Pioneering the Restoration Economy in vulnerable rural communities

Earth Focus Foundation works alongside vulnerable rural communities to restore degraded landscapes through nature-based livelihoods, holistic child development, and cultivating local leadership - proving that ecological health, economic wealth and social dignity are the same asset.

We began with a simple observation: the people who live closest to their land understand it best. Since 2019, we are working in villages around Kanha National Park, building a model where restoring degraded land, building local livelihoods and leadership, and rooting education in the context of the land are all imperative to climate action.
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This replicable and scalable model is being documented as a blueprint to enable other organisations involved in rural development across the country.

OUR VISION

A restoration economy where humanity and nature thrive together.We envision an India where the health of the landscape is the foundation of rural livelihoods and wealth, and where every child grows up a confident steward of the place they belong to.

Kanha is where we are putting the restoration economy model into action. Every program is designed with an exit plan from day one - our role is strictly that of facilitator, technical trainer and enabler, with knowledge and skills fully handed over rather than merely shared.

The ambition is a working model simple enough for any rural community to make its own.The test we hold ourselves to is straightforward: would the work, the impact and the outcomes still stand five years after we leave?

OUR TEAM

The Faces of Our Mission

A professional team backed by deep empathy and hands-on experience on the ground.

Vipul Gupta

Founder & CEO

Founder with 30+ years in corporate leadership; now focuses on community-led development, bridging funding, research, and grassroots execution.

Mehak Bhargava

Chief Operating Officer

Climate and sustainability specialist driving organisational strategy, partnerships, and impact through innovative, community-led climate solutions.

Rajnikant Jena

Operations Manager

Retired Army JCO with 28 years of service; leads operations with discipline, precision, and strong problem-solving expertise.

Vibhor Choudhary

Program Manager - Nature Based livelihoods

Conservation professional with 7+ years’ experience leading nature-based livelihoods through sustainable, community-driven environmental initiatives.

Dharmendra Choudhary

Program Coordinator - Nature based Livelihoods

Grassroots conservation expert with 12+ years’ experience in community mobilisation and indigenous engagement across rural landscapes.

Prashant Parsai

Program Coordinator - Child Development program

Education leader with 16 years’ experience in early childhood care, driving impactful rural education programs and implementation.

Abhaya Balaji

Program Coordinator - Child Development Program

Abhaya is a social impact professional with 15+ years’ experience in community development and learning. At Earth Focus Foundation, she leads educator-focused learning.

Shikha Nain

Program Coordinator - Quality

Education specialist with expertise in teacher training, learning outcomes, and monitoring systems in rural education programs.

Rashi Harsha

Earth School Lead

Media professional and visual storyteller designing training programs and simplifying complex ideas into engaging, community-led learning experiences.

OUR ADVISORY BOARD

The Guiding Minds of Our Mission

Providing strategic direction, governance, and stewardship to advance our mission.

Nilesh Nimkar

Advisor

He is the Founder and Director of QUEST, with more than 30 years of experience in early childhood education, and provides advice and support for Earth Focus's Child Development Program.

Vishal Tulsyan

Advisor

He is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Motilal Oswal Alternates, which he has built into a platform managing around USD 3.5 billion. Through Tulsyan Family Foundation, he deploys patient, unrestricted capital for long-term social impact, supporting EFF to build its institutional strength.

Sanjeev Kamdar

Advisor

He is Managing Partner at Kamdar Desai and Patel Chartered Accountants. With over 35 years in cross-border advisory and mergers and acquisitions, he brings deep financial expertise to Earth Focus.

Smita Premchander

Advisor

Secretary at Sampark, she has championed women's empowerment, education, and community-based microfinance throughout her career. A board member of UNU-IAS Tokyo, she brings grassroots, academic, and policy expertise to Earth Focus.

Damodar Mall

Advisor

CEO of Grocery Retail at Reliance Retail. An IIT Bombay and IIM Bangalore alumnus, he previously worked at Unilever and Future Group, is the author of SupermarketWala, and brings strategic advisory to Earth Focus

Vijay Goel

Advisor

He is a seasoned financial services professional with over three decades of industry experience. Currently Managing Director of Religare Broking, he advises Earth Focus on its strategy and organisational growth.

Sherry Yezdani

Advisor

Head of Strategic Partnerships and Operations Excellence at SVP India and a Dasra Fellow with 12+ years in nonprofit leadership, she has helped build capacity in 75+ nonprofits. She supports the Earth School Program, L&D and strategy at Earth Focus.

Shishir Goel

Advisor

He is a tech entrepreneur and Founding Partner at GoGroup, a venture studio building deep-tech startups. With 15+ years across India, Europe, and the U.S., he advises Earth Focus on its technology strategy.

Suman Srivastava

Advisor

Founder of Marketing Unplugged and was CEO of Euro RSCG India and Vice Chairman of FCB-Ulka, he has taught at IIM Ahmedabad, ISB, and currently at ISDM. He advises Earth Focus on its branding and communications.

Incubating a resilient future for rural India

Pioneering the Restoration Economy in vulnerable rural communities

The Faces of Our Mission

The Guiding Minds of Our Mission

Financials, Compliance and Impact

Building a restoration economy for Rural India.

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