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title: Sunil Abraham
categories: [Biographies, Sunil Abraham]
description: Biography of Sunil Abraham (born 1973), Indian technologist, social entrepreneur, and policy researcher known for work on FOSS, Internet governance, and digital rights.
created: 2025-10-27
---
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**Sunil Abraham** (IAST: Sunīl Ābrahām; IPA: suːˈniːl ˈɑːbrəˌhɑːm, born 17 June 1973) is an Indian technologist, internet researcher, open source advocate and public policy researcher. Sunil is a co-founder and former executive director of the [Centre for Internet and Society](https://cis-india.org/) (CIS), a Bangalore-based non-profit research organisation established in 2008 to explore the relationship between the internet and social change. His research and advocacy have focused on openness, privacy, accessibility, and the social impact of digital technologies across the Global South.
## Early life and education
Sunil Abraham
Sunil Abraham was born on 17 June 1973 in India. He attended Clarence High School, Bangalore, completing his schooling in 1989. He later studied industrial engineering and management at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, affiliated with Bangalore University, and graduated in 1995. After completing his degree, he worked briefly in the private sector before moving into the non-profit field, where he began exploring how technology could support social and development goals. His early work with the voluntary organisation Samuha introduced him to the possibilities of using low-cost, open technologies to improve communication and coordination in rural contexts. This experience shaped his later commitment to open knowledge and the democratisation of technology.
His father, [A. M. A. Ayrookuzhiel](https://sunilabraham.in/amaa/) (1933–1996), was a theologian and educator, and his mother is Ponnamma Abraham (née Thekedath).
### Students for Peace (1993)
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During the second year of his engineering studies in 1993, Sunil Abraham founded and coordinated an independent, secular, and non-partisan student platform called Students for Peace. The initiative emerged in response to the communal tensions and violence following the Ayodhya and Bombay riots.
Under his leadership, Students for Peace organised a candlelight demonstration on M. G. Road, Bangalore, bringing together nearly 5,000 college and school students from diverse communities. The activity aimed to promote unity, dialogue, and non-violence among young people at a time of widespread division.
This early experience in civic engagement and collective action influenced Abraham’s later interest in the social dimensions of technology, governance, and public participation.
## Career
### Mahiti (1998)
In 1998, Sunil co-founded [Mahiti](https://mahiti.org/), an information technology company that provides affordable digital solutions for non-governmental organisations and civil society groups in areas such as health, education, disability, and rural development. Mahiti’s projects emphasised the use of open-source tools, multilingual interfaces, and participatory design.
By the early 2000s, Mahiti had established itself as one of India’s leading technology partners for non-profits, working on web platforms, intranet systems, and training programmes that made digital infrastructure more accessible to grassroots organisations. Mahiti also conducted capacity-building workshops for non-profit staff, focusing on free and open-source software (FOSS) adoption and content management systems.
He served as Director at Mahiti Infotech Private Limited from 1998 to 2004 before moving into full-time policy and research work.
### International Open Source Network (2004–2007)
From 2004 to 2007, Sunil served as Manager of the [International Open Source Network (IOSN)](https://www.apdip.net/), a joint initiative of the [United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)](https://www.undp.org/) and the [Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP)](https://www.apdip.net/). The project aimed to promote open-source software, open standards, and open content across the Asia–Pacific region, with a focus on South and Southeast Asia.
In this role, he collaborated with governments, universities, and development agencies to develop regional capacity in open technologies and to encourage policy adoption that favoured openness and shared knowledge. He coordinated regional training programmes, produced toolkits and policy guides on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), and worked with national governments to integrate open standards into e-governance strategies. The IOSN secretariat operated from UNDP’s Asia-Pacific office in Kuala Lumpur, where Abraham was based during this period.
