Speakers at ILDC 2024
Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy
Vice-Chancellor & Professor of Law, NLSIU
Prof (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy is the Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, Bengaluru and the Secretary-Treasurer of the Consortium of National Law Universities. He is a Member of the Independent Oversight Board that makes content moderation decisions on Facebook and Instagram platforms. He is the Co-founder and Managing Trustee of the Centre for Law and Policy Research that engages in law and policy research, social and governance interventions and strategic impact litigation; and the Founder of the Supreme Court Observer which is the most reliable guide to the work of the Indian Supreme Court. Previously, he was the Director of the School of Policy and Governance, and Professor of Law and Politics at Azim Premji University and a Professor of Law at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Law degree from the National Law School of India, Bangalore and completed a postgraduate and doctoral degree at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He is the recipient of the Infosys Prize 2022 in the Humanities category. His current research focuses on constitutional law, the empirical analysis of the legal, political and governance systems and the regulation of new and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and automated decision systems.
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Mr. S B Dangayach
Founder Trustee, Innovative Thought Forum, Ex-CEO Sintex
Mr. S B Dangayach, an esteemed IIMA alumnus, boasts 45 years of corporate leadership. Currently, he is the Founder Trustee of Innovative Thought Forum, an India-centric “think+act” tank, and serves as National Vice President of Arogya Bharati. As an independent director on various boards, including GMDC, GIPCL, and GACL, his influence extends to IIM Udaipur and Auro University, Surat. An avid supporter of Homoeopathy, he is a patron member of GHF. Mr. Dangayach advocates integrating health sciences and promoting AYUSH. He passionately advocates green, clean, and sustainable development, emphasizing renewable energy integration. He empowers micro-enterprises with innovative initiatives like VyaparSutra and recently compiled “Pragmatic ways for Atmanirbhar Bharat” featuring articles from 75 India-centric thought leaders.
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Dr Nivedita Haran
Dr. Nivedita Haran, an IAS officer and Ex-Addl Chief Secretary of Kerala, also serves as adviser in NDRG and IMPRI. She holds a Graduation degree in Economics and Philosophy (Hons), a Masters in Philosophy from Jadavpur University, and a Sociology PhD from IIT, Delhi. Throughout her career, she held significant posts in various government departments, including Land Revenue, Disaster Management, Agriculture, Industries, and District Collector/Magistrate and Director (Delhi Div) and Joint Secy, Ministry of Urban Affairs. She was also part of the UN Peace-keeping Mission in Kosovo. Post-retirement, she engages in impactful research and academics, focusing on modernisation of Land Records, Disaster Resilience-building, Good Governance, Labour & Migration issues, and Water, Wastewater, and solid waste management and also mentors MSMEs. Dr. Haran was a member of the Committee of Experts for Dal Lake conservation and the chairperson of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development and Ente Bhoomi Trust.
Ex-Addl Chief Secretary of Kerala
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Dr Shekhar Shah
Dr. Shekhar Shah is the Vice Chair of the Academic Advisory Council and a member of the Board of Directors at the Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi, and a Non-resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development, Washington, D.C. With nearly five decades of global experience as a development economist, he has worked on policies related to macroeconomics, trade, fiscal management, labor markets, and service delivery in health and education. As the Director-General of NCAER, India’s oldest and largest independent economic research think tank, he led its institutional transformation and research expansion over ten years, including initiating new research and data collection on land issues. Prior to that, he held key research and operational positions over nearly three decades at the World Bank in Washington D.C. and at the Ford Foundation. Dr. Shah remains keenly interested in policy solutions and evidence on what keeps some people and countries poor, the failure of markets, governments, politics, and development aid, climate change, and the promise and perils of new digital technologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University and a B.A. in Economics from Delhi University’s St. Stephen’s College.
Vice Chair, Academic Advisor Council, Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi
Dr Serene Ho
Serene Ho is a Senior Lecturer in Land Administration in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering and co-leads the land administration theme in the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration at the University of Melbourne. She is also a member of the University's Oceania Institute. Her interdisciplinary research is interested in what land is, how we understand and govern this, and how digital technologies mediate this especially in the Global South. Her research also increasingly engages with the pressures of climate actions on land-dependent communities.
Senior Lecturer in Geomatics-Land Administration
Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne university
Dr. Malcom Childress
Malcolm Childress is a multi-disciplinary land resources specialist with 30 years of global experience, including urban and rural property rights, and strategy for managing critical global ecosystems. His focus areas include land policy and governance, land markets, land registration, property taxation, cadastral systems and spatial planning.
Executive Director, Global Land Alliance
Vanessa Peter
Founder, Information and Resource Centre for Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC)
Vanessa Peter
Vanessa Peter is the founder of Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC). She has 20 years of experience in the development sector. Vanessa has worked towards ensuring access to land and adequate housing for the vulnerable sections.
Having been associated with the office of the Advisor to the Supreme Court, Vanessa was monitoring the implementation of the 'Shelter for the Urban Homeless' programme. As a result of her lobbying and advocacy, there are nearly 100 shelters across all the Corporations and major Municipalities across Tamil Nadu.
Srajesh Gupta
Srajesh is the Co-Founder and Anchor of his organization, with over four years of experience in the agriculture sector, working across program implementation, policy development, and academia. He was previously a Founding Associate at the National Coalition for Natural Farming. Srajesh holds an MSc in Agricultural Extension and Communication from Raipur, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Policy, Design, and Management from the Indian School of Public Policy, a Certificate in International Development from the University of Chicago, and a Certificate in Accelerated Management from Harappa School of Leadership.
Co-Founder and Anchor, C-GEM
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Dr Usha Ramanathan
Independent Expert on Human Rights, Law, and Jurisprudence
Dr Usha Ramanathan is an internationally recognized expert on law and poverty. She studied law at Madras University, the University of Nagpur and Delhi University. She researches, writes and speaks on issues that include the nature of law, Bhopal Gas Disaster, mass displacement, eminent domain, manual scavenging, civil liberties including the death penalty, beggary, criminal law, custodial institutions, the environment, judicial process. She has been tracking, and engaging with, the UID project and has written, and debated extensively on issues of technology and the human conditions of freedom and liberty over the years.
Her work draws heavily upon non-governmental experience in its encounters with the state, a 6- year stint with a law journal (Supreme Court Cases) as reporter from the Supreme Court, and engaging with the state on matters of public policy.
She is a regular speaker at various universities, and at the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal and the Delhi Judicial Academy to address judges, on various issues of law and poverty, and on technology and the law.
Shanta Devi
Fellow, Housing and Land Rights Network
Shanta Devi has been a dedicated community leader and social activist working for the rights of urban poor communities in Delhi for over 35 years. She has been associated with the Housing and Land Rights Network since 2013 and is instrumental in the community-outreach, documentation, and capacity-building interventions of the organization.
Issac Arul Selva
Founder, Slum Jagatthu and Activist
Issac Arul Selva, is a Journalist Educator and human rights activist with focus on urban marginalised communities with experience of over 30 years. He is based in Bangalore. He is the editor of ‘Slum Jagatthu’ - a Kannada Monthly Magazine for and by Slum dwellers. He has organised many coalitions of Slum organisations in the state of Karnataka which were effective in preventing Slum evictions and securing land rights to the people living in slums. As a journalist, he writes on the issues of urban marginalised communities. Through his writings, he has contributed towards changing the narrative around urban marginalised communities from that of economic deprivation to culture-based marginalization.
Anisa Draboo
Confluence media, Co-Founder
Anisa is a City Planner, development professional, and impact storyteller with a career rooted in
capturing meaningful stories. She began as a young city planner in the conflict-affected region of
Kashmir and soon became an early responder in disaster zones across South Asia. With over two
decades of experience, she has worked in senior positions in the development sector, in
programme, policy, advocacy, and communication space on themes of development and
humanitarian programmes, women’s land rights, rural livelihoods and global policy for leading
organisations like Landesa, Oxfam, and the World Bank.
In 2019, Anisa Co-founded Confluence Media, a unique impact storytelling platform focused on
bringing untold stories from the Global South to light.
Anisa has documented ground voices throughout her career, and more recently through
podcasts, documentaries, and web series, collaborating with award-winning filmmakers, including
National and Academy Award winners. Her work has earned critical acclaim, with projects
screened at international festivals and platforms like Discovery, BBC, and Spotify. Currently, she
is co-producing a web series with one of India’s top directors, set to release soon on an OTT
platform. Anisa is an international Ford Foundation fellow and holds Masters degrees in Geography from
Jamia Millia Islamia, Regional Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, and City
Planning from Cornell University.
Shivakumar Srinivas
Institute for youth and Development, Bengaluru
Shivakumar is a seasoned development professional and policy researcher with over three decades of experience focused on land and resource governance, indigenous rights, and sustainable development. His expertise spans from managing land tenure and natural resources to post-conflict reconstruction and biodiversity conservation, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. He has collaborated with international organizations like UNDP, World Bank, and UN-FAO to influence sustainable policies. Shivakumar’s work emphasizes community empowerment, disaster management, and humanitarian aid, including post-disaster relief and COVID-19 efforts. He currently works with the Institute for Youth and Development in India.
Seema Shastri
Foundation for Ecological Security (FES)
Seema currently leads the LME team in FES for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Management and a Master’s degree in Economics. Her expertise includes business development, proposal writing, knowledge management, quality process management, and communications. Seema's work spans various sectors, including Natural Resource Management, the formation and strengthening of SHGs and village institutions, reporting, documentation, and research. She also specialises in sustainable agriculture practices and livelihood promotion, particularly through initiatives such as Crop Water Budgeting.
Narendra Jain
General Secretary, Seva Mandir
Narendra Jain is the General Secretary of Seva Mandir and holds a postgraduate degree in Agriculture with a specialization in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Rajasthan Agriculture University, Bikaner. During his time in the Natural Resource Development Unit, he worked on afforestation and pastureland development in the Udaipur and Rajsamand districts. As Director of Operations, he played a key role in overseeing the implementation of all rural development activities across Seva Mandir’s operational areas
Ms. Bhargavi Rao
Independent Researcher/Educator/Consultant
Bhargavi S. Rao has nearly 30 years of experience working at the intersections of community action, law and policy, focusing on human rights, governance and people-centred initiatives, and in advancing environmental and social justice. She is an independent researcher, educator, experiential learning designer, facilitator, and trustee at Environment Support Group. Bhargavi also serves as a Visiting Senior Fellow (Honorary) at the Impact and Policy Research Institute. With expertise in coordinating and teaching various educational programs, she also conducts corporate training. Her interdisciplinary research spans environmental decision-making, governance, and financial decision-making.
Mr Anand Jaiswal
National Facilitator, International Land Coalition-Asia
Anand is currently the National Facilitator for India with the International Land Coalition. With approximately 5 years of experience, he has worked closely with people's movements and organizations to develop a better understanding of land rights, land management, livelihood enhancement models, and Payment for Ecosystem Services. He holds a post-graduate degree from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Dr. Madhushree Sekher
Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Dr. Madhushree Sekher is a Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, where she also serves as the Dean of International Relations and the School of Vocational Education. She holds a PhD in Political Science and received the World Bank Robert S. McNamara Fellowship for post-doctoral research. Her research focuses on institutions, governance, political economy, inclusive development, and policy implementation, with a particular emphasis on food security, inequalities, and social welfare systems in India. Dr. Sekher has received numerous prestigious grants, including from the Australian Research Council, IFPRI, and the Indian Council for Social Science Research. She is part of an international research consortium on ethnic power relations and has held visiting positions at institutions like IFPRI, University of Sydney, and Cornell University.
Hitesh Kumar S Makwana
bio
Surveyor General of India
Kunal Satyarthi
Mr. Kunal Satyarthi, currently serves as the Joint Secretary in the Department of Land Resources, Government of India. He has done his M.Sc & M.Phil in Botany from University of Delhi and Masters in Forestry from FRI Deemed University, Dehradun.
He brings a wealth of experience from his career in the Indian Forest Service, where he has held various key positions. Throughout his career, Mr. Satyarthi has been instrumental in driving significant initiatives aimed at improving land governance and resource conservation.
Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources
Sanjay Upadhyay
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Sanjay Upadhyay is the founder and managing partner of India’s first environmental law firm, Enviro Legal Defence Firm. Sanjay has been practicing environment and development law since 1993.
