Key People
We are a team of dedicated professionals, facilitating businesses achieve its optimum sustainability and climate change performance.
Manjari Chandra
PORTFOLIO MANAGER – CARBON OFFSET PROJECTS
Manjari Chandra
Portfolio Manager – Carbon Offset Projects
Manjari works as a technical expert and portfolio manager with VNV on carbon offset projects. Her work involves registration and issuance of CERs/ VERs under various standards. She has over 8 years’ experience in CDM, GS and VCS related activities. She has worked as a lead assessor for TUV NORD for CDM/VCS projects for 6 years before moving onto companies implementing carbon offset projects. She has extensive experience in assessment and validation of projects against modalities and procedures of the Kyoto Protocol, relevant UNFCCC and GS requirements including the sustainable development criteria.
Manjari has a Masters in Environmental Management from Griffith University, Australia as well as a Masters and Graduation in Environmental Science from Bangalore University, India.
Jibotosh Pandit
GIS MANAGER
Jibotosh Pandit
GIS Manager
Jibotosh works as a core team member of VNV Advisory looking after the implementation of Remote Sensing (RS) and GIS (Geographical Information System) application in the field of Forestry, Agriculture, Grasslands, Wetlands. He has more than six years of experience in the field of Natural Resource Management.
Jibotosh was previously associated with a project entitled “Ecosystem Services Improvement Project” funded by “The World Bank” and “Green India Mission” Project, at Madhya Pradesh Forest Department to map and monitor forest cover, forest density, forest type, natural regeneration using RS & GIS. He also worked for IORA Ecological Solutions, New Delhi, as a Research Associate-RS&GIS in Forest PLUS Program.
Jibotosh contributed to a Glaciology project in G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development Headquarters, Almora, Uttarakhand
His technical expertise lies in mapping of glaciers, snow Covers, forest type, forest canopy density, ANR and he is also trained in drone data analysis
Jibotosh completed his Masters in Remote Sensing and GIS from North Orissa University, Odisha and graduated with an Honours in Geography from Goalpara College, Guwahati University, Assam
Amita Sawant
ASSOCIATE, REGISTRY & PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT OF CARBON OFFSET PROJECTS
Amita Sawant
Associate, Registry & Portfolio Management of Carbon Offset Projects.
Amita’s work involves managing the Carbon Credit registry and also assisting in the registering and issuance process of CERs/VERs and the monitoring of active Carbon Offset Projects. She has recently begun her professional journey after she found her field of interest which revolves around living a more harmonious life with the planet. Prior to this she used to work in IISc as a Project Associate assisting in projects involving climate change mitigation techniques. One of the projects she worked on involved generating a Policy brief that would provide alternatives for Decarbonisation and Pollution risk Management for India’s Power and Transport Sector in collaboration with the London school of economics and Grantham Institute of Climate change and environment, imperial college London.
An electronic engineer by background, she has completed her BE from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore, India. Post which she did her masters from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia in Carbon and Energy Management where she was exposed to the world of carbon neutrality as an alternative to mitigate the ill effects of Climate change to the Planet. The Kyoto Protocol, IPCC convention and UNFCC guidelines for climate change and the working of Carbon Offset projects resulting the generation of carbon credits were a couple of things she learnt through the course of her Masters. She is also well versed with the working of the Carbon Market and different reporting standards like GOLD and VERRA Standards of Reporting/Monitoring/Verification and the GRI standards of reporting.
Rashi Mehta
PORTFOLIO MANAGER & MARKETER
Rashi Mehta
Portfolio Manager & Marketer
Rashi works as a portfolio manager and marketer with VNV advisory.
Skilled in start-up ecosystems, sustainability strategy and planning, developing social impact strategies, multi-channel content creation, business ecosystem planning, market research coupled with a keen interest in design and brand communication she leads the communications and portfolio management of our company.
After working in brand communications and digital marketing at Please See and Triature, she felt the need to move to the field of sustainability. She was the cofounder of Ripple Effect, a marketplace for sustainable products and she has worked closely with NGOs, social enterprises and grassroots level artisans. She also co-founded Midoree, a sustainable fashion brand that makes bags and accessories from waste fabric, thus supporting a circular economy business model.
