Dr. Vimal Kumar is a social justice scholar, activist, and purpose-driven entrepreneur addressing caste-based exclusion, labour injustice, and structural inequality in India and globally. Born into the scavenger (sanitation-worker) community, his work is grounded in lived experience rather than abstraction. His mother, a sanitation worker, died of cancer caused by hazardous working conditions—an injustice that continues to shape his lifelong commitment to dignity, accountability, and systemic change.

He holds a PhD in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, where his research examined everyday caste violence and its social consequences. Dr. Kumar is the Founder Director of the Movement for Scavenger Community (India), the International Institute for Social Justice (USA), and The Second Wind International Pvt. Ltd., initiatives that bridge scholarship, community leadership, and ethical entrepreneurship. In 2025, he served as a Visiting Professor at Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan, contributing to global teaching and dialogue on social justice and inequality.

Over the past fifteen years, Dr. Kumar has collaborated with universities, institutions, and social movements across India, the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia. His work has been supported by fellowships from the Dalit Foundation, Acumen, DAAD, the McCain Institute, and Arizona State University. His life and work are documented in the award-winning film Son of a Sweeper.