An India Vising Fellow at the Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley (Fall 1996) and a legal intern to the Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund, San Francisco, a Global Fellow in Marine Policy at the Duke University, North Carolina, he started his professional career at the World Wide Fund for Nature– India at the Centre for Environmental Law.
Sanjay has served as an environmental and development law expert to most well-known international, Multilateral, national and state Institutions including the World Bank, ADB, IUCN, DFID, AFD, FAO, UNDP, IIED, ODI to name a few. He has been in the drafting Committees of several laws in India and abroad including Wildlife Act, Forest Rights Act, Nagaland Biodiversity Rules, the Land Acquisition law of Afghanistan, the Forest Sector Policy of Himachal Pradesh, Medicinal Plant Policies of Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand among others. Sanjay practices in the Supreme Court of India and particularly in the National Green Tribunal.
M Shiva Kumar
Program Manager, Institute for Youth Development
Shiva Kumar is a seasoned Program Manager at the Institute for Youth and Development, bringing over 8 years of experience in health and rural capacity building. He holds a degree in Psychology and has completed both a Master's and a diploma in Business Administration. Kumar is committed to empowering rural communities, with a strong focus on fostering self-reliance through skill development, education, and sustainable practices. With a solid track record in strengthening rural livelihoods, he remains dedicated to driving impactful change in rural development.
Diya Uday
xKDR Forum
Diya leads the research work on land markets at XKDR Forum. Her interests are in the areas of regulatory governance, state capacity and access to finance. She has worked on projects with the National Council for Applied Economic Research; the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, the Department of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance (Government of India) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. She is also visiting faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Science in Mumbai, and has previously been an associate at leading law firms in India including Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Kshitij Batra
CEO & Co-founder, Terra Economics and Analytics Lab (TEAL)
Kshitij Batra is the Co-Founder and CEO of TEAL, a technology startup digitizing land and property data in India. He previously served as Additional Private Secretary to a Union Cabinet Minister to advise on policy and data. He was a Junior Fellow at the IDFC Institute, where he led projects on housing, urbanisation and geospatial analytics. Kshitij has also worked with Housing.com as a Senior Economist, with the World Bank's Global Urban team in Washington DC and Africa, the MIT Jameel Poverty Action Lab and NERA Economic Consulting in New York. He holds his Masters in Public Administration & International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Anindya Banerjee
Partner , Capital Law Chambers LLP
Annindya is an experienced legal counsel with over 23 years of expertise in corporate law, including banking and finance, regulatory compliance, project finance, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial litigation. He began his career at Fox & Mandal, focusing on commercial litigation, before transitioning to an in-house role at HDFC Ltd., where he served as the National Legal Head for Retail Lending. In this role, he managed mortgage portfolios, crafted industry agreements, and advised on major infrastructure and real estate projects. Annindya also played a key role in policy development, regulatory compliance, and legal strategies. After two decades at HDFC, he became a Partner at Capital Law Chambers LLP, leading their Banking and Finance practice.
Dr Moatoshi Ao
Assistant Professor, Facult of Law, University
of Delhi, Panellist
Dr. Moatoshi Ao is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Delhi and also serves as the Deputy Dean of Legal Affairs at the university. He graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai, and holds an LL.M from the University of Mumbai and a Ph.D. from the University of Delhi. Prior to joining academia, he practised law with Singhania & Co. LLP in Mumbai and worked at the High Court of Bombay. Dr. Ao also taught LL.B students at Rizvi Law College, Mumbai. He has authored numerous articles in reputable journals and magazines.
Manoranjan Swain
Indigenous People’s Land Life and Knowledge Collective
Manoranjan, from Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha, completed his Master of Social Work from Utkal University. His transformative journey began with two influential years as a Gandhi Fellow before venturing into various roles at Gram Swaraj, NCAS, and Thread.
These experiences led him to the BN Yugandhar Rainfed Agriculture Fellowship, where he conducted research on land alienation in Kalahandi
Kanchi Kohli
Researcher, Educator, Associate Editor , Current Conservation
Kanchi Kohli is a researcher, educator and communicator of environmental law and policy. Her work areas cover the fields of environment, forest and biodiversity regulation and governance in India. Her policy research and practice explores the links and gaps between law, development, sustainability and environmental justice. Kanchi has authored numerous reports, research papers, and articles. She teaches environmental law at various institutions and is an Associate Editor of Current Conservation. Kanchi was part of the US government’s IVLP program and received a Fulbright Fellowship at Berkeley Law in 2013.
Shipra Deo
Director, Women and Land - Landesa
Shipra Deo leads Landesa's work to strengthen women's land rights in India. She is a development practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in managing multidisciplinary programs addressing women's empowerment, women's land rights, violence against women, agriculture, collective action, livelihoods and institution building. She has worked closely with development projects in South Asia, Africa, and Central Europe with a focus on gender mainstreaming. Beyond her work at Landesa, Shipra has been a vocal advocate for women's economic empowerment and property rights in various forums, contributing articles and insights on the intersection of land and gender equity.
Dr. Geetanjoy Sahu
Professor at the Centre for Climate Change & Sustainability Studies, School of Habitat Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Dr. Geetanjoy Sahu is a Professor at the Centre for Climate Change & Sustainability Studies, School of Habitat Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. He holds MPhil from the Hyderabad Central University (HCU), Hyderabad and PhD in Political Science from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru. He was also a Post-Doctoral Associate at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment and Development (CISED), Bengaluru. He served as a member of various government committees in different capacities and has been closely associated with South Asia's forest rights and environmental justice networks. His research and teaching interests include environmental jurisprudence, environmental regulation and policy, land and forest rights, the political economy of public policy implementation, and environmental movements.
Tushar Dash
Independent Researcher
Tushar Dash is a researcher working on forest rights and governance in India, particularly in advancing Community Forest Rights (CFR) under the Forest Rights Act. He is involved in the CFR Learning & Advocacy Process, a national initiative working with civil society organizations across states to implement CFR provisions. Tushar also engages in research and advocacy on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on indigenous communities, forest dwellers, and pastoralists, using findings to inform government bodies. He provides legal support and strengthens grassroots organizations' capacity to formalize community forest rights. Previously, Tushar worked with Vasundhara, an NGO in Odisha, on implementing the Forest Rights Act.
Neema Pathak Broome
Coordinator, Conservation and Livelihoods program at Kalpavriksh
Neema Pathak Broome is the coordinator of the Conservation and Livelihoods program at Kalpavriksh and the South Asia coordinator for the ICCA Consortium, a global movement on Areas and Territories Conserved by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. For over a decade, she has worked on issues related to governance, management, and conservation of biodiversity in India. Neema has contributed to policy analysis, lobbying for changes to conservation laws like the Wildlife Protection Act and Forest Rights Act. Her work includes researching, documenting, understanding, facilitating, and advocating for processes towards decentralized, equitable, diverse, and context-specific forms of conservation governance, especially decolonized and alternative forms of conservation within and outside government designated protected areas.
Sharachchandra Lele
Adjunct Professor, IISER Pune
Sharachchandra Lele is an Adjunct Professor at IISER Pune and a Distinguished Fellow in Environmental Policy & Governance at ATREE, Bengaluru. He holds a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay, an M.Sc.(Engg) from the Indian Institute of Science, and a Ph.D. in Energy & Resources from the University of California, Berkeley. He has held positions at institutions like Harvard University, Tata Energy Research Institute, and Institute for Social & Economic Change. In 2001, he co-founded the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment & Development (CISED), which later merged with ATREE. Sharad has also been a visiting scholar at Cambridge, Stanford, and the University of Waterloo and is a Founder-Member and past-President of the Indian Society for Ecological Economics
Aditi Vajpeyi
Independent researcher
Aditi is an independent researcher specializing in forest rights and
resource governance issues. Aditi has collaborated with various forest
rights groups across India, contributing both to implementation and research efforts. Aditi’s work explores the political economy of conservation governance and climate action policies, examining their impact on forest-dependent communities and the democratic governance of resources. Additionally, Aditi engages with children and women to develop community-led research and art pedagogies.
Kumar Sambhav
Founder, Land Conflict Watch
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist known for pioneering research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and currently serves as India Research Lead at Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab. He co-founded The Reporters' Collective, a non-profit journalism initiative in India, and was a recipient of the inaugural Artificial Intelligence Accountability Fellowship from the Pulitzer Center. Kumar has contributed to prominent global and Indian media outlets, including Al Jazeera, Huffington Post, Business Standard, Hindustan Times, Down To Earth, and The Times of India. His work has earned him several prestigious honors, including the Red Ink Award, the Press Council of India’s National Award for Excellence in Journalism, and the Shriram Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism.
Mrinali K
Land conflict watch
Mrinali graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and joined Land Conflict Watch. She works with researchers and journalists to update, understand and analyse the data gathered at Land Conflict Watch. She is keen on working to include gender, environment and the intersection of the two in public policy.
Sukriti Vats
Land conflict watch
Sukriti Vats is currently with Land Conflict Watch, where she reports on land and
forest governance issues. Over the past year, her work has taken her across
Rajasthan's arid expanses and Madhya Pradesh's tribal belt, exploring the
complexities of forced land allotments and their impact on vulnerable
communities.
Y Giri Rao
Executive director, Vasundhara
Mr. Y. Giri Rao is a social and rural development practitioner, having more than two decades of experience of working with various tribal communities of Odisha, particularly with the very poor, the underprivileged and the vulnerable. He is currently the Executive Director-cum-Secretary of Vasundhara, Odisha (a research and policy advocacy organization) with which he has been associated since 1995. Mr. Rao has a bachelor's degree in commerce with a specialization in Economics, and a master's degree in Rural Development. He started his career with Gram Vikas and later on joined Vasundhara in 1995. He coordinated various projects as a programme officer. He was initially involved in research on institutional issues and was actively associated with various peoples' fora and groups advocating on forestry issues in Odisha. He has served as member in many committees constituted by the State and Central government. Presently he is part of State CAMPA Committee and State Audit Advisory Committee.
Dilip Gode
Executive director, VNCS
Mr. Dilip Gode is a prominent environmentalist, conservationist, and development professional. He serves as the Executive Director of the Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society (VNCS) and is a former member of the State Wildlife Board, Government of Maharashtra. His passion for nature began in his school days as a birdwatcher, which later expanded to include extensive work on forest ecosystems, wildlife, and the livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities. With decades of experience in forest management and natural resource-based livelihoods, Mr. Gode has contributed significantly to biodiversity conservation, research, and advocacy. A key focus of his work has been the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), particularly through the promotion of Community Forest Rights (CFR) in over 150 villages across the Gadchiroli, Gondia, and Nagpur districts. Notably, in 2013, he played a pivotal role in mobilizing and supporting Gram Sabhas from 12 villages in Gondia and Gadchiroli to successfully manage and sell tendu leaves under CFR—the first such effort in India. Mr. Gode has served on numerous state and central government committees, advising on issues related to environment, non-conventional energy resources, wildlife, and forest management. He is also a founding member of several networks, including the Vidarbha Livelihood Forum, FRA Collective-Maharashtra, and the Community Forest Rights Learning and Advocacy (CFRLA) network in India.
Seema Kulkarni
SOPPECOM, Pune
Seema Kulkarni holds MA degree in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She is one of the founding members of Society for Promoting Participative Eco-system Management, Pune (SOPPECOM). She is presently a Senior Fellow in SOPPECOM, Pune and co-ordinates the gender and rural livelihoods activities within the organisation. She has co-ordinated various studies and programmes around decentralisation, gender and land, water and sanitation. She has published several articles/book chapters around issues of gender, water, sanitation and rural livelihoods. She has been associated with Stree Mukti Sangharsh Chalwal, the movement for the rights of Single women in Western Maharashtra, India and is involved in the Coalition of women's groups in Maharashtra, Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti.
She is currently the National Facilitation Team member of Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (MAKAAM) Forum for women farmers' rights, and anchoring the network at the Maharashtra level. The National secretariat for the network is also currently co-housed in SOPPECOM.
Richa Audichya
Director, Jan Chetna Sansthan
Richa Audichya, Director of Jan Chetna Sansthan, has been a passionate advocate for tribal human rights since 1991, with an impressive career focused on the welfare of indigenous communities, particularly the concerns of Adivasi women. Her work includes empowering tribal communities through education, health initiatives, and livelihood support, with a particular emphasis on leadership development for women and adolescent girls. Richa has been actively involved in campaigns for tribal land rights, forest protection, financial inclusion, and other critical issues.