She has a degree in Fashion Clothing and Technology from National Institute of Fashion Technology as well as a Master’s degree in MSc. Marketing from Manchester Business School, UK. She is also a post graduate in Sustainable Environment Management from Indian Institute of Environment Management, SIES and has worked on a research paper on Indoor air pollution in residential spaces in South Mumbai.
She has also worked with Centre for Environment and Research (CERE) where she helped develop events and communication strategy for the NGO.
Dr. Vendrapati Srinivasa Rao
TECHNICAL HEAD – FORESTRY AND LAND USE
Dr. Vendrapati Srinivasa Rao
Technical Head – Forestry and Land Use Carbon
Dr. Srinivasa works as a technical expert with VNV for Forestry and Agriculture projects. He has a Doctorate in Botany and a valuable 13 years of experience in Biodiversity, Climate Change, Carbon Stock, Climate resilient agriculture techniques, Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), Economic valuation of bio-resources and Traditional Knowledge. Dr. Srinivasa has worked in various National/State Government institutions like State Biodiversity Board, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (NIRDPR) and Project Funded by UNDP, UNEP, GEF and World Bank.
Tara Sriram
CONSULTANT – LAND-USE CHANGE AND FORESTRY
Tara Sriram
Consultant – Land-Use Change and Forestry
Tara is involved with VNV’s Land Use Change and Forestry projects, working on Sustainable Agriculture, Agro-forestry and A/R projects. She has over four years of experience working on Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Projects with grassroots level organisations as a part of the Fair Climate Network, primarily working on Sustainable Agriculture across 5 states of southern and central India. She was involved with design, implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation of the projects, working closely with NGO field teams and technical experts at all stages.
Following this, as Project Lead in a Bangalore based NGO, she played a critical role in the conception and implementation of a first of its kind rural Waste Management programme in northern Karnataka. After the successful implementation of this project, she began work as an independent consultant, working on various Climate Change related projects.
Malavika Adnur
MANAGER – SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE
Malavika Adnur
Manager – Sustainability and Climate Change
Malavika has over 8 years’ experience in Sustainability reporting and other varied fields giving her an understanding of multiple sectors. Her role at VNV is to help companies develop capacity for sustainability reporting. Prior to VNV she has worked with companies like EY, SAP labs as well as smaller boutique NGOs and consultancies. Her experience with GRI based sustainability reporting spans the apparel, FMCG and consumer goods sector. She has a Master’s degree in Environment management from Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, India.
Vijay Bhaskar
SENIOR MANAGER – ACCOUNTS AND FINANCE
Vijay Bhaskar
Senior manager – Accounts and Finance
Vijay has been working with VNV Advisory Services since 2011 and is responsible for budget planning, internal audit, preparation of financial reports, distribution of resources and also supports the executive management team by offering insights and financial advice.
Vijay has graduated with a degree in Commerce from Gulbarga University and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration in Finance. He has 24 years of experience in Accounts and Finance.
Nayan Jyoti Deka
TECHNICAL HEAD – CARBON PROJECTS
Nayan Jyoti Deka
Technical Head – Carbon Projects
Nayan Jyoti Deka, an environmental professional with more than 9 years of extensive experience in handling climate change projects (Biomass, wind, hydro, thermal, waste management, etc). In the past, he has worked with one of the leading inspection, testing & certification body in the world, as an active member of its climate change team based in Gurgaon, Haryana. He has been involved in the audit of more than 100 GHG projects (CDM/VCS/GS) across the world in Africa, South East Asia and Latin America while working for two DOEs.
Nayan did his Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Assam Engineering college and obtained his Master degree in Energy Tecnology from Tezpur Central University.
Kasturi Navalkar
ASSOCIATE – PARTNERSHIPS
Kasturi Navalkar
Associate – Partnerships
Kasturi currently manages Partnerships & Communications at VNV Advisory.
A graduate with honours in Environmental Science, Chemistry and Zoology, Kasturi has 3 years of experience in the consultation and management field. Prior to VNV her significant roles encompassed that of a Chief Administrative Officer of a Health & Wellness Organisation and a Consultant in the Health & Nutrition domain. She has gained experience as an intern under Wildlife Institute of India studying the migration pattern of Olive Ridley Turtles of the west coast of India, and also has several accolades and certifications in Environmental Journalism, Environmental Legislation, Solid Waste Management, Ecotourism and has been involved in a Green Revolution Global Certification Program on the education and initiation of action against climate change, supported by the UNFCCC.
