Kalki Subramaniam is an Indian transgender activist, artist, writer, actor, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Sahodari Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the social, economic, and artistic empowerment of transgender individuals in India.
A powerful voice for transgender rights, Kalki was among the key advocates behind the Supreme Court of India’s historic 2014 judgment recognising the legal rights of transgender people. Through her foundation, she has conducted free workshops for over 500 transgender individuals, nurturing their artistic talents and supporting their livelihoods.
As a renowned Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) speaker, Kalki has addressed global corporations including Facebook, Google, Adobe, Walmart, Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, and Myntra, among others. With over a decade of experience, she continues to transform workplace inclusion for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Kalki has received numerous accolades for her activism, literature, and film performances. In 2015, Facebook honoured her as one of 12 inspiring women globally. In 2016, she was nominated by L’Oréal Paris India as a ‘Woman of Worth’ in the Arts category.
She is the first Indian transgender actor to play a lead role in a mainstream feature film (Narthaki) and her literary works include the Tamil poetry collection Kuri Aruthean and her English book We Are Not The Others. In 2024, she published her third book, Oru Thirunangaiyin Dairy Kurippu.
Kalki has been invited to speak at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions. She received a standing ovation at Harvard University’s India Conference for her powerful speech. She has also presented her poetry, art, and activism at the Schwules Museum in Berlin, and was named “International Ambassador for Life” by the TransAmsterdam organization in the Netherlands. In 2024, she was invited to speak on Sexual Orientation and Gender Inclusion at the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture at the University of British Columbia, Canada.
In January 2022, her artwork—along with that of five of her transgender students—was exhibited at the University of South Florida, marking a proud moment for the Indian queer community. That same year, she received the Radhika Sen Memorial Award from Plan India for her Red Wall Project, and later, the Plan India Impact Award for her ongoing work with the transgender community. In October 2022, she was once again invited to speak at Harvard, as well as Yale, Cornell, Rutgers, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she shared her insights on activism, art, and literature.
In 2023, Kalki launched her designer wear label Kals Apparel, and in December she was appointed Southern Region Representative to the National Council for Trans Persons (NCTP) by India’s Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Kalki continues to mentor hundreds of transgender youth—many of whom are now doctors, artists, teachers, and entrepreneurs—and remains a fierce advocate for inclusion, equality, and dignity for all.