Sanjay Kumar
Deputy Election Commissioner
Sanjay Kumar- IAS, Former Director, DIPAM, Ministry of Finance, After his schooling in Delhi, he joined Indian Air Force in 1998. In IAF, he served at different airbases and participated in Operation Vijay and Operation Parakram. Since 2008, he is a member of Indian Administrative Service and initially served as SDM and District Magistrate in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2014, he got Lt. Governor’s Commendation for the handling of aftermaths of Phailin Cyclone. From 2014-17, he has worked in Delhi as DM (New Delhi district), Excise Commissioner, Delhi and Commissioner/Special Commissioner Transport, Delhi. Later, as a Fulbright scholar, he completed his Master degree in City Planning at MIT, that includes field research in Argentina and Rwanda on informal settlements and land reforms. From 2019-21, he worked as Secretary to Government of Goa and handled disaster management during Covid pandemic. In Goa, he pursued his passion to modernise property records and urban land governance. Currently, he is working as Director in DIPAM, Ministry of Finance in Government of India. He has raised more than USD 1 billion from the sale of Government’s equity in Axis Bank, IRCTC and RVNL.
Ramesh Sharma
Ekta Parishad, National Coordinator
Ramesh Sharma works as the National Coordinator of Ekta Parishad. In the last 24 years, Ramesh has played an instrumental role in strengthening and expanding Ekta Parishad as one of the most significant peoples' struggle for land rights. In 2008, Ramesh was appointed by Government of India, as a member of National Committee on Agrarian Crisis and Land Reforms. In 2012, Ramesh is nominated as a member of the National Task Force on Land Reforms (Government of India). Ramesh is also part of many international processes like Global Hub on Indigenous Issues, Global Land Observatory, Global Land Agenda, CFS Landless Constituency etc.
Sanjoy Patnaik
Strategic Policy Advisor, FES
Sanjoy Patnaik is currently work part time with Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), a non-profit focused on Commons and Climate Change throughout India with special focus in states of Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujurat and Madhya Pradesh. My key responsibilities are; to support FES in undertaking policy research and advocacy, strengthening partnerships and networks, capacity building and provide strategic guidance to elevate the debate on Commons and influence public policy and programme discourse in multiple States.
Subarat Singh
FES, Executive Director
Subrata Singh is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), bringing over 27 years of expertise in land and water commons, natural resource management, and community governance. His work focuses on creating instruments for community tenure, designing institutions for natural resource management, and facilitating multi-stakeholder processes. Singh is also passionate about leveraging technology to empower communities and strengthen local governance frameworks.
His core interests include polycentric governance and public policy, where he works to balance community needs with sustainable resource management practices.
Dr. R. Parthasarathy
GIDR
Dr. R. Parthasarathy is a Visiting Professor at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. He has a PhD in Economics from the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore. Till January 2023, he was the Director and Professor at the Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad. He was earlier a
Professor at the Faculty of Planning, and Dean Faculty of Rural Planning at the CEPT
University, Ahmedabad where he taught Natural Resource Management and Environmental
Economics to Postgraduate and Graduate students, besides guiding Masters and PhD dissertations. His research interests are natural resource management, environmental economics and urban planning.
Sabistan Morris
IIMA
Sebastian Morris is a Senior Professor at the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), where he also chairs the Centre for Public Policy and Governance. He has an extensive academic background, having retired from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) after over 25 years of teaching, research, and consultation. His areas of expertise include international trade and investment, infrastructure regulation, public sector governance, and macroeconomic policy. Morris has also designed executive programs for senior civil servants and consulted for national and international organizations.
He holds a Ph.D. (Fellow) from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and an M.Sc. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. His recent publications include works on macroeconomic policy in India and urban planning and infrastructure development.
His career highlights include winning the EXIM Bank’s International Trade Research Award and serving as a visiting faculty member at institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania and Copenhagen Business School.
SB Dangayach
Founder Trustee, Innovative Thought Forum, FormerCEO Sintex
Mr S B Dangayach is a distinguished alumnus of IIMA. After spending 45 years in corporate world in leadership positions,he is now busy as Founder Trustee of Innovative Thought Forum -an India centric “think+act “ tank and as National Vice President of Arogya Bharati .He is also former Chairman of “environment and plastic image committee of Plastindia Foundation .
Anu Verma
ILC (International Land Coalition Asia)
Regional Coordinator, Asia
Hailing from India, Anu has over 20 years of working experience with grassroots organisations, women’s collectives, national and international organisations. She believes in strengthening people’s voices to create an enabling environment for system change, in favour of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities.
Raman Kerti
FLAME, Student
Raman is an Economics (Honours) graduate whose research has focused on the implications of income inequity and capital flows in the context of subordinate financialization. In addition to his academic work, he has authored policy papers on the urban heat island phenomenon in India. Currently, Raman works as an Economics Research Analyst and Equity Research Analyst at Sequent Investments, where he applies his expertise in analyzing economic trends and equity markets.
Latika Adlakha
FLAME, Student
Latika Adlakha is an alumna of FLAME University, where she graduated from the four-year undergraduate program in 2024 with an Economics major and a Public Policy minor. She currently works as a research analyst at ESG Data and Solutions. Prior to this, Latika worked as a researcher at the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water alongside her studies, where she contributed to various research projects and published a paper on international trade and sustainability. Her research thesis during her fourth year at FLAME mapped the ecosystem of biofuels in India through a techno-economic analysis, providing extensive policy recommendations. Latika’s interests lie in energy systems, sustainability, ground-level policymaking, economic analysis and diplomacy. She is committed to developing sustainable policy solutions that bridge the gap between ideation and implementation, with an emphasis on collaboration to address both micro and macro-level challenges. Latika has also interned at organizations such as the Centre for Public Policy Research, the Asian Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, and the Wage Indicator Foundation, further honing her skills in public policy analysis, economics and international relations.
Sreya SP
FLAME, Student
Shreya is a final-year Civil Engineering student at Government Engineering College, Bartonhill, Thiruvananthapuram. She is currently engaged in a project focused on designing a wastewater management and treatment system for Vizhinjam and nearby Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas. Shreya’s work aims to address environmental challenges and contribute to sustainable development in these coastal regions.
S M Vijayanand
Retd. CS Kerala, IAS, Government of India, Co-chair
S.M. Vijayanand, a 1981 batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, has had a distinguished career in Rural Development, Local Governance, and Decentralized Planning. He played a pivotal role in Kerala's People's Planning initiative from its inception in 1996, nurturing the Kudumbashree SHG program and transforming the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) into a leading training institution for Elected Representatives. As Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, he introduced the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) across India. Post-retirement, Vijayanand chaired the Sixth State Finance Commission of Kerala and currently serves on the boards of NGOs such as PRADAN, Banyan, and Pallium India. He also chairs the Laurie Baker Centre and other prominent institutions.
Abebaw Abebe Belay
Land Law Expert, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia, Panelist
Abebaw Abebe Belay is a seasoned land governance professional with over 11 years of experience at Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture. He specializes in land law and administration, focusing on real property law. Abebaw holds an LLB in Law from Debre Markos University, an MSc in Land Administration from Bahir Dar University, and an MA in Governance from the University of Yaounde II. His expertise lies in shaping and implementing land governance frameworks to support sustainable land management and equitable access.
Satish Gogulwar
Founder, Amhi Amchya Arogyasathi, Panelist
Dr. Gogulwar, an MBBS graduate from Nagpur University, has been a leading figure in the health sector since 1987, with a focus on preventive community health. He co-founded Aamhi Aamchya Arogyasathi (AAA) in 1984, an NGO working across 200 tribal and rural villages in Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts, as well as 45 slums in Nagpur. As AAA's convener since 2010, he has led initiatives for adolescent health and women's empowerment, training over 120 women health workers. Dr. Gogulwar is also involved with progressive organizations as an advisor and board member, and has received multiple honors, including the M.B. Gandhi Trust Puraskar and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Medical Association.
Neha Madhavan
Project Officer, Carbon Neutral Accelerator Lab, Thanal, Wayanad, Kerala
Neha Madhavan is a B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture graduate from Amrita School of Agricultural Science, with experience in community-based agriculture and rural development. Currently a Project Officer at Thanal Trust, she works closely with farming communities in Wayanad, Kerala. Neha has interned with various organizations, including Kollengode Agro Mills, KVK Nagapattinam, and the Central Institute of Cotton Research, gaining practical exposure to agricultural practices and industry operations. Passionate about supporting farmers with accessible technologies, Neha also engages in social work and entrepreneurship, promoting sustainable practices and creative solutions.
Anjana N S
Research Fellow, Carbon Neutral Accelerator Lab, Thanal, Panelist
Anjana N.S. is a Research Fellow at Thanal, an environmental NGO, where she works on the Carbon Neutral Meenangadi project, providing research and technical support for carbon neutrality initiatives. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research. With a passion for environmental sustainability, Anjana is focused on building a career in the field, leveraging her research expertise to contribute to innovative solutions in climate action and environmental protection.
Manas Satpathy
Lead COE, Climate Action, PRADAN, Panellist
Manas brings a wealth of experience and insight to our event. As a member of the leadership team at PRADAN, he leads the Centre of Excellence on Climate Action, continuing a legacy of impactful work in rural development. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the executive director of PRADAN, guiding the organization with vision and dedication.
With a career spanning over three decades, Manas has been a cornerstone in the fields of irrigation and Natural Resource Management, leading crucial research and evaluations. His academic prowess is backed by a master’s degree in water resources development and management from IIT Kharagpur and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from NIT Rourkela.
Kunal Ray
FLAME University
Kunal Ray teaches literature and film at FLAME University, Pune. His writings on art & culture in India appear in a variety of publications such as The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times amongst others. His most recent publication includes Resistance in Indian Documentary Film – Aesthetics, Culture & Practice (Edinburgh University Press, 2024). He is also the co-founder and co-editor of On Eating - A Multilingual Online Journal of Food & Eating cultures in India
Shilpa Gupta
Artist
Shilpa Gupta studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art and has had solo shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp, Barbican in London, Museum voor Moderne Kunst in Arnhem, Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, OK Center for Contemporary Art in Linz and Arnolfini in Bristol and has participated in biennales in Venice, Berlin, Kochi, Lyon, Gwangju, Havana, Yokohama, Liverpool amongst others. Her work has been shown at leading museums such as MOMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New Museum, Devi Art Foundation, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Mori Museum.
Sameer Kulavoor
Artist
Sameer Kulavoor is a visual artist who has closely witnessed the rapid transformation of urban surroundings and culture in India in the 90s (results of economic liberalisation and the internet boom), Kulavoor’s innate approach is to constantly note and understand the impact that time, culture, politics and socio-economic conditions have on our visible and invisible surroundings. Through the early 2000s, Kulavoor became widely known for his design and illustration work and set up one of the earliest specialised studios of its kind in India – Bombay Duck Designs. Over the next decade, Kulavoor moved on to focus on his solo art practice that has taken the form of drawings, paintings, videos, sculptures, murals, books, zines and art-prints.
Teja Gavankar
BFA from L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai & Master’s degree in Visual Arts
Teja Gavankar received her BFA from L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai & Master’s degree in Visual Arts in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. U, Baroda. She also holds a certificate in Indian Aesthetics from Mumbai University. She had her first international solo show at The Optica Centre for Contemporary Art in Montreal, Canada, 2017. She has been part of several residencies such as the Khoj International Artist Association, Delhi, 2015, What about Art, Mumbai, 2017, Space Studio Verticale Artist Center, Laval, Canada, 2016 and Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation supported International (India- Quebec) Residency at The Darling Foundry, Montreal, Canada, 2014. As part of a collaborative project with Case Design, she showcased her work at Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018. She also teaches Design at the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai.
Jayshree Kurup
Real Estate Journalist and Head of Content & Research at Magicbricks
Jayashree Kurup is a seasoned journalist and expert in real estate and urban infrastructure, with over two decades of experience in the industry. She is the Head of Content and Research at Magicbricks.com, where she has led numerous research initiatives, including the PropIndex, India's Apartment Index, and the Housing Sentiment Index. Prior to this, she worked with prestigious publications such as The Times of India, The Economic Times, and The Financial Express. Jayashree has played a key role in the analysis of real estate markets across India, as well as internationally, focusing on countries like China, Thailand, and the Philippines. She is a frequent contributor to discussions on urban development and housing policy, and a recognized figure in the real estate industry, having won the Best Journalist Award at the CIDC Vishwakarma Awards in 2014.