Kasturi is a certified PADI Open Water Scuba Diver and is passionate about the conservation of the oceans and marine ecosystems.
Ayushi Gupta
MANAGER (TECHNICAL) – CARBON PROJECTS
Ayushi Gupta
Manager (Technical) – Carbon Projects
Ayushi Gupta has been working in the field of climate change with special reference to Gold Standard, CDM and sustainable development and has experience of 9 years. Her technical expertise covers renewable energy like Wind, Hydro, Solar, Solar PV (lantern), Solid Waste Management, composting, cook stove, water filter, biodigesters projects etc. She has the
experience of dealing with Project proponent, DOE & UNFCCC, organizing Stakeholder consultation meeting, developing new methodologies and tools and successfully identifying several business development opportunities.
As a part of the technical team in the Gold Standard, she technically reviewed the projects submitted for Gold Standard certification and was also involved in the continuous improvement of the Gold Standard Rules and Procedures. She is interested in sharing the knowledge and experience accumulated so far and in developing abilities. She holds a Master Degree in Environment Management from Forest Research Institute University Dehradun Bachelor Degree in Botany from The University of Delhi.
Dhruvil Brahmbhatt
CONSULTANT – FORESTRY & BIODIVERSITY
Dhruvil Brahmbhatt
Consultant – Forestry & Biodiversity
Dhruvil is a forestry expert and responsible for the development and execution of Carbon Emission Reduction projects in Forestry, Sustainable Agriculture and LULUCF. He has varied experience in Climate Sciences models and Biodiversity Conservation. He has a sound technical know-how of mainstream Forestry Carbon Accounting and Forestry Carbon Standards, Social and Environmental standards. Prior to joining VNV, he had worked for Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune on Convective Uplifting of Methane and its effects in Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS). He was also part of a National Ambient Air Monitoring Project (NAMP) organized by Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Vadodara.
Dhruvil holds a Master Degree in Environment Management form Forest Research Institute Dehradun and Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science from The M.S University of Baroda, Vadodara.
Brinda Kulkarni
CONSULTANT – CORPORATE GOVERNANCE & SUSTAINABILITY
Brinda Kulkarni
Consultant- Corporate Governance & Sustainability
Brinda is involved in VNV’s Corporate Governance and Sustainability services.
Skilled in developing sustainability strategy, aligning corporate vision with corporate responsibility, ESG analysis and in developing social impact strategies, she has experience in non-financial reporting and frameworks such as GRI and Business Responsibility Reporting. Having worked in KPMG’s Audit services for 2 years, she is also skilled in analysing financial reports and is familiar with corporate governance policies.
She was also involved in research analysis on topics such as sustainability reporting trends in India and the environmental impacts of meat and dairy industries in India.
A recent graduate of HEC Paris, she holds a Masters degree in Sustainability and Social Innovation, where she studied strategy and sustainability, the economics of climate change, socially responsible investing and supply chain sustainability.
Well-informed on sustainable fashion, she worked on a consulting project with Shiseido, in Paris, where she helped integrate sustainability and consumer experience for one of Shiseido’s leading perfume brands.
With a keen interest in sustainable food systems, she completed her Master’s thesis on Sustainable Diets in India, with research on the environmental and social impacts and challenges to widespread adoption of sustainable diets in India.
She holds a Certificate from HEC Paris in Inclusive and Social Business strategies, and a Certificate in Sustainability from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which has equipped her with skills in social impact assessment, social return on investment analysis and in developing meaningful CSR strategies.
Akshaya Ramachandran
CONSULTANT – SUSTAINABILITY & GHG SERVICES
Akshaya Ramachandran
Consultant – Sustainability & GHG Services
At VNV Advisory, Akshaya is responsible for service deliverables such as – sustainability reporting, carbon footprint assessment, and formulating sustainability frameworks and policies for businesses. She is a GRI certified sustainability reporting professional who has also been trained in Environmental Impact Assessment organized by the United Nations Environment Program. She further adds expertise in LEED- IGBC AP (Green Buildings) to the dynamic VNV team.
Akshaya was previously associated with Frost and Sullivan’s Environment and Sustainability team, where she was mainly engaged in environmental research, strategic consulting, and data analysis that involved forecasting market trends. Her core research projects revolved around the impact of IOT on waste management, circular economy, water and waste technologies assessment etc.
Her previous research experience also included working on life cycle assessment of batteries, identifying issues in production operations and formulating strategies to maintain a sustainable supply chain for a UK’s leading FMCG – 2 Sisters food group. At Veolia and Drax Group, UK, she acquired core industry knowledge on waste and energy management services. Akshaya is a Chemical Engineer who also holds a Masters in Environmental and Energy Engineering from the University of Sheffield, UK. Her post-graduation research paper focussed on creating clean burning, and environmentally friendly solid bioethanol fuel using cross-linked polyacrylic acid and ethanol.
Arun Francis
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER & CREATIVE COLLABORATOR
Arun Francis
Lead Graphic Designer & Creative Collaborator
Arun works with VNV Advisory as a Graphic Designer & Animator. He is primarily involved in content design. As a graphic designer, he works on a variety of products and activities, such as websites, advertising, banners, reports, posters and displays developing our diverse clientele corporate sustainability communications and marketing. His work demands creative flair, up-to-date knowledge of industry software such as the various creative tools. He uses a variety of design elements to achieve artistic & professional effects.
He has previously worked in MPS Pvt. Ltd., Chronicle Pictures & Urban Hermits as a Graphic Designer. Before joining VNV Advisory, he was an Animation Teacher with Christ School (ICSE) in collaboration with 3DI School New Zealand. He completed a B.Sc. Degree in Animation and Multimedia from Arena Animation, Bangalore.
Apoorva Banerjee
ASSOCIATE, SOIL CARBON & LAND USE
Apoorva Banerjee
Associate, Soil Carbon & Land Use
Apoorva is an associate working on land use, specifically soil carbon at VNV Advisory.
She has 2 years of experience in EIA, with major focus on NBWL clearances and documenting the impact of mining on biodiversity in mining areas surrounding the states of Rajasthan and Odisha, where she worked on both category A (Steel industry)and B (limestone) projects.
Here, she was also responsible for end to end environment certifications for the clients.
She also has experience working with farmers of Jharkhand to help their transition to organic agricultural practices.
She has interned with CFEES, DRDO, Delhi on the topic of waste management focusing on soil fertility with vermicomposting, using daily waste, which was successfully implemented across Delhi.
Apoorva is an Honours graduate from Delhi University in Zoology and holds a Masters from Amity University Noida in Environmental sciences. She has diploma from IFUNA, Delhi where she gained an understanding of UN and it’s functioning areas.
Apoorva has been certified in Remote sensing for forest management from IBCT, Bangalore.
Sandeep S.
MANAGER – FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS
Sandeep S.
Manager – Finance and Accounts
Sandeep is responsible for managing our financial portfolio and is involved with operations of the firm. He is handling accounting & taxation matters at the firm and is also involved in managing books of accounts, inward and outward remittance, indirect and direct taxes, maintaining of assets and providing financial advice.
Prior to this, he has had 1-year work experience in the field of accounting and finance and has worked as an Audit & Accounts Assistant at CA Suraj Singri & Co. And also he has done one year of internship in Indirect Taxes field at Swamy Associates, Bangalore.
He holds a Masters in Commerce (Finance and Accounting) from Bangalore University, Bangalore.
Sandeep Roy Choudhury
DIRECTOR
Sandeep Roy Choudhury
Director
Sandeep is a co-founder at VNV Advisory Services, a social enterprise working with communities & climate change. He heads VNV’s ownership on low carbon social development projects such as sustainable agriculture, social forestry, clean cooking, rural energy access and waste management. His work encompasses over 4 million rural households across the South Asia region (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal & Myanmar) and over 40 NGOs and implementation partners. He is recently involved in spearheading VNVs efforts towards rural water access, crop storage, agri-linkages and working with models of innovative financing through existing climate finance mechanisms to achieve scalability. He is on the board of numerous non – profits working on climate-related projects including Worldview International Foundation, Bangladesh Bondhu Foundation & Environment Protection Center Nepal.
Sandeep has over 16 years of industry experience and is a Salzburg global fellow. He is also a director at “Carbon Initiative forum “, a non-profit working on climate change awareness and co-chair of ICROA ( International Carbon Reduction & Offset Alliance).
Sandeep is a co-founder at VNV Advisory Services, a social enterprise working with communities & climate change. He heads VNV’s ownership on low carbon social development projects such as sustainable agriculture, social forestry, clean cooking, rural energy access and waste management.
