Kamla Bhasin was born in 1946 and grew up in Rajasthan, India. She studied Sociology of Development at Muenster University in West Germany.
From 1972-1975, she was the Development Secretary of Seva Mandir in Udaipur, India. Seva Mandir is a non-government organization working with the poorer segments of the population in Rajasthan, India. While with Seva Mandir, Bhasin worked directly with the rural poor (men & women) to organize agricultural, economic and educational activities for their empowerment. The main emphasis of her work was on mobilising people for their own development. During these four years, Bhasin also wrote extensively on rural realities and the impact of development programmes and policies on the rural poor for newspapers. From 1975, Bhasin worked with FAO of the United Nations for 27 years.
At Sambhaavnaa, Bhasin facilitates the Nayi Dishayein programs.