Vasudevan Sures
IGBC - Policy & Advocacy Committee &
Former CMD-HUDCO, Chairman
V Suresh is a Civil Engineer from Anna University (College of Engineering, Guindy,
Chennai) with experience of over 59 years, in Housing, Urban and Rural
Development, Infrastructure and Real Estate Sectors and Sustainable Development.
Was former CMD HUDCO, with all-round growth in housing, innovative infrastructure
development, use of appropriate technology applications for the resilient built
environment. He had a long stint with BIS dealing with formulation of standards,
Codes and regulations in the built environment sector
Sanjay Rana
Geophysicist, Owner, Parsan Overseas (P) Limited
Dr. Sanjay Rana is a geophysicist (holding the title of PE- professional engineer, conferred by Engineering Council of India) working in the field of engineering, mining, environmental and ground water geophysics for last 34 years. Dr Rana graduated in 1990 from University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee, in M Tech (Applied Geophysics), as Gold Medalist. Since 1995 he has been working tirelessly towards growth of geophysical industry in the country, exploring new & unique application areas in various fields like Utility Mapping, Leakage Detection, Hydropower, Dam Safety, Oil & Gas, Mining, Infrastructure, Roads & Highways etc.
Rashmi Deshpande
K-Law, Senior Partner
Rashmi is a Senior Partner in K Law’s Bengaluru office. She heads the real estate practice of the Firm advising clients on transactions across various locations in India Prior to joining K Law, Rashmi was working with Khaitan & Co LLP as partner in the Bangalore office, heading the real estate practice across South India. Rashmi joined Khaitan & Co LLP in 2013 and set up the real estate practice, growing from strength to strength every year.
Rashmi started her practice in 2001 with Mr. Ashok Haranahalli, Senior Counsel and former Advocate General of Karnataka. She has successfully handled cases in High Court of Karnataka and various courts and tribunals on varied subjects, primary among them related to property matters. She was also part of the team that drafted and finalized the Building Bye – Laws of BBMP in 2003. Rashmi also worked with Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co in the real estate and dispute resolution team.
Rashmi comes with vast experience in the field of real estate and dispute resolution and has advised clients on a wide variety of matters ranging from title due diligence, leasing, setting up of integrated-township, SEZ development, private equity investment in real estate, debt funding, estate planning, RERA, disputes and arbitration in real estate transaction.
Sheetal Patil
Lead, IIHS School of Environment and Sustainability
Sheetal is a Lead at IIHS. Her work is focused on integrated agri-food systems, especially on urban and peri-urban food systems, food and ecosystem service, climate change adaptation and urban sustainability. Sheetal anchors work on immobility and non-migration in rural Karnataka and Odisha.
Liby Johnson
Gram Vikas, Executive Director of Gram Vikas
Liby is the Executive Director of Gram Vikas, Odisha. He has led large-scale, impactful efforts over nearly three decades in the community development sector in India with civil society and governments. His experience spans diverse sectors as natural resources, migration, livelihoods, local governance, disaster management, and institution development. Liby regularly contributes to policy making in rural drinking water and sanitation and livelihoods sectors at national and state levels.
Dhanmanjari Sathe
Gokhale Institute, Pune, Professor
Dhanmanjiri believes that the prism of political economy as a methodology to study India is rigorous, and it is most insightful. She reckons that results from such analysis are most meaningful and have policy implications. Her current research is in this domain. For her, a classroom–including the teacher–is one of the most egalitarian places in the world. She makes sure that every student learns something new in each class she teaches. She likes to reach in a jolly and humorous mood, as she thinks that learning is the best when it is fun.
Understanding society is very essential if one wants to be a good person and a good economist, she feels. This, she thinks, comes from fieldwork, reading creative literature, following newspapers, watching films and theatre, and engaging with different kinds of people around you.
Tara Nair
Work Fair and Free, Co-Founder and Director- Research
Tara is a prolific researcher with decades of work across various domains including livelihoods and labour, rural finance, and gender. Having completed MPhil and PhD in Applied Economics and Economics, respectively, from the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Tara previously served as member of the faculty of the Gujarat Institute of Development Research (GIDR), Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) and Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). She also headed research at the Friends of Women’s World Banking (India). She was a visiting scholar at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’homme, Paris; Media Management and Transformation Centre, Jonkoping International Business School, Jonkoping University, Sweden; and the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA.
Dulari Parmar
YUVA, Consultant
Dulari Parmar, is an Architect based in Mumbai. She completed her Masters degree in Urban Design from Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies Mumbai. Currently she works as a consultant at Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA), and actively contributes to YUVA's climate justice work. Dulari has played a crucial role in the Climate Hazard Mapping of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and facilitated the community-driven climate vulnerability assessment in Ambojwadi, Malad. Additionally, she has engaged in city-level advocacy on Development Plans (DP), where she has facilitated trainings on DP and mapping with community members and youth from bastis.
Previously at YUVA, she has also conducted research on the Impacts of urban infrastructure projects on climate and the urban poor in Vasai Virar Region. She has recently co-authored an article on Analysis of Mumbai floods in recent years with crowdsourced data with Interdisciplinary Program in Climate Studies, IIT Bombay.
Dulari currently supports the climate justice work in Navi Mumbai, Guwahati and Vasai Virar, for city level advocacy on climate justice issues. Through her work she emphasizes the need for mapping literacy for the marginalized groups, asserting that this tool can be leveraged by the communities to advocate for their rights. She is also an illustrator at Nirantar Trust, Delhi, where she is developing stories for drop-out or never-enrolled young adolescent girls for the Young People’s Education Program.
Venkatesh Panchapagesan
IIM-Bengaluru, Professor
Dr. Venkatesh Panchapagesan is a Professor of Finance and also heads the Real Estate Research Initiative at IIM Bangalore. He has more than 20 years of experience in academia and in global financial services industry after finishing his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining IIMB in September 2011, he was with the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, where he led efforts to revamp trading analytical infrastructure. He has also worked with Goldman Sachs Asset Management in New York between 2005 and 2008 overseeing trading research for their quantitative hedge funds. He was a Finance Professor at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis from 1998 to 2005 and has published in top peer-reviewed academic and practitioner journals of the world. He was also invited to be the NASDAQ stock market’s economist for a year. He is certified in India as a Chartered Accountant and a Cost Accountant, and holds a post graduate management degree from IIM (Calcutta) as well.
Ashutosh Limaye
Regional Director - Strategic Advisory & Valuations
Anarock
Ashutosh holds Masters in Urban Planning and has over 24 years experience in Real Estate Research & Consulting, Valuation, Urban Land Management, Environmental Management, Architectural Design and Urban Governance.
He has exposure to various aspects of real estate feasibility assessments, real estate asset management, real estate research & market intelligence, city profiling from real estate analysis, physical planning particularly urban and environmental planning and formulating of socio- economic impact studies, airport planning with focus on land-side development, community development initiatives, urban governance, environmental impact assessments along with being involved in various housing projects, commercial multi-storied buildings, medium scale industries, apartments etc.
Dishant Batule
YUVA, Consultant
Dishant Batule, is an independent Filmmaker based in Mumbai. He did his Bachelors in Architecture from D. Y. Patil College of Architecture, Mumbai.
He currently works as an independent consultant at YUVA and has worked on the Navi Mumbai and Panvel city Development plans and contributed in the outreach to increase participation of the urban poor in the process of the city’s Development Plan. He has also been part of and presented in various public meetings in the process of the Development Plan of Panvel city.
Additionally, He has worked on multiple Documentary short film projects with YUVA covering the impact YUVA has made through various people’s organisations and collectives. The topics of the films span from YUVA’s Childline Helpline work, Children and Youth collectives to Housing rights collectives, Building open spaces with Nature Based solutions and community participation.
Dr. Sheema Fatima
School of Architecture, NMIMS, Mumbai, Assistant Professor
Sheema Fatima is an Assistant Professor at Balwant Seth School of Architecture, NMIMS, Mumbai. An Urban Planner by training her interest lies in urban politics and governance in non-metropolitan urban centers. She has worked on numerous research projects in both Mumbai and small and medium towns of Bihar. Her recent publications are Fatima, S. (2024). Categorizing land: an account of leftover land in Patna. City, 28(1-2), 44-63 looks at the political history of housing in Bihar. And, Fatima, S., & Paiker, U. (2023). Memorialising and Forgetting in the City: Recovering Azimabad from the Many Pasts of Patna. Social Change, 53(2), 195-209.
Dr. Rishi Jha
FLAME University, Assistant Professor
Prof. Rishi Jha is Assistant Professor – Public Policy at FLAME University. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Social Work from Lund University, Sweden. He also has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy and a Master’s Degree in Arts from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He has completed Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Delhi.
He completed pre-doctoral studies and Masters of Arts in Social Work (Community Organisation and Development Practice) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and MAU, Maharashtra.
His doctoral dissertation is titled “Unsettled City”. It explores the urban political economy of dispossession, transforming governance, and people’s struggles for housing within redeveloping Mumbai. Shortlisted for Lund University’s prestigious Oscar (II) Award in 2024, it reflects his profound research contributions.
His areas of interests are urban studies, public and social policy, inequality and governance, neoliberal state, politics and social change, employing qualitative methods. He is currently writing a monograph titled “Rehousing the City” with an international publisher.
He has over three years of professional experience in development governance, consultancy, and research. He served as a Young Professional in the World Bank-supported and Bihar government-coordinated poverty alleviation mission in Bihar. He has collaborated with civil society organisations in rural and urban India, and partnered in research with the University of Chicago, University of East London, Western Sydney University, Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Harshali Damodar Ghule
IIT Bombay, PhD Research Scholar
Harshali is a PhD scholar from IIT Mumbai. Her area of research is to understand how villages urbanize. The primary focus of research is on emerging census towns in Maharashtra. It would explore the nature of urbanization, socio-spatial and economic characteristics of the settlement form, and its policy issues. It would cover the role of agrarian-rural capital and the local elite in transforming villages into towns.
Balbir Singh Aulakh
PhD Scholar in Social Sciences and Community Development at TISS Mumbai
Balbir Singh Aulakh is a PhD Scholar at the School of Habitat Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. He has completed his M.Phil. in Social Sciences from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and graduated in public policy from the University of Mumbai. His broad research interests include sports development, land transformations, aesthetic politics and community development.
Aishwarya Ayushmaan
Aishwarya Ayushmaan is a graduate from the National University of Juridical Sciences is the Programmes Lead at the Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN). They have worked extensively for the last six years on laws and policies around housing rights, forced evictions, including of marginalized communities, including trans persons.
Programmes Lead, Housing and Land Rights Network
(Moderator)
Deepika Jha
Deepika Jha has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. For over 10 years, Deepika has been part of a team studying land governance in different states in India. She has studied issues around land records management, their modernisation, related technical and institutional aspects, and their linkages to planning and municipal practices in urban and peri-urban areas. As part of various projects, she has also worked on recognising persistent gaps in the systems regarding land administration, identifying the good practices followed by different states, and suggesting ways to improve the transparency and reliability of the current systems.
More recently, she has worked on advising state- and city-level administrations on how land governance systems, particularly urban land information systems, can be improved and more aligned with urban planning processes.
Deepika is also interested in how real estate is regulated in various states of India, and in ways to improve functioning of real estate regulatory authorities.
Her work cuts across the rural–urban continuum, and in the process she has engaged with various officers from the urban administration and land records departments of various states, and has found the experience enriching and humbling. Trained as a physical and regional planner, Deepika’s research interests are around land governance and planning practices. She enjoys data visualisation, especially through simplified maps and graphics.
IIHS
Benoy Peter, Dr.
