India
oi-Sathish Raman
A lot of people talk about social change, but very few actually roll up their sleeves and build the institutions needed to make it happen. Rakesh Kumar Singh is one of those few.
Born in Motihari, Bihar, in October 1976, Rakesh grew up watching his father, a dedicated socialist treat public service not just as a duty, but as a way of life. Today, he has taken that family ethos and scaled it, blending a successful legal career with powerful grassroots movements that tackle everything from hunger and education to women’s rights and cultural preservation.
Lawyer Rakesh Kumar Singh founded organizations like Bharat Utthan Sangh (2004), Khaana Chahiye Foundation, and Behan Beti Bachao to address education, hunger, and women’s rights, while also supporting local economies and cultural heritage.
Law with a Purpose
Professionally, Rakesh is the Founder and Managing Partner of RKS Associate, a highly respected law firm with a footprint across major Indian cities. His team handles the heavy-hitting stuff: commercial disputes, banking law, Real estate, arbitration and even criminal and matrimonial law
But for Rakesh, practicing law isn’t just about winning cases for corporatec or HN clients. He actively uses his legal expertise to offer pro bono support and advocate for policies that drive real societal transformation. For him, the law is simply another tool to empower people who are navigating complex, often intimidating, systems.
Driving Grassroots Change
What makes Rakesh’s work unique is how he channels his resources into tangible, on-the-ground movements. Over the years, he has founded several high-impact organizations:
Bharat Utthan Sangh: Started back in 2004, this organization tackles education, social development, and environmental conservation. What began as a small initiative has grown into a massive network of over 18,000 members. Today, BUS helps thousands of students across Maharashtra, Bihar, UP, and Uttarakhand stay in school, while also organizing community safety drives and beach clean-ups.
Khaana Chahiye Foundation: When the COVID-19 lockdowns hit, hunger became an immediate, terrifying crisis. Rakesh and his team launched this initiative to get meals, water, and ration kits to vulnerable populations when they needed it most. It quickly evolved from an emergency pandemic response into an ongoing, widely recognized movement dedicated to wiping out hunger entirely.
Behan Beti Bachao: A crucial lifeline for women facing legal and social hurdles. This platform connects women in distress with lawyers and volunteers who provide free legal aid, advocacy, and a safe support system to fight harassment, discrimination, and personal safety issues.
Saarthvaha: Rakesh strongly believes that to move forward, we need to understand our roots. This digital initiative focuses on educating the younger generation about India’s civilizational heritage from the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita to traditional festivals and cultural values.
Empowering the Local Economy and Governance
Beyond immediate social welfare, Rakesh knows that a strong community needs a strong local economy and fair governance.
He actively supports small business owners (MSMEs), traditional artisans, and the Khadi industry, helping them get better market access so they can thrive. Alongside this, he pushes for transparency and citizen participation in local governance, actively working to bridge the gap between everyday people and the policymakers who serve them.
What really stands out about Rakesh Kumar Singh isn’t just the sheer number of organizations he’s founded, it’s his consistency. Whether he’s fighting food insecurity, standing up for women’s access to justice, or helping a small artisan grow their business, the goal is always the same: empowering people. In a world where leadership is often measured by personal visibility, Rakesh proves that true nation-building isn’t just a catchy slogan. It’s the daily, behind-the-scenes work of creating systems and opportunities that allow communities to thrive.
