Our Advisory Board comprises renowned experts and thought leaders from diverse fields who provide strategic guidance, technical expertise, and valuable insights to strengthen our organization's impact. These distinguished professionals bring decades of collective experience in rural and urban development, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and social entrepreneurship.
The Advisory Board plays a crucial role in shaping our strategic direction, ensuring program quality, and helping us navigate complex development challenges with evidence-based approaches.
Seasoned experts providing strategic guidance across our key program areas and organizational development.
PhD in Gender and Environmental Policy, Co-Founder – Development Partners Network (DPN)
Dr. Niharika Tyagi is an environmental policy specialist with over ten years of experience promoting equitable and sustainable development.
As Co-Founder of Development Partners Network (DPN), she directs strategy, partnerships, and climate-focused initiatives that incorporate gender and social inclusion into policy and practice. Her work involves collaboration with global organisations such as USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and WaterAid UK, with a focus on governance, stakeholder engagement, and institutional capacity building. Niharika holds a PhD in Gender and Environmental Policy and has made significant contributions to research and policy discussions on climate transitions and environmental equity across South Asia.
Read morePhD in Climate & Social Vulnerability Studies, Assistant Professor – IIT Roorkee
Dr. Roopam Shukla is a socio-geoscientist engaged in interdisciplinary research on vulnerability and risk of social systems to climate-induced hazards.
Her research interests include qualitative policy analysis, climate equity, and remote sensing–aided understanding of social systems. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. She previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany, in the Adaptation in Agricultural Systems working group. Her PhD research focused on assessing differentiated vulnerability and perception of Indian Himalayan communities using mixed methods. She holds a Master's degree in Climate Science and Policy. Dr. Shukla was a contributing author to the IPCC AR6 Working Group II, focusing on evidence related to equity in adaptation responses to climate-induced risks. She also serves as an Editor at the Community Science Exchange journal, Associate Editor for the Weather, Climate, and Society journal, and Review Editor for the Climate Risk Management section of Frontiers in Climate.
Read morePhD in Hydrology, Associate Professor – IIT Roorkee
Dr. Ankit Agarwal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hydrology at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) with expertise in hydro-climatology and extreme climate events.
He holds a PhD in Hydrology from the University of Potsdam, Germany. His research interests focus on climate patterns, hydrological extremes, and hydro-climatic variability. With a diverse academic background developed during his doctoral studies, Dr. Agarwal is actively engaged in cutting-edge research, advanced teaching, and institutional internationalization at IIT Roorkee. He also serves as a Visiting Scientist at the Helmholtz Centre for Geoscience, Germany. For his exceptional contributions, he has been honored with several prestigious recognitions including the Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award by the European Geoscience Union, Institute Research Fellowship (IRF) at IIT Roorkee, Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, London (UK), IEI Young Engineers Award 2023–24, and Membership of the Indian National Young Academy of Science (INYAS). He also serves as an Editor for leading international journals including the Journal of Hydrology and the American Meteorological Society journals.
Read moreLead – AI Support Cell, Rural Development Department, Government of Jharkhand
Vinod Kumar Pandey works with the Government of Jharkhand, where he leads the AI Support Cell in the Rural Development Department, focusing on strengthening governance through data-driven decision-making and AI-enabled solutions.
He plays a key role in designing and delivering AI capacity-building programmes for senior bureaucrats, mid-level officers, operational staff, and newly appointed IAS officers. Vinod is the founder of several social initiatives including Rozgar Dhaba, Girls2School, HerJobs, Social Change (Soch), and Social Bay, and also serves as an Advisor to ILFAT. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS), and is an Acumen India Fellow, GivingTuesday Fellow, MGG Academy Fellow, and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore.
Read moreFounder – LoomKatha | Textile Revivalist & Social Entrepreneur
Arushi Chowdhury Khanna has been working towards the revival of indigenous textile traditions for over 12 years, with a deep focus on sustainable livelihoods and craft-based enterprises.
Prior to founding LoomKatha, she led the Enterprise Support Program at the All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association, where her work on reviving the traditional Mubarakpur handloom weaving technique was recognized as a UNESCO case study in 2016. A self-taught natural dyer, Arushi's product developments are carried by renowned global brands such as Dosa and Eileen Fisher. She has also served as visiting faculty at the Swiss Textile Foundation (STF), Zurich, and Ashoka University, Delhi. She is an Acumen India Fellow and the recipient of the Woman Social Entrepreneur Award at We Deliver, Vancouver, 2019.
Read morePhD from IIT Kharagpur | Pracademic in Public Administration & Development Studies
Dr. Dipti Paridhi Kindo is a Pracademic with over a decade of experience in multidisciplinary research, teaching, public advocacy and capacity building specialisms encompassing topics across public administration, development studies, and governance and law.
She has previously served as a Senior Consultant in the Local Body Unit of the 16th Finance Commission of India (XVIFC) and at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), Hyderabad. Before pursuing her doctoral research, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the State Institute of Rural Development, Government of Jharkhand, and as a Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellow with the Ministry of Rural Development. Dr. Kindo is a recipient of the China-India Visiting Scholars (CIVS) Fellowship (2021–2022), sponsored by Ashoka University, India, in association with the National University of Singapore, Singapore. Her scholarly work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Rural Development and Development in Practice, as well as in edited volumes, including Homestead Land and Livelihood Initiatives published by LBSNAA. She holds a PhD from IIT Kharagpur and has completed three master's degrees: M.Sc. in Development Practice, M.A. in Public Administration, and an MBA in Rural Development. Committed to bridging theory and practice, she actively engages in collaborative research, policy dialogue, and work on inclusive and sustainable development pathways.
Read moreOur Advisory Board members play multiple crucial roles in strengthening our organization and maximizing our impact.
Provide insights on long-term strategy, program direction, and organizational development to ensure sustainable impact.
Offer specialized knowledge in agriculture, environment, gender, and other thematic areas to enhance program quality.
Facilitate connections with relevant stakeholders, donors, and partners to expand our reach and resources.
Guide our engagement with policymakers and help shape favorable policies for rural and urban development and livelihood security.
Review program designs, monitor implementation quality, and suggest improvements for better outcomes.
Introduce innovative approaches and research-based methodologies to address emerging development challenges.
Hear directly from our Advisory Board members about their vision and commitment to rural and urban development.
"Our mission is to create sustainable livelihoods that empower rural and urban communities and preserve our ecological heritage for future generations. The Centre for Livelihoods Security represents a holistic approach to development that combines economic empowerment with environmental sustainability."
"Our approach combines traditional knowledge with modern innovations to create sustainable solutions for rural and urban development. By integrating climate resilience into livelihood programs, we're building communities that can thrive despite environmental challenges."
"Empowering farmers as entrepreneurs is key to solving the migration challenge and building resilient rural and urban economies."
"Strengthening local livelihoods through innovation and skills is the foundation of sustainable communities and inclusive economic growth."
"When rural talent is nurtured with opportunity and resources, it transforms villages into engines of long-term development."
"Bridging theory and practice in public administration and rural development is essential for creating inclusive and sustainable pathways for community empowerment."
We are always looking for experienced professionals and subject matter experts who can contribute to our mission of creating sustainable livelihoods in rural and urban India.
If you have expertise in rural and urban development, agriculture, environmental sustainability, or related fields and would like to contribute your knowledge and experience, we would love to hear from you.