An expert on labour migration in India, Benoy is a co-founder and the executive director of CMID. He was a member of the international advisory committee that guided the preparation of the action plan for the implementation of Government of Bangladesh’s National Strategy on Internal Displacement. He led the consortium of organisations in the preparation of the policy paper Road Map for the Inclusion of Internal Migrant Workers in India’s Policy Framework for the ILO DWT for South Asia. Benoy has a PhD. in Population Sciences from the International Institute for Population Sciences
CMID, Co-Founder and the Executive Director of CMID
R.B. Bhagat
Prof. Ram B. Bhagat is Honorary Visiting Professor at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, and Visiting Professor, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute for Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Earlier Prof Bhagat served as Professor and Head, Department of Migration and Urban Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India until his superannuation in 31 st October 2022. His
research interest includes migration and urbanization; environment and sustainable development;
demography, ethnicity and politics. He has published ten books and about 200 research papers appeared in
national and international journals of repute (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/R-Bhagat). He has guided
IIPS, Professor
Purnendu Kavoori
Prof. Purnendu Kavoori is one of the first researchers to have engaged with the study of pastoralism in India. At a broader level he is a student of dry land landscapes and adaptive institutions associated with them. Having a PhD in Development Studies from the ISS, and a Masters and MPhil in History from Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof Kavoori is an interdisciplinary academic who combines ecological, anthropological and Historical perspectives in his work. Dr. Kavoori was until his retirement Professor in Ecology and Development at the Azim Premji University. Thereafter he has been associated with the Foundation for Ecological Security, Anand as a Senior Advisor and is Director (Hon.) of the Centre for Social Ecology, a start up for young researchers in Jaipur. He is also Convener of the Indian Commoner forum a digital platform for conversations on the commons. With a strong emphasis on field-based research Prof. Kavoori has, through his personal example sought to encourage communication and exchange of knowledge between the academic and practitioner communities.
Interdisciplinary Scholar and Senior Advisor in Pastoralism, Dryland Ecology, and Adaptive Institutions
Dr Manju Vasudevan
Dr(Ms.) Manju Vasudevan spent the first years of her career researching canopy pollinators and advocating bee habitat conservation, with organisations such as ATREE, FES and Keystone Foundation. She holds a PhD in Pollination Ecology from Imperial College London. She was a Fulbright Nehru post-doctoral Fellow (2014) at the University of California Santa Barbara. She spearheads the Conservation and Livelihoods Program at River Research Centre, Kerala, and consults with grassroots NGOs and conservation groups across the country. She was one of the Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Fellows, 2021.
Interdisciplinary Scholar and Senior Advisor in Pastoralism, Dryland Ecology, and Adaptive Institutions
Shri Laxman Singh
Shri Laxman Singh is the founder and secretary (GVNML) a non-government registered voluntary organisation. He is well-known for initiating community led collective efforts for example, the “Chuaka System”, saving environment (Hariyalli bachao) through Eco-parks and “Khulla- Chidiyaghar” or open aviary. His initiatives and efforts for water harvesting and management, in his native village, is recognized as the famous “Laporiya Model” for ground water recharges thus strengthening rural livelihood.
Veteran Development Professional and Leader in Afforestation and Community Forest Rights with Seva Mandir
K. John Kumar S.J.
K.J. Kumar holds an MA in Sociology from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, and has extensive experience in social animation and documentation. He has dedicated over 12 years to building people's movements and spent more than two decades advocating for policy and budget reforms to uplift marginalized groups, including SCs, STs, women, children, and unorganized labor. Kumar also briefly studied the performance of welfare states in Canada, focusing on their efforts to enhance the Human Development Index.
Social Activist and Policy Reform Advocate for Marginalized Communities
Mr. Lalit Babar
Mr. Lalit Parsu Babar, born on June 1, 1955, is a dedicated social worker and prominent Dalit rights advocate from Maharashtra. After serving in the State Bank of India for 18 years, he shifted his focus entirely to social work in 1999. Mr. Babar is the Founder President of the Dr. Ambedkar Sheti Vikas Va Sanshodhan Sanstha and the General Secretary of the National Federation of Dalit Land Rights Movement (NFDLRM). He has played a key role in advocating for land rights, particularly focusing on Mahar and Ramoshi Watan land issues in Maharashtra. His efforts in social and economic development are evident through his work in Dongargaon village. Mr. Babar has also been instrumental in various land rights movements, including the Jamin Adhikar Andolan and Watan Jamin Sangharsh Samiti, and has been recognized with the Jeevan Gaurav Award for his contributions.
Dr. Ambedkar Sheti Vikas Va Sanshodhan Sanstha
Founder President
Mr. Raghunandan A Velankar
Raghunandan Velankar is a Mumbai based researcher and consultant. His area of expertise is Participatory Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods. He has been working in these two areas for over the last two decades, especially in project formulation, documentation and policy analysis. He has worked with and has travelled in almost all geographies of India. He has worked with several grass root, national and international development organisations, research organisations and government organisations. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal and also, the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, the Netherlands.
Researcher and Consultant in Participatory Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods
Mr. C Nicholas
C. Nicholas graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemistry from St. Joseph's College in Trichy, where he was actively involved in the All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF). After completing his degree in 1973, he volunteered with AICUF, working alongside a French Jesuit priest to expand educational opportunities for Dalit youth. His commitment to Dalit advocacy intensified after the 1978 Villupuram riots, which devastated 2,000 Dalit homes and claimed 12 lives. In 1981, he co-founded the Integrated Rural Development Society (IRDS) to empower Dalit communities. Currently, he works with IRDS and the Tamil Nadu Land Rights Federation, supporting marginalized communities in accessing land and resources and championing dignity, equality, and resilience in the face of climate change.
Social Activist and Dalit Rights Advocate with a Focus on Land Rights and Community Empowerment
Namita Wahi
Namita Wahi is a Senior Fellow at CPR, where she leads the Land Rights Initiative, and a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Law and Social Transformation in Bergen. She holds an SJD (doctoral) degree from Harvard Law School, where she wrote her dissertation on “The Right to Property and Economic Development in India”. Namita’s doctoral dissertation traces the historical evolution of the right to property in the Indian Constitution from the colonial period until 1967.
Namita’s research interests are broadly in the areas of property rights, social and economic rights, and eminent domain or expropriation law. She has written extensively on these issues in various academic journals and edited volumes, as well as newspapers and magazines. Namita has taught courses in these areas at Harvard University, both at the Law School and the Department of Government, and at the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.
Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research
Panellist
Paras Banjara
Cultural-Political Activist from the nomadic Banjara community. 20 years experience working in the rights and entitlements space in India. Nirgun musician.
Paras Banjara has been working towards promoting the rights of nomadic tribal of Rajasthan, being a vocal member of the community himself. He has worked with the Government of Rajasthan as a Programme Officer of MGNREGA in the past, and has been associated with the Social Audit Unit of the State of Andhra Pradesh, National Campaign for Protection of Child Rights and Centre for Policy Research, for developing institutionalized platforms for citizen centric accountability in the fields of education and rural development. He is associated with the Soochna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan of Rajasthan over the past two decades. He is SAFAR’s State Coordinator for Rajasthan.
Social Accountability Form for Action and Research, Managing Trustee Olakhaan Trust
Kumarjeeb Pegu
Mr. Kumarjeeb Pegu currently serves as Assistant Professor of Law at NLUO. Prior to joining the institution, he worked with KIIT School of Law, Bhubaneswar. He completed his undergraduate studies in B.A. Political Science (Hons) at S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, North Campus, Uni. of Delhi, where he was recognized as the ‘Best All-rounder’ in his academic batch and received the S. Mohinder Singh Memorial Scholarship Award. He earned his LL.B from Campus Law Centre, Uni. of Delhi, where he actively participated in the Legal Aid Society and served as the ‘Public Relations Secretary’ for the Counseling and Welfare Cell for the Northeastern States during the 2013-14 academic year. Additionally, he obtained his LL.M from Nalsar Law University, Hyderabad.
His academic interests primarily revolve around Indigenous Peoples and Rights, environmental law, international law, and related subjects, particularly within the realm of public international law and international institutions.
Beyond academia, Mr. Pegu is an avid nature traveller and seeker of cultural interactions.
Assistant Professor f Law, NLUP
Rohini Chaturvedi
Rohini Chaturvedi is an experienced international development professional, with expertise in advancing land-based solutions to the climate crisis which centre Indigenous Peoples and local communities. She is currently the strategy lead for a new collaborative initiative called Forests, People, Climate (FPC) hosted by the Climate and Land Use Alliance. FPC involves the concurrent development of nine interconnected strategic frameworks aimed at halting and reversing tropical deforestation while delivering just and sustainable development. Rohini is also part of the International Land and Forest Tenure Facility as its focal point in India. Prior to joining CLUA, Rohini worked with several donors to design and deliver large-scale climate and land use strategies, focused on supporting the needs of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and smallholder farmers. She was a key part of the management team for the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Global Restoration Initiative, establishing the organisation’s forests and restoration program in India. Rohini has a PhD in Geography (political ecology stream) from the University of Cambridge, where she was a Gates Scholar and the recipient of the Overseas Research Studentship. She also has a sectoral MBA in Forestry Management from the Indian Institute of Forest Management and a BA in Psychology.
International Development Leader Specializing in Land-Based Climate Solutions and Indigenous Rights
Ambrish Mehta
Ambrish Mehta is associated with ARCH-Vahini, an organization that works closely with tribal communities in the Narmada district for over four decades. He has been involved in providing resources like GPS instruments to local Forest Rights Committees to aid in land rights surveys.
Arch Vahini, Practioner
Sailabala Panda
Sailabala Panda is an agricultural engineer with 18 years of experience at PRADAN, and she has worked in remote areas of Jharkhand and Odisha. She has also led initiatives related to forest rights and ground-level implementation.
PRADAN
Mr. Bhagwan Kesbhat
Mr. Bhagwan Kesbhat has 21+ years of professional experience in program management and policy advocacy. Previously he was a Sr. Program Manager on Decentralised Watershed Management at Paani Foundation. His experience includes networking with political leadership, civil society organisations, water expert and academician, leaders of farmer organisation, policy advocacy with political leaders, legislators and parliamentarians in Maharashtra. And involving experimental new methods of engagement across mobile and fact finding, documenting from zero ground.
Waatavaran
Dr. Gorky Chakraborty
Dr. Gorky Chakraborty is an Associate Professor of Economics at Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK) and works on issues relating to development and land in Northeast India. His seminal work based on his doctoral research, Assam's Hinterland: Society and Economy in the Char Areas made an important contribution to the understanding of questions of land and development in the Char areas of Assam. Since then, he has published on India's Look East Policy, Common Property Resources and Communal Land in Northeast India and more recently on water conflicts in Northeast India.
Institute for Development Studies Kolkata
(IDSK), Kolkata
Dr. S. Janakarajan
Dr. S. Janakarajan is a retired professor from the Madras Institute of Development Studies and is currently serving as the President of South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies (SaciWATERs), Hyderabad. He has carried out many research projects in several river basins with particular reference to surface and groundwater management, problems of water market, water rights and water laws, implications of rural –urban, and urban and peri-urban water markets, competing demand for water and water pollution, and the issue of water governance, groundwater and electricity nexus. He has worked extensively on issues relating to water conflict and conflict resolution through multi-stakeholders’ dialogues with practical interventions in three river basins in Tamil Nadu.
South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinarity and Water Resources Studies (SaciWATERs)
Mr. S. P. Ravi
S.P. Ravi is the Director of the River Research Centre and Secretary of the Chalakudy River Protection Forum. With a deep commitment to river conservation and community-based environmental activism, Ravi has been instrumental in championing the protection and restoration of Kerala's river ecosystems, especially the Chalakudy River. His work includes scientific research, advocacy, and policy development to address threats like dam construction and sand mining. Ravi has also been involved in various initiatives such as mapping river usage, formulating reservoir management strategies, and opposing the Athirappilly Hydroelectric Project.
River Research Centre, Thrissur
Dr. Sudhir Kumar Goel
Master's in Development Studies, University of Bath, UK; PhD in Physics, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Formerly, Researcher in Nuclear Physics, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. 1982, joined Indian Administrative Service (IAS); has occupied various senior positions in the state of Maharashtra, mostly linked to the field of Agriculture & Cooperation, including 7 years as Agriculture Commissioner; 6 years as Commissioner and Secretary, Cooperatives; Director-General, special project tackling suicide among farmers, Vidarbha; Principal Secretary and then Additional Chief Secretary of Agriculture, responsible for attracting investment in the State of Maharashtra in the field of integrated value chains. Extensive experience working on various projects funded by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and International Fund for Agriculture Development. Interests: establishing a public-private partnership framework for integrated value chains. Presently working as a freelance consultant in establishing Agri-value chains since retiring from service in June 2015.
Former Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture and Marketing
Government of Maharashtra , Freelance independent consultant
Rishabh Verma
Rishabh Verma is an experienced technologist and product leader with a proven track record of building organizations and scaling impact through data and technology. He has led key initiatives in startups, non-profits, and large philanthropic organizations, most notably heading the data vertical at Rainmatter Foundation, India’s largest climate-focused philanthropy. Prior to this, he co-founded NavGurukul, a non-profit focused on democratizing access to tech-based higher education for underserved communities. Currently, Rishabh is venturing into the GenAI space, where he’s exploring cutting-edge product development opportunities. He also advises on AI-driven sales automation projects, further extending his expertise in leveraging technology for growth and impact.
Platform Lead & Partner, Sylva
NANCY CHERONO KOSGEY
Nancy Kosgey is a Senior Research Officer at the National Land Commission, working in the Directorate of Land Use Planning and Research (LUP&R). She holds a Master’s degree in Population Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology, both from the University of Nairobi. Nancy has received mediation training from the Mediation Training Institute (MTI) East Africa and developed negotiation skills through a course sponsored by Nordic University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
With over 10 years of experience in research, Nancy has worked with various organizations, government entities, and civil society in diverse roles prior to joining the National Land Commission. She also served as a trainer of trainers during the 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census. Most recently, she attended a World Bank-sponsored course on Policy Formulation and Implementation in Kenya.
Nancy Kosgey: Senior Research Officer, National Land Commission (Land Use Planning & Research Directorate
Trishant Dev
Trishant Dev is a Programme Officer for the Climate Change Programme at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). His primary research areas include carbon markets, climate-based trade policies, mitigation and energy transition policies, and global climate politics, including the UNFCCC negotiations. He has extensive experience in adaptation initiatives within the forestry and agriculture sectors, as well as in research focused on ecosystem restoration and conservation issues.
Programme Officer, Climate change Centre for Science and Environment(CSE), Panelist
Archit Batra
Archit Batra is a seasoned leader with nearly a decade of experience in sustainable business growth, specializing in carbon finance and corporate sustainability. Currently serving as Head of New Business Initiatives at FairClimateFund India, he excels in fostering impactful partnerships and developing innovative sustainability solutions.
Previously, Archit was a Senior Carbon Business Developer at FairClimateFund and Climate Change Manager at Vasudha Foundation, where he advanced climate research and policy advocacy. A civil engineering graduate from the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, he combines technical expertise with a commitment to driving solutions for a sustainable future.
Head, New Business Initiatives Fair Climate Fund, India
Panelist
Kaushal Bisht
Currently serving as the Lead of Partnerships at Varaha ClimateAG Pvt. Ltd., he empowers smallholder ecosystems with innovative solutions to combat climate change.
With previous experience as Deputy General Manager at InI Farms, Kaushal successfully led B2B sales strategies for fresh fruits across major Indian markets and managed logistics and operations. He holds an MBA in Food Agricultural Business from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and an MTech in Food Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
Lead - Partnerships Varaha, Panelist
Sushmitha Vishwanathan
I am a lawyer by training and policy researcher by practice. Having worked in the conservation space, I am familiar with how law and policy can have deep impact on communities that are traditionally marginalized. Currently, I am dedicated to understanding how technology and data can be tools of empowerment. My work at Aapti spans across the themes of gender data, data cooperatives, technology in the context of justice and Digital Public Infrastructure.
Policy Researcher, AAPTI Institute, Panellist
Debadityo Sinha
With over 15 years of experience in policy research and a commitment to environmental conservation, I have worked to shape meaningful policies and lead conservation efforts at both national and local levels. Currently, I lead the ‘Climate & Ecosystems’ initiative at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, where my main objective is to ensure that laws and policies are effective and responsive to contemporary environmental challenges. I also host 'The Green Mandate,' a discussion platform featuring esteemed environmental professionals, which completed its second season in 2023.
Lead (Climate and Ecosystems), Vidhi Legal Policy, Panellist
Suraj Singh
Suraj Singh is a Product Manager at Materra, focusing on developing innovative solutions in sustainable agriculture within cotton markets. With a background in entrepreneurship and early-stage startups, he excels in defining product vision, development, and strategy. Suraj collaborates closely with farmers and field teams to deliver impactful products. Passionate about leveraging technology, he is dedicated to bringing AI to rural economies to drive positive change and create sustainable futures. Previously, he founded ventures in e-commerce and education and worked with the National Entrepreneurship Network, impacting thousands of students and startups.
Product Manager, Materra, Panellist
Vakati Karuna
Karuna Karuna is Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer from Telangana worked on various key positions related to land and agrarian reforms in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana over last 20 Years. Karuna was member of Land Reforms Committee constituted by Government of Andhra
Pradesh in 2006 which was instrumental to bring significant changes in the land administration. Karuna was one of the key architects and Mission Leader for the ‘Land Survey Mission’ flagship
project (2017) for the land reforms in Telangana which mapped out and successfully resolved
thousands of land disputes.
Government of India, Indian Administrative Services, Telangana
Seema Yadav
Seema Yadav is Program Manager-Sustainable Agriculture, Food, Land and Water program at WRI India.
With an academic background in environmental sciences, Seema's doctoral work focused on exploring the ecology of non-timber forest product species in the natural forests of Central India. Prior to joining WRI India, she worked as a Research Associate at the Centre for Ecology Development and Research (CEDAR), assessing the performance of low-cost air-quality monitor sensors in Indian conditions. In her current role Seema is working to collaborate with different stakeholders and find convergence opportunities for transition towards sustainable food production and achieve the larger goal of landscape restoration.
Seema's research interests revolve around forest ecology, including the dynamics of forest produce, the role of communities in natural resource conservation, and the impact of environmental legislation.
Program Manager, Sustainable Agriculture, Food, Land, and Water Program at WRI India
Dr. Amruta Joglekar
She has represented India in the prestigious Darwin Scholarship programme at the UK. She played a vital role in MoEFCC constituted Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (with focus on Maharashtra segment). She is a member of IUCN SSC Western Ghats Plant Specialist Group. She has a vast research and professional experience of nearly two decades in the field of Biodiversity, conservation and Socio-ecological purview. She has worked with organizations like Center for Ecological Science, IISc (Bengaluru), Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC) to name a few. She successfully completed ‘Lead Auditor Training course’ (ISO 14001:2001) and Environment Social Governance course. Consulted more than 50 local tribal organizations with data management related to natural resources and social structure. Prepared syllabus for local tribal youths for studying Biodiversity register and Natural resources of the Tribal area of Central India. Also involved in preparation of user-friendly notes on Acts like Biological Diversity Act, Forest Rights Act. She is involved in conducting ‘Green Audits’ for various institutes in academic or industrial settings and also is an avid article writer for the Magazines and newspapers and has several research papers to her name.
Biodiversity and Conservation Expert, Program Manager at WRI India
Sameer Pande
Sameer Shivshankar Pande is a seasoned executive with over 35 years of diverse experience in eGovernance, business development, and project management. He currently serves as the Joint Managing Director at Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd. (MKCL), where he oversees eGovernance programs and skill development initiatives. His career highlights include roles as MD & CEO of Haryana Knowledge Corporation Ltd., where he was pivotal in establishing MKCL’s operations in Haryana, and General Manager at MKCL Arabia Ltd., managing a multicultural team across seven countries. With a strong academic foundation, including a B.E. in Electronics and an MBA, along with additional certifications in quality and organizational transformation, Sameer brings a robust skill set in strategic governance and international business expansion. His technical expertise spans project management, MS Office, and social media, complemented by a deep commitment to advancing digital literacy and skill development.
Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd. (MKCL)
Rajanigandha Ghugare
Rajanigandha Ghugare is an esteemed social worker and educator, working since 2015 with TRTI Pune and the SDO Office (Mul) as the block/taluka co-ordinator for Mul taluka, Chandrapur district (Maharashtra). She has over 20 years of experience working with the the Maharashtra state government and panchayati raj institutions on forest governance and forest rights, in various districts and roles across the state.
Social Worker and Educator, Block Coordinator for TRTI Pune and SDO Office, Mul Taluka, Chandrapur
Kumari bai
She has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards for her contributions and dedication. Her honors include the Maharashtra Kanya Puraskar, awarded by Sarvajani Pune in 2009, followed by the Gadchiroli Gaurav Puraskar in 2010, presented by the Journalists' Association Gadchiroli. That same year, she was celebrated with the Kanya Ratna Puraskar by the Adivasi Kanwar Samaj Mahasangh, Gadchiroli. Her community was further honored in 2016 when she received the Taluka Gaurav Puraskar from Mitrangan Manch Taluka Korchi. The Sanjeevani Gadge Memorial Award from Bharatiya Stree Shakti Nagpur, awarded on March 11, 2017, recognized her continuous service. In 2018, Nav Durga Puraskar by Loksatta acknowledged her ongoing achievements, and most recently, on January 9, 2022, she was honored with the Sulochana Natu Smriti Sevavrati Karyakarta Award by the Nattu Foundation, Pune.
Award-winning Social Worker and Community Leader
Pranab Ranjan Choudhury
Pranab Ranjan Choudhury is a seasoned development consultant and policy/action researcher with over 18 years of experience. His diverse career spans public sector research, corporate roles, and NGO work, giving him a deep understanding of various organizational dynamics. Pranab has led multicultural teams and managed projects at the intersection of forestry, land governance, climate change, food security, and more.
He founded the Centre for Land Governance (CLG) in 2015, which quickly became a leading think tank on land governance policy and research in India and globally. CLG also organizes the annual India Land and Development Conference (ILDC), a prominent land-focused event in South Asia, fostering conversations and partnerships among land actors and institutions.
Founder and Director, Centre for Land Governance (CLG)
Jinu George
Jinu leads the Conservation and Restoration focus area at the ClimateRISE Alliance at Dasra, a collaborative multi-stakeholder platform for intersectional climate action, with civil society partners in India.
Team Lead, ClimateRise Alliance, Dasra,
Group Moderator
Abhinav Sen
Abhinav is Program Lead at the Axis Bank Foundation and is a graduate of IIFM, Bhopal. He brings nearly 15 years of experience and a mix of working in both CSR as well as international NGOs. In his previous assignments, which have focused mainly on the Central India Landscape, he has co-designed and led rural livelihoods projects including a UN Adaptation Fund Project, implemented land restoration projects, and convened a multi-stakeholder initiative on regenerative agriculture.
Program lead, Axis Bank Foundation,
Discussant
Medhavi Rajwade
She has research experience of nearly two decades and teaching experience of 12 years in the field of biodiversity, ecology and conservation. She has played a vital role in coordination for projects like biodiversity and ecological assessment and enhancement for the companies, ‘Green Audit’ for the institutions, wildlife photography competitions, to name a few. She has worked as a consultant for Pune Knowledge Cluster, Sahara Aamby Valley adventure Cell, township planners and private farm house owners. She has guided several Masters students in their projects and delivered talks on various topics in schools, colleges, corporate clubs and social organizations. She has written several research articles in various peer-reviewed journals. She has been working as a ‘Sarpamitra’ for the last 22 years.
Ecosatva Solutions, Discussant
Dr Pentile Thong
Pentile Thong holds a PhD in Forestry from Mizoram University, India. Prior to joining Landstack, she was engaged as a Research Associate in NRMC Centre for Land Governance, Delhi. She has additionally worked as a Research Associate in a DST GoI funded project under the Department of Forestry, Mizoram University and was also associated with Foundation for Ecological Security, Gujarat. Her research interest involves around shifting cultivation, forest ecology, forest carbon dynamics, natural resource management, remote sensing and GIS
Landstack, Group moderator
Rajiv Pandey
Rajiv Pandey works in the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education in the Division of Forestry Statistics. Professionally, he has been a data analyst with 25+ research experience in Socio-ecological Sustainability under Changing Climate, Forest Ecosystem Service Evaluation, and Functionality of Forest Tree Species. He also featured in the list of World's Top 2% Scientists in 2021, 2022 and 2023 (Stanford University)
Head Division of Forestry Statistics, ICFRE,
Discussant
Siddhartha Dabhi
Siddhartha Dabhi is the Co-founder at Centre for Grower-centric Eco-value Mechanisms (C-GEM). Siddhartha has over 12 years of experience researching Carbon Credits and Offset Markets. He has several high-quality publications to his name including his book “Upsetting the Offset: The Political Economy of Carbon Markets", 2009. Recently he co-developed "Carbon Farming Practitioners" course for the Agriculture Skill Council of India.
Co-founder, C-GEM, Discussant
Anjali Aggarwal
Anjali holds a postgraduate degree in Forest Management from Indian
Institute of Forest Management and has experience in
natural resource management, having worked across both
implementation and research capacities. She is a dedicated
researcher with expertise in impact measurement, documenting case
studies, and evaluating changes driven by grassroots organizations
with a focus on conservation, livelihoods, and education. Her
work focuses on exploring the socio-ecological relationships between
communities and their forests, with an emphasis on the social and
cultural foundations of community-led conservation efforts.
Landstack, Group moderator
Hrishikesh Patil
Hrishikesh is an accomplished engineer turned development researcher and practitioner, currently serving as 'Policy Advocacy and Media Officer' at the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. With a deep passion for forests and media, Hrishikesh excels in conducting research and crafting innovative methods to make academic knowledge more accessible to a broader audience through various media platforms. His current focus is on post-claim forest resource management under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Hrishikesh is also keen on producing documentaries, conducting impactful research, and engaging in public writing.
Researcher, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Discussant
Shailendra Tiwari
Shailendra Tiwari is the General Secretary of Seva Mandir, Udaipur, and has over 30 years of experience in the social sector. With a Master’s in Animal Science and early career experience in biotechnology at the National Dairy Development Board, he joined Seva Mandir in 1993. Shailendra’s work is grounded in practical solutions for community development, inspired by leaders like Dr. Verghese Kurien and Seva Mandir founder Mohan Singh Mehta. He emphasizes the value of learning, collaboration, and creating positive change through dedicated work.
General Secretary, Seva mandir
Discussant
Meenal Tatpati
Meenal Tatpati
Research and Policy Associate
Women4Biodiveristy, Discussant
Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan
Lok Satta Movement
Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, a trained physician, served in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) for 16 years, holding key positions in Andhra Pradesh's government. During his tenure, he gained deep insights into India's governance challenges. In 1996, he left the civil service and founded the Foundation for Democratic Reforms (FDR) and Lok Satta, aiming to promote governance and political reforms. These organizations have become prominent civil society initiatives, driving reforms in areas like fedefralism, local governance, rule of law, education, healthcare, and agriculture. Dr. Narayan also served on national bodies like the National Advisory Council and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission.
Linzi Sarkar
Indigenous People’s Land Life and Knowledge Collective
Linzi joined Womanity Foundation in 2016, lending support towards implementation of the WomenChangeMakers program. Over the years she has undertaken various responsibilities to keep the program dynamic and efficient. She also played an integral part in developing and launching the Women Land Rights program in India and is currently deeply involved in its operation. CII Women Exemplar Award, 3M Young Innovators Challenge, Agami Prize were some of the other projects she was part of in her early years in the development sector.
A cross over from the hospitality industry, Linzi is a Certified Hospitality Trainer and has served as a faculty member for esteem Hospitality Training Institutes across India. She is a gold medallist in Bachelors of Hospitality and Hotel Administration from Institute of Hotel Management Kolkata and is currently pursuing Masters in Gender and Development Studies from IGNOU.
Nina Sangama
ILC (International Land Coalition Asia)
Communications coordinator, Asia
Nina Sangma is an Indigenous rights advocate belonging to the Garo indigenous community from North East India. She promotes and defends Indigenous Peoples’ rights and human rights through the articulation of Indigenous Peoples issues through public interest media.
She has over 17 years of experience as a copywriter, broadcast journalist, editor, award winning brand strategist and campaign manager in radio, television, and digital media.Her current focus is to create strategic space for Indigenous Peoples in global and regional digital rights coalitions where they can extend their advocacy and media campaigns through decolonial narratives, thereby attempting to narrow the digital divide that has excluded Indigenous Peoples from meaningful representation and participation.
Mehak Mahajan
Land conflict watch, Managing editor
Mehak is a journalist with over 15 years of experience across digital platforms for leading media organisations, including The Caravan Magazine, the Hindustan Times, India Today and MSN. She has covered oil and gas as a reporter, and diverse beats such as Indian politics, foreign policy and technology as an editor.
Divya Yashwant Bhosale
Women Power Magazine Samidha Foundation,
Founder
Divya Yashwant Bhosale – a young , diligent, enthusiastic, and prominent figure in the social movement and activism space. Born into a farmer's family, Divya today has made her mark in numerous international social initiatives. Her remarkable journey from Amdade, a village in the Jalgaon district, to various parts of the world is a testament to her dedication.
Jacinta Kerketta
Poet and researcher
Jacinta Kerketta is a poet, writer, and freelance journalist belonging to an Oraon Adivasi community of West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand. She writes in Hindi. In her poems, Jacinta highlights the injustices committed on the Adivasi communities, along with their struggles. She has communicated with people in many countries on the condition of the tribals of India by reciting poems.
She is honored with many honours. In 2014, she was given the Voice of Asia Recognition Award by Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Thailand. In 2022, she is one of the 22 self-made women of India selected by Forbes India.In 2024, she has been honored with the prestigious Omega Resilience Award (Fellowship) given by the organization Commonweal , North America to youth selected from India, Africa, Latin America. But she rejected two honors, India Today and USAID, for the people of Manipur and the children of Palestine.
Pooja Gupta
Sustainable Development Advocate and Just Transition Researcher
Pooja Gupta is currently working with the National Foundation for India. She
advocates for sustainable development, with experience in energy transition,
environmental conservation, livelihoods, and gender equality. She focuses on
creating meaningful and lasting impact, she works to promote policies that protect
the environment while ensuring fair work opportunities and advancing gender
equity.
She co-authored research reports on energy transition - At the Crossroads:
Marginalised Communities and the Just Transition Dilemma) and Coal transition-
Odisha Working Paper.
Her work includes research on topics such as Just Transition, Indigenous
knowledge, and the intersection of climate change and livelihoods. Through these
efforts, Pooja remains committed to bridging the gap between policy and practice,
ensuring that communities most affected by climate and economic shifts are
heard and supported.
Indu Neetam
President of Adiwasi Samta Manch and Expert in Tribal Land and Forest Rights
Indu was born into a Gond tribal family, and she has years of experience in Land
Rights and Tribal Communities. Because of her dedication to her work, she rose from
grassroots Karyakarta to Secretary of Paryog. Later she was also made President of Ekta
Parishad. Currently, Indu Netam is the President of Adiwasi Samta Manch,
Chhattisgarh. She is experienced in Forest Rights Act implementation which
includes Individual Forest Rights, Community Forest Rights, Habitat Rights of
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group and non-land rights provisions of the Forest
Rights Act like rights over Minor Forest Produce etc, management over common
natural resources and protection of biodiversity (as per Biological Biodiversity
Act-2002) etc. Indu was also a member of the District Task Force on Land Issues in
2002. She believes in capacity building of youth and women so that the community can
secure their rights and entitlements under pro-poor acts and schemes and rights over
natural resources and Commons.
Shawahiq Siddiqui
Shawahiq Siddiqui is a practicing advocate at the Supreme Court of India and the Founding Partner of the Indian Environmental Law Offices. He has over sixteen years of experience in environmental compliance and institutional governance across India and South Asia, including developing and drafting natural resources policies, and monitoring and execution frameworks at the state and federal levels. He actively collaborates with key organizations, including the Urban Development Department of Maharashtra, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and the National Mission for Clean Ganga, as well as international bodies like the World Bank, UNECE, UNDP, DFID, and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre. Mr. Siddiqui’s recent projects include drafting the Maharashtra Wastewater Policy (2023), the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council Forest Policy (2022) in Meghalaya, the State Water Policies for Uttar Pradesh (2020) and Nagaland (2016), and model frameworks on renewable energy, water use efficiency, wetlands, and sustainable land use for multiple states across India.
Advocate Supreme Court of India
Panellist
Dr. Nupur Chowdhury
Dr. Nupur Chowdhury is an Assistant Professor of Law at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance and Co-coordinator of the Transdisciplinary Research Cluster on Frugality Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, India. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty in Law and Technology at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at Jindal Global Law School and an Associate Fellow with the Resources and Global Security Division at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Her research encompasses natural resources law, environmental impact assessments, health regulation, and the governance of emerging technologie
Assistant Professor of Law, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Panellist
Mr. M. Sunil Kumar
Mr. M. Sunil Kumar is a seasoned expert on land rights and access to justice issues. He serves as a member of the Dharani Committee for the Government of Telangana and previously served as the Director of Land Laws and Policy at Landesa, where he provided leadership on land law and policy issues at both national and state levels. Before joining Landesa, Mr. Sunil was the State Legal Coordinator for the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, where he played a pivotal role in designing and implementing a successful land paralegal program that has resolved land issues for over one million people across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He is also the co-founder and advisor at Grameena Nyayapetam, president of the Legal Empowerment and Assistance for Farmers Society, as well as an adjunct professor and advisor at the Center for Tribal and Land Rights at NALSAR University of Law.
Member Telangana State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission, Panellist
Swapna Sarangi
Swapna Sarangi is a team leader at the regional office of Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) in Angul, Odisha. She has been working with FES for past 21 years and leads their work in supporting local communities to improve governance of common resources such as land, water, and forests, across three districts of the state. Swapna also liaises with district authorities as well as the state government to leverage public funds for the restoration of these resources.
Anup Tripathi
Anup Tripathi is working as Assistant Professor, Sociology at FLAME University, Pune, India. He has obtained his PhD and Master’s degrees from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. His interest areas are Urban Studies and Housing. He has published articles in several publications on themes such as homelessness, walkability in Indian cities, housing as care infrastructures, the portrayal of labour in media etc. He currently teaches Urban Sociology, Sociological Theory, Indian Society and Culture and Urban Studies. He likes reading and travelling. He is an avid follower of Indian politics, cricket and cinema.
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Expert in Urban Studies and Housing
Aura Shah
FLAME, Student
Aura Shah is an FSP student currently pursuing a diploma at FLAME University, with a strong foundation in environmental studies and public policy. Her passion lies in climate justice, environmental law, conservation, and political ecology, driving her to explore the intricate intersections between environmental issues and legal frameworks. Deeply committed to understanding and addressing critical environmental challenges, Aura aspires to further her studies in environmental law and policy. She is dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the field of environmental justice and sustainability, contributing to a more equitable and resilient world.
Vandana Bhaskar
FLAME, Student
Vandana Bhaskar is a student at the FLAME Scholars’ Program (postgraduate diploma in interdisciplinary studies). She has graduated with a B.A. Sociology (Minor in Public Policy) from FLAME University, Pune, India. Her research interests include end-of-life care in paediatric nephrology and the framing of paediatric death (her current dissertation project), aging and representation, community mental health interventions in Karnataka, environmental and climate justice, and the social (re)production of space/ spatiality – the expanding city. She has also presented her Discover India Program (DIP) project, titled ‘Jongoler Nesha: Adversity, Affliction, and ‘Addiction’ in the Sundarbans, West Bengal’ co-authored by Dr Sinjini Mukherjee at an international conference – 7th Annual South Asia Conference, Ireland-India Institute, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. Other research projects include a paper presentation, titled ‘Lights, Camera, and Aging: The Shifting Discourse of Aging Masculinities in Bollywood’ co-authored by V Bhatt and Dr. Tannistha Samanta, Associate Professor, Area of Sociology & Assistant Dean, Faculty Search and Development, FLAME University at the British Society of Gerontology’s Special Interest Group in March 2024. Apart from her academic engagement, she enjoys writing, long drives, and playing the piano.
Chitra Sundararajan
National Vice President, NAREDCO MAHI
Graduating in 1991 with a Masters’ degree in Urban Planning, specialization in Housing, from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, I have worked on projects of various scales in Bangalore and Delhi NCR. My work encompasses master planning residential developments, industrial, residential, institutional and commercial buildings.
My work experience includes working with DLF in the corporate real estate world, as an architect planner with TCE besides ICMQ an Italian construction auditing firm. Some key projects include Corporate Park and Super Mart in Gurugram and IT Park in Whitefield, Bangalore. Post 2011, as Director , Planning and Design , at Samyak Properties and Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, have delivered two affordable housing projects in the last 5 years .
