Diya Agarwal

Project Associate, NHA

Diya is a behavioural scientist driven by a deep curiosity about how environments shape human behaviour. With an MSc in Behavioural and Economic Science from the University of Warwick, she explores how contextual and behavioural barriers influence decision-making.

Her early experience working with systemically disadvantaged populations shaped her commitment to grounding interventions in lived realities. She has since worked across product and policy environments spanning gender, well-being, and labour migration. Diya led research and innovation at WeUnlearn, to build a chatbot tackling gender norms that reached 3,500 adolescents, while embedding ethical safeguards into its design. Most recently, at the International Labour Organization, she integrated a behavioural approach into a sectoral strategy addressing labour migration risks for domestic workers. Her work identified implementation bottlenecks and critical data gaps, and supported the development of a diagnostic toolkit to inform programme design across multiple geographies.

She is interested in designing systems that make equitable and healthier choices easier for all. At IIC, she is keen to work with the NHA to strengthen the country’s digital health ecosystem by applying systems thinking and integrating Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC).