Our Board
Ms. Urvashi Devidayal
Director
Ms. Urvashi Devidayal
Director
Urvashi has worked across the global development sector in the US, UK and India on sectors ranging from climate change to human trafficking with international development NGOs, large corporate foundations and the private sector focusing on CEO level advocacy programs, program management and curating large scale convening platforms. She started her career in the financial sector and then went on to work on climate change, human rights, and more specifically, women’s economic inclusion. Currently she is a Senior Advisor for the India Climate Collaborative, and consulting on a UN project on sustainable finance. Her significant positions in the development sector include- leading the Sankalp Forum at the Aavishkar Group, leading programs for South Asia at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, program management at The Climate Group, and writing for Auroville Consulting. She has a BA in Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University and has recently completed a year-long program for Senior Leaders on General Management & Leadership from INSEAD Business School.
Urvashi has worked across the global development sector in the US, UK and India on sectors ranging from climate change to human trafficking with international development NGOs, large corporate foundations and the private sector focusing on CEO level advocacy programs, program management and curating large scale convening platforms. She started her career in the financial sector and then went on to work on climate change, human rights, and more specifically, women’s economic inclusion. Currently she is a Senior Advisor for the India Climate Collaborative, and consulting on a UN project on sustainable finance. Her significant positions in the development sector include- leading the Sankalp Forum at the Aavishkar Group, leading programs for South Asia at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, program management at The Climate Group, and writing for Auroville Consulting. She has a BA in Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University and has recently completed a year-long program for Senior Leaders on General Management & Leadership from INSEAD Business School.
Dr. Jugal Kishore Mohapatra
Chairman and Director
Dr. Jugal Kishore Mohapatra
Chairman and Director
Dr. Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, a post-graduate from Delhi School of Economics, joined Indian Administrative Service (Odisha Cadre) in 1979. Later, he also obtained a Master’s degree in Economics from Boston University, USA. During his career in civil service spanning over 37 years, he has served as Secretary in the Department of Rural Development in Government of India during 2014-16. He has also served as the Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Odisha, Principal Secretary (Finance), Development Commissioner and Chief Secretary in the Government of Odisha. He served on the Board of NABARD Financial Services Limited and NHPC Limited as an Independent Director. He is serving on the Board of Urban Mass Transit Company Limited as an Independent Director and Nominee Director of Foundation for development of Rural Value Chains. Presently he is also serving with IIBX limited as a public interest director and holds the position of Chairman and Independent Director for Shriram Finance.
Dr. Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, a post-graduate from Delhi School of Economics, joined Indian Administrative Service (Odisha Cadre) in 1979. Later, he also obtained a Master’s degree in Economics from Boston University, USA. During his career in civil service spanning over 37 years, he has served as Secretary in the Department of Rural Development in Government of India during 2014-16. He has also served as the Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Odisha, Principal Secretary (Finance), Development Commissioner and Chief Secretary in the Government of Odisha. He served on the Board of NABARD Financial Services Limited and NHPC Limited as an Independent Director. He is serving on the Board of Urban Mass Transit Company Limited as an Independent Director and Nominee Director of Foundation for development of Rural Value Chains. Presently he is also serving with IIBX limited as a public interest director and holds the position of Chairman and Independent Director for Shriram Finance.
Mr. Jagdeesh Rao Puppala
Director and
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Jagdeesh Rao Puppala
Director and
Chief Executive Officer
Jagdeesh is leading the Common Ground initiative, as CEO of Living Landscapes and promoting systems leadership for environmental governance and resilient rural livelihoods. A practitioner, his entire professional life has been centered around furthering judicious management of natural resources, with community institutions playing a central role. Recognized as an international leader in advancing conservation and restoration of the commons for rural livelihoods, he is particularly interested in the application of ‘systems thinking’ at the interface of ecology, society, and economy to address the interrelated issues of poverty and environmental degradation. Jagdeesh is the recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2015). He is a Rainer Arnold Conservation Fellow (2017) and Senior Ashoka fellow (2022). A graduate in Agricultural Sciences, Jagdeesh completed his post-graduate training in Rural Management at the Institute of Rural Management, India, followed by a post-graduate degree in Forestry for Rural Development from the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, Netherlands.
Jagdeesh is leading the Common Ground initiative, as CEO of Living Landscapes and promoting systems leadership for environmental governance and resilient rural livelihoods. A practitioner, his entire professional life has been centered around furthering judicious management of natural resources, with community institutions playing a central role. Recognized as an international leader in advancing conservation and restoration of the commons for rural livelihoods, he is particularly interested in the application of ‘systems thinking’ at the interface of ecology, society, and economy to address the interrelated issues of poverty and environmental degradation. Jagdeesh is the recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship (2015). He is a Rainer Arnold Conservation Fellow (2017) and Senior Ashoka fellow (2022). A graduate in Agricultural Sciences, Jagdeesh completed his post-graduate training in Rural Management at the Institute of Rural Management, India, followed by a post-graduate degree in Forestry for Rural Development from the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, Netherlands.
Ms. Moutushi Sengupta
Director
Ms. Moutushi Sengupta
Director
Moutushi is a senior development professional with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in the South Asia region. She brings rich and diverse leadership experience of working with a range of funding institutions, including the Department for International Development (DFID), the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation and the first southern member of the Oxfam family, Oxfam India. Till recently, she was engaged as the Asia Regional Director for Co-Impact, a global philanthropy that seeks to provide inclusive and sustainable change for women in the global south. She brings in depth expertise in developing and executing institutional and program strategies, building partnerships, sourcing and grant making and developing and establishing frameworks for learning and evaluation. She has successfully managed several institutional transitions, working with multicultural, diverse teams, and actively leading on establishing collaborations of like-minded partners for enhanced impact on the ground. She holds a dual Master’s degree, one in Applied Environment Economics from the University of London and another in Business Administration from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She is also an accredited executive coach with the International Coaching Federation, Virginia, US.
Moutushi is a senior development professional with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in the South Asia region. She brings rich and diverse leadership experience of working with a range of funding institutions, including the Department for International Development (DFID), the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation and the first southern member of the Oxfam family, Oxfam India. Till recently, she was engaged as the Asia Regional Director for Co-Impact, a global philanthropy that seeks to provide inclusive and sustainable change for women in the global south. She brings in depth expertise in developing and executing institutional and program strategies, building partnerships, sourcing and grant making and developing and establishing frameworks for learning and evaluation. She has successfully managed several institutional transitions, working with multicultural, diverse teams, and actively leading on establishing collaborations of like-minded partners for enhanced impact on the ground. She holds a dual Master’s degree, one in Applied Environment Economics from the University of London and another in Business Administration from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She is also an accredited executive coach with the International Coaching Federation, Virginia, US.