I am currently a research scholar with SPA, Delhi, focusing on City Master Plans. I have been a visiting faculty at SPA, Delhi, for the last 10 years.
Divya Varma
Work Fair and Free
Co-Founder and Director- Research
Divya Varma is Co-Founder and Director- Policy and Practice, at Work Fair and Free, a knowledge institution
driven by a commitment to advance worker-centric knowledge and action, so that informal labour migration
can become more secure and dignified. Divya has long years of experience in policy analysis, advocacy and
research, non-profit strategy, management and fund-raising. Building on her experience in direct grassroots
action in establishing and managing worker centres in high migration geographies, she has published widely in
various academic and popular platforms. She has also made representations on the issue in several national
and international fora, including at the Niti Ayog where she was a member of the sub-committee on labour
migration. Divya is a recipient of many prestigious fellowships including the Fulbright- Nehru Fellowship for
Leadership Development, Joint- Japan World Bank Scholarship and the Omega Resilience Award. She holds a
Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Master’s
from the Institute of Rural Management, Anand.
Marina Joseph
YUVA, Associate Director
Marina Joseph is the Associate Director at Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA) where she has worked for over a decade. She completed her post graduate studies in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She has worked on issues of unequal urbanisation - primarily in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with oversight to the YUVAs work in other Indian cities. In particular she has been part of various interventions to ensure inclusion in urban planning processes across cities in India, ensuring access to adequate housing and informal workers rights. In 2016-17 she held the position of the Regional Focal Point (South and Central Asia) for the Habitat III process within the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth.
Shilpa Kumar
Shilpa provides overall leadership, including strategy and investments, across the areas of Digital Society, Advancing Cities, and Property Inclusivity initiatives. She will also lead policy work in Financial Inclusion, working closely with the FI team.Shilpa has spent more than three decades with the ICICI Bank group (India's largest private sector bank). A key part of her career was in financial markets, building and shaping what is today the bank's treasury/global markets business. Till recently, she served as MD & CEO of ICICI Securities, India's largest retail broker & a leading investment bank in the country. Shilpa has held board positions in several organisations: ICICI Securities, ICICI Securities Prime Dealership, ICICI Home Finance, Clearing Corporation of India and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.
She has also served on regulatory committees including SEBI's Secondary Markets Advisory Committee, RBI's Technical Advisory Committee and RBI's Mohanty Committee on Monetary Policy. She has also held positions in industry bodies like FIMMDA, and the FICCI Capital Markets Committee besides serving on the Advisory Committees of the National Stock Exchange, Bombay Stock Exchange and National Securities Depository Ltd.
Shilpa is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata.
ONI
Shailesh Agarwal
Executive Director of BMTPC, Expert in Earthquake Engineering and Affordable Housing Innovation
Dr. Shailesh Kumar Agrawal, an accomplished civil engineer and Scientist with a Ph.D. in Earthquake Engineering from IIT Roorkee, serves as the Executive Director of the Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC). With over three decades of experience, he has worked extensively in the fields of affordable housing, disaster mitigation, and innovative construction technologies. He has also contributed significantly to research, authoring over 100 publications and five books. Dr. Agrawal has been honored with multiple awards, including Lifetime Achievement recognition, for his contributions to civil engineering and the construction industry.
Yatin Pandya
Principle Architect
Footprints E.A.R.T.H.
Yatin Pandya, is an author, academician, researcher as well as the practicing architect, with his campus- FOOTPRINTS
E.A.R.T.H. (Environment Architecture Research Technology Housing). Graduate of CEPT university, Ahmedabad he has
availed Master of Architecture degree from McGill University, Montreal.
Srinu raju
Author, Independent
Srinu Raju is a zealous advocate of urban land reform in India. He pursued economics initially in preparation for IAS exams before a life-changing de tour landed him in the US. A farmer’s son and Master's in Computer Science from Texas Tech Univ, he globetrotted over the last 30 years. A synthesis of his travel experiences and economics knowledge has convinced him that India is an unassailable juggernaut in the making - poised to skyrocket to be the world's largest economy before 2037.
Sonu Tewari
Sonu Tewari is a PhD student based at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She holds master’s degree in disaster studies from the Jamshedji Tata School of Disaster Studies, TISS, Mumbai and a post graduate diploma in a human rights law from the National Law University, Bangalore. She has worked in various disaster projects in India and is passionate about gender-related issues, particularly issues relating to women in the field of disaster studies. Her Ph.D. research focuses on understanding women’s experiences of displacement and forced migration as consequences of climate change and disasters in the Indian part of the
Sundarbans.
TISS-B, PhD Student
Dr. Rita Savla
Founder Director RADHEE
Disaster and Education Foundation
• 35 years of experience as a medical doctor
• Dr Rita is a rare combination of clinical, academic, administrative, and policy advocacy experience in health care.
• She is winner of 2 nd series Economic Times Power of Idea and mentor for 3 RD and 4 th series of ET Power of Idea
• Dr Rita is consultant, planner and trainer for Occupational Health, Wellness, Safety and Disaster Management.
Dr. Shekhar Gaikwad
YASHADA, Additional
Director General [ADG]
He is an Indian Administrative Service Officer of 2002 batch. He has a vast experience of 37 years in administration and is known for innovative experiments in his career.
Innovative Work: Executed novel experiments during his administrative career such as: Home Delivery Scheme of Food grains (2008) which received Rajiv Gandhi Administrative Award and Rejuvenation of Agrani River in Sangli district (2016) which was awarded National Water Award 2019.
Kapil Sahasrabuddhe
Kapil Sahasrabuddhe is associated with the development sector for more than 20 years. He researched developmental impacts on biodiversity of northern western ghats in the initial days. Then was associated with GEF small grants programme working with NGOs on community, conservation and livelihoods interlinkages and actions. From 2010 he is working specially in central India with communities to understand how communities cope with development pressures and improves their own livelihoods while protecting local environment, He is Senior Vice President with YOJAK Center for Research and Strategic Planning for Sustainable Development.
Vice President, YOJAK Center for Research and Strategic Planning for Sustainable Development, Discussant
Soumyajit Auddy
Soumyajit Auddy is a seasoned development professional with 14 years of experience across non-profits, social enterprises, and rural livelihood missions. He began his career with the Bihar State Rural Livelihoods Mission, where he drafted state-level policies to transform non-farm livelihoods for rural women. Later, at Seva Mandir in Rajasthan, he led initiatives to improve livelihoods for tribal communities. Currently, Soumyajit heads Udaipur Urja Initiatives Producer Company Limited, an enterprise with 18,500 shareholders, focusing on clean technology and agriculture. He oversees a large-scale clean cookstoves project benefiting 70,000 households. Soumyjait holds a Master’s in Rural Management from KIIT University and a Bachelor’s in Commerce from the University of Kolkata. His interests include carbon reduction, renewable energy, and agri-tech
Chief Executive Officer at Udaipur Urja Initiatives Producer Company Limited, Discussant
Manish Sharma
Manish Sharma is a seasoned operations and development professional with over 15 years of experience across program management, clean technology, and finance. Currently, he serves as COO at Udaipur Urja Initiatives, leading strategic operations for impactful community projects. He holds an MBA in Finance and is a certified CSR professional. With expertise spanning grassroots project execution, micro-lending, and sustainable growth, Manish combines strategic insight with hands-on management to drive organizational goals.
Project Manager, Udaipur Urja Initiatives Producer Company Limited, Discussant
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Dr. Gautam Bhan
Gautam Bhan is an urbanist whose work focuses on urban poverty, inequality, social protection and housing. He is currently Associate Dean, IIHS School of Human Development, as well as Senior Lead, Academics & Research, at IIHS.
Gautam’s previous research has focused on evictions, citizenship and inequality in Delhi, and at IIHS, he continues to work on questions of access to affordable and adequate housing. He anchors IIHS’ role as a National Resource Centre with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. He is also a part of IIHS’ work in affordable housing policy and practice, having worked with housing rights movements across the country as well as state governments in Karnataka, Delhi, Rajasthan and Odisha. His new work engages with regimes of urban welfare and social security, including work on urban health. At the School of Human Development, he is building research and practice on questions of the design and delivery of social protection entitlements within urban India. He also has a deep and abiding interest in new urban and planning theory from the South.
He is the author of In the Public’s Interest: Evictions, Citizenship and Inequality in Contemporary Delhi (University of Georgia Press, 2017; Orient BlackSwan, 2017), co-editor of the Routledge Companion to Planning in the Global South (Routledge, 2018; Orient BlackSwan, 2019), co-author of Swept off the Map: Surviving Eviction and Resettlement in Delhi (Yoda Press, 2008), and co-editor of Because I have a Voice: Queer Politics in India (Yoda Press, 2006), in addition to numerous academic articles. He also writes frequently in public intellectual spaces. He holds a PhD in urban studies and planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Associate Dean – School of Human Development (IIHS)
Prof (Dr.) Jiju Alex
Prof (Dr.) Jiju P Alex teaches at the Kerala Agricultural University. He was formerly Director of Extension of the university. He graduated from the Kerala Agricultural University and got his doctoral degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He started his career as a scientist with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Agricultural Research Service) and moved on to Kerala Agricultural University. He also served the Information Kerala Mission as the head of its human resource development division on deputation.
He has vast experience in subjects viz. agriculture and rural development, democratic decentralisation, technology- society interface, innovation management, entrepreneurship development, human resource development and e- governance. He was instrumental in designing the training methodology of the e- governance programmes of local self-government institutions. He has led several research projects and published on the above topics, guided PhD students and participated in many national and international conferences.
He is a member of the Board of Management of the Kerala Bank. He has also served as member of the academic/policy level committees of many academic institutions in the country. At the State Planning Board, he deals with decentralisation, housing and art and culture.
State Planning Board, Kerela
Dr. Anju Wali Tikoo
Prof. Tikoo's journey in academia and law has been nothing short of exemplary. She earned her Ph.D. in Law from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, in 2003, with a thesis focusing on "Organ Transplant in India: A Socio-Legal Study." Her deep-rooted passion for the subject has driven her to become a prominent figure in the field. Prof. Tikoo's influence extends far beyond the classroom. Her work as a visiting faculty member at esteemed institutions such as the Indian Law Institute, Jamia Millia Islamia University, LNJN Institute of Criminology & Forensic Science, and the Delhi Judicial Academy has enriched legal education across the nation. Moreover, she played a pivotal role in assisting the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi in formulating guidelines under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act in August 2007. Her expertise also led to her invitation as a resource person to discuss the National Draft Policy on the Criminal Justice System in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs in February 2007.
Dean of Lw, University of Delhi
Dr. Vinod Aggarwal
Dr. Vinod Aggarwal joined the India Administrative Services (IAS) in 1980 after completing his MBBS from AIIMS, New Delhi. He retired as Secretary, Govt. of India after serving in various Central Govt. Ministries / Authorities and State Government Departments / Agencies for 36 years. His tenure also included almost 10 years of field time as SDM, Deputy Development Commissioner and District Magistrate of two districts. Please see profile for further details.
Dr. Aggarwal's expertise lies in following domains - healthcare infrastructure & education, empowerment of persons with disabilities, social justice/equality, human rights, technical education, personnel & general administration and vigilance. Dr. Aggarwal has studied from some of the world's most reputed institutions - AIIMS, IIFT and University of Queensland (Australia). He also recently completed his PG Diploma in Geriatric Medicine, a domain in which he works passionately with various not-for-profit organisations.
IAS (Retd) , Former Secretary to Govt. of India
Sonam Choden
Assistant Land Registrar
I am Sonam Choden, an Assistant Land Registrar in the Urban Land Division at the National Land Commission Secretariat (NLCS), Bhutan, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Population and Development Studies. it is my 2nd year working as land registrar.
Anil Zankar
Film Academician
Anil Zankar is a recipient of two national awards, one for a film script and the other for a book on cinema. An alumnus of FTII-Pune, he has made 21 short films on social issues and institutions, biopics and corporate themes, and is a film historian with 35 years of experience in film making, teaching and writing. He’s the author of Mughal-e-Azam (Harper Collins). He was editor of a magazine, ‘Lights Camera Action’ published in collaboration with BFI, UK. And has contributed to various academic journals, the Routledge Handbook Of Indian Cinema, and the Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema