual oversight and accountability happen behind closed doors.

Can: Use the Constituency Development Scheme (CDS) fund—Rs.2 crore a year—for tangible improvements: interior roads, street lights, parks, digital literacy centres.

Can: Demand timelines and transparency from government departments like CMWSSB, GCC, and Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board on ward-level projects.

Cannot: Singlehandedly fix Zone 13 flooding or approve budgets for large infrastructure—that's on the state cabinet. But an MLA can relentlessly pressure them for it.

I will hold 2 public ward meetings every quarter, publish CDS expenditure monthly online, and table an annual "Velachery Scorecard" in the Assembly showing what got done, what didn't, and why. No exceptions.

What I Will Do

MY FOCUS AREAS

🌊

Flood Resilience

📱

Velachery Flood Ready: A Unified Digital Platform - govt + NGOs + citizens. Shelter tracker, supply map, real-time updates, pre-monsoon preparedness.

💧

Chembarambakkam Lake: End Uncontrolled Releases - Demand predictable, science-based release schedules. No more midnight surprises that flood homes.

🌊

Restore Velachery Lake & Create New Retention Bodies - Desilting, deweeding, perimeter protection. Identify new retention zones across Zone 13.

♻️

Velachery Clean & Green

📊

Scale the Saahas model - 4,000 households hit 80% segregation in pilot. Roll across Zone 13. Three-bin kits, free.

🏢

Audit all bulk generators in 60 days - IT parks, apartments (50+), restaurants. Non-compliant? 30 days or scaled fines.

🌎

200m zero-dumping zone around Velachery Lake - CCTV, NGO clean-ups, visible fines. The lake is protected.

🧺

Protect conservancy workers - PPE, free annual health checks, direct grievance channel.

🏗️

Velachery Everyday Infrastructure

🛣️

Ward pothole census in 60 days - 20 worst roads resurfaced via CDS. GCC Rs.200Cr footpath programme: Velachery in Phase 1.

💡

30-day street light audit - every dead light listed. Priority routes from MRTS. Women safe after dark.

🚰

CMWSSB pipe schedule - demanded on Assembly floor. Monthly water quality results published by ward.

🌳

Nehru Park, lake path, 2 children's play areas - Ram Nagar and Housing Board. Senior benches every 200m.

💼

Velachery Jobs & Skills

🏢

Jobs and Skills Hub - 6 days/week - CV help, career counselling, TNVelaivaaippu registration, mock interviews. CDS-funded.

🗣️

Free spoken English and soft skills 3x/week - interview prep, workplace communication. The real barrier. Fixed here.

👩

Women's Skill Network on SHGs - childcare-friendly slots, market linkage to corporates. Kalaignar scheme: 100% uptake.

📚

Competitive Exam Study Centre - free, 7 days/week, mock TNPSC and banking exams. Zone 13 centres raised in Assembly.

👩

Women's Safety

💡

30-day street light audit - priority MRTS routes, school zones. Women safe after dark.

🚨

Ward-level safety committees - residents, police, NGOs. Quarterly public reports.

🚌

CCTV at all MTC bus stops - 60-day rollout via GCC. Real-time monitoring.

🎯

My Leadership Principles

📊

Transparency First - Public CDS expenditure. Quarterly ward meetings. Assembly scorecard.

🗣️

Citizen Participation - Ward budgets voted by residents. Platform for grievances.

📈

Evidence-Based - Data-driven priorities. Track every promise. No vanity projects.

🤝

Collaborative Governance - Work with NGOs, corporates, experts. Not party loyalists.

⚡

Always Responsive - 24/7 helpline. Social media monitoring. Weekly field visits across wards.

VELACHERY FIRST.
ALWAYS.

FROM SOCIAL IMPACT TO PUBLIC SERVICE

WHAT AN MLA ACTUALLY DOES

MY FOCUS AREAS

MY FIRST 90 DAYS

EXPERTS, NOT LOYALISTS

VIKRAM RAVI RAMANATHAN

VELACHERY FIRST.ALWAYS.

FROM SOCIAL IMPACT TO PUBLIC SERVICE

WHAT AN MLA ACTUALLY DOES

MY FOCUS AREAS

MY FIRST 90 DAYS

EXPERTS, NOT LOYALISTS

VELACHERY FIRST.
ALWAYS.