### Centre for Internet and Society (2008–2019)
In 2008, Sunil co-founded the [Centre for Internet and Society (CIS)](https://cis-india.org/), an independent research organisation based in Bangalore that examines the relationship between the Internet, technology, and society. He served as the organisation’s Executive Director from May 2008 to November 2019. Under his leadership, CIS became a key platform for research and advocacy in areas such as Internet governance, accessibility, privacy, open data, and digital cultures. The centre’s work combined academic study with policy engagement and public dialogue, contributing to national and international debates on digital rights and governance.
Sunil Abraham cutting a birthday cake with colleagues at the Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore, 2017.
### Academic positions (2019)
In October 2019, Sunil Abraham joined the ArtEZ University of the Arts (ArtEZ Hogeschool voor de Kunsten) in Arnhem, the Netherlands, as an endowed professor (lector). His appointment at ArtEZ focuses on the intersection of art, design, technology, and society, with an emphasis on how creative practices can respond to questions of digital governance and social justice.
At ArtEZ, he has developed research and teaching initiatives that explore the cultural and political dimensions of digital infrastructures. His work there brings together students, artists, and policy thinkers to examine how openness, access, and critical design can influence public understanding of technology.
### Meta India (2020–present)
In 2020, Sunil joined [Meta](https://www.meta.com/) (Facebook India) as Public Policy Director for Data Economy and Emerging Technologies in India. In this role, he works on technology governance, data regulation, and innovation policy, engaging with government, industry, and research institutions on issues related to emerging technologies and the digital economy.
## Other activities
Sunil has served as a consultant and adviser to several international organisations, including [UNDP](https://www.undp.org/), [UNESCO](https://www.unesco.org/), and the [International Development Research Centre (IDRC)](https://idrc-crdi.ca/). His assignments have ranged from open standards and localisation policy to digital inclusion and governance. He has contributed to projects in Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe that connect technology policy with issues of equity, participation, and sustainable development.
Sunil presenting on intermediaries in a data protection regime at #50p, 2018.
## Publications and research
Sunil has written and edited a number of works on open technologies, digital policy, and Internet governance. His edited volumes for the UNDP’s APDIP programme cover themes such as FOSS in education, localisation, open standards, and public policy. He co-authored *Digital Natives with a Cause?* (with Nishant Shah, 2009) and contributed to reports including *Open Government Data in India*. His writings often combine technical insight with policy analysis, reflecting on how openness and collaboration can support innovation and inclusion in developing contexts.
In addition to research papers and reports, Abraham has contributed opinion pieces and essays to several newspapers and journals, including *The Hindu*, *Livemint*, *DNA India*, *Outlook*, and the *Wall Street Journal (India)*. His articles have discussed privacy, surveillance, digital monopolies, and the public interest in technology regulation.
## Views
Sunil's approach combines advocacy for openness with a pragmatic understanding of governance and economics. He argues that open-source software, open data, and open standards are essential for democratic participation and transparency, particularly in developing countries. At the same time, he has written critically about the limits of openness when it is detached from local realities or when market concentration undermines public interest. His work reflects a balance between technological optimism and institutional critique.
## Recognition
In 1999, Sunil was awarded the [Ashoka Fellowship](https://www.ashoka.org/en-in/fellow/sunil-abraham) for his efforts to promote open and participatory uses of the Internet in India. In 2003, he received the Sarai FLOSS Fellowship for his contributions to the free and open-source software movement within the voluntary sector. His work has been cited in policy reports and international forums concerned with Internet rights, information access, and innovation in public systems.
## Events and outreach
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Sunil has been actively involved in designing and leading collaborative events that connect technology practitioners, researchers, and activists. He co-organised Asia Source in 2005 and 2007, and the Asia Commons conference, which focused on knowledge sharing and the digital commons. He has spoken at the [Internet Governance Forum](https://www.intgovforum.org/), the Open World Forum, and various academic institutions in India and abroad. His public engagements often combine technical workshops with discussions on law, ethics, and social justice in the digital age.
## Personal life
Sunil Abraham is from Bangalore, India, and currently lives in Gurgaon. He married Esmeralda Davis on 10 January 2002 at Wesley English Church, Bangalore. He continues to work on issues related to digital policy, open knowledge, open access, and internet governance.