Climate Action and Ecosystem Restoration
Vikram Patel
Sustainability Professional
Bangalore, India,KA
Work Preference
Summary
Results-oriented sustainability professional with 21 years of demonstrated expertise in climate action, livelihoods promotion, and end-to-end project management. Successfully conceptualized, developed, and scaled multi-sectoral programs aligned with SDGs, leveraging cross-sector partnerships with governments, cooperates, and NGOs. Proficient in designing climate-resilient solutions, strengthening financial inclusion models, and integrating technology-driven interventions. Adept at mobilizing resources, managing large-scale rural development initiatives, and ensuring project sustainability through data-driven decision-making and ethical governance. Committed to driving systemic impact by empowering communities, optimizing resources, and building scalable, high-impact solutions for social equity, environmental resilience, and inclusive growth.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
10
10
Grant & Impact Invst Expertise
11
11
Partnerships & Team Management
15
15
Climate and Environment
Work History
Senior Portfolio Manager || Partnerships & Grants
Ashraya Hastha Trust
03.2022 - Current
- Led a national portfolio focused on climate action, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity protection across 26 states/UTs, delivering measurable social and environmental outcomes.
- Strengthened climate resilience in vulnerable regions through nature-based solutions, sustainable land management, and livelihood enhancement programs emphasizing women’s empowerment.
- Developed and implemented strategic grant frameworks integrating carbon mitigation, regenerative agriculture, and circular economy principles to advance sustainability goals.
- Fostered high-impact partnerships with governments, corporates, and NGOs to scale climate adaptation, conservation, and green livelihood initiatives.
- Established robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress, ensure accountability, and demonstrate tangible outcomes for stakeholders.
Senior Project Manager | Operation & Partnerships
Reach52
12.2019 - 02.2022
- Led cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects on time and within budget.
- Developed project strategies aligned with organizational goals to enhance operational efficiency.
- Directed changes to project scope and cost and implemented appropriate change management processes to keep project on track.
- Established effective communication channels with stakeholders to ensure transparency and alignment of expectations.
- Adapted quickly to unexpected challenges or obstacles encountered during project execution, devising creative solutions without compromising objectives.
- Communicated project plans and progress to key stakeholders and project contributors.
- Developed and maintained project budgets to control costs and meet organizational and project goals.
- Monitored project progress, identified risks and implemented corrective measures to acquire success.
- Established and managed change management processes to fulfill successful project transitions.
- Partnered with project team members to identify and quickly address problems.
- Nurtured strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, building trust and credibility that facilitated smooth collaboration on shared goals.
- Oversaw large portfolio of projects to support teams, report progress, and influence positive outcomes for key stakeholders.
- Achieved substantial cost savings by renegotiating contracts with key suppliers and optimizing resource allocation across projects.
Senior Consultant | Food Security & Partnerships
Ernst & Young
12.2018 - 11.2019
- Led impact assessments for Karnataka’s flagship agricultural programs, evaluating 470 Custom Hiring Centers and 11.5 million Raita Sampark Kendras to inform data-driven policy reforms and strengthen agricultural efficiency.
- Developed strategic blueprints for nine key crop value chains, enhancing market linkages, boosting value addition, and supporting the transition toward sustainable, profitable agri-systems.
- Designed and implemented a digital MIS and data management framework that improved operational efficiency and achieved significant cost savings for the Agriculture Department.
- Spearheaded the modernization of crop insurance processes, leveraging farmer data from 40+ million records to streamline enrollment, reduce delays, and improve transparency in claims settlement.
- Conceptualized and executed the Millet Fest initiative, connecting over 500 stakeholders, strengthening value-chain integration, and driving large-scale adoption of millet-based livelihoods and markets.
- Led cross-functional teams and process improvement efforts to enhance organizational performance, regulatory compliance, and evidence-based decision-making across agricultural programs.
Programme Manager | Early Education & Livelihoods
Magic Bus India Foundation
01.2015 - 12.2018
- Designed and implemented large-scale Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Livelihood programs, reaching over 500,000 children and youth across 200+ schools and 100+ urban slum communities in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
- Led a multidisciplinary team of 120+ professionals, embedding life skills, leadership, and employability training to enhance youth readiness for education and workforce opportunities.
- Established a Livelihood Skill Development Center in Bangalore, training 5,000+ underprivileged youth in industry-relevant skills and facilitating improved employment outcomes.
- Forged strategic partnerships with 18+ CSR entities and government departments, enabling long-term collaboration and resource mobilization for youth and education initiatives.
- Executed large-scale education and livelihood projects, integrating SEL-based learning models with community engagement to ensure sustainability and scale.
- Delivered measurable social impact, improving learning outcomes, economic mobility, and resilience among marginalized children, youth, and their families.
Senior Consultant | Climate Action & NRM Programme
MYRADA
01.2014 - 12.2014
- Led large-scale watershed and integrated livelihood programs across three South Indian states, mobilizing over ₹30 crore in development investments to restore degraded ecosystems and strengthen rural resilience.
- Implemented watershed treatment across 10,000+ hectares through convergence with IWMP and NABARD, improving water security and soil health for 3.5+ lakh farming households.
- Forged long-term partnerships with leading CSR and financial institutions including ITC, HSBC, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, Moody’s, and HDFC, securing sustained funding and technical support.
- Collaborated with state departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Forests to align livelihood interventions with government priorities, enhancing convergence and policy impact.
- Designed and led the South–South Exchange Program under an EU-supported initiative, training 150+ professionals on climate-resilient watershed management practices.
- Supported 10,000+ disaster-affected farming families in Northeast India, ensuring sustainable recovery, ecosystem restoration, and long-term community resilience across 10,000 hectares.
Programme Manger | Climate / Livelihoods /Rural Development
Reliance Foundation
06.2012 - 12.2013
- Led Karnataka’s CSR rural development portfolio, managing a ₹16 crore budget and supervising 17 village associations with a multidisciplinary team of 11 professionals.
- Designed and implemented a scalable rural development model, successfully replicated across 300+ villages, focusing on water conservation, soil restoration, and sustainable livelihoods.
- Invested over ₹15 crore in natural resource management initiatives, improving productivity, water security, and community resilience in climate-affected regions.
- Doubled household income for 10,000 farming families by promoting diversified agri-allied enterprises, integrated farming systems, and collective value-chain engagement.
- Empowered 2,000+ women-led agri-enterprises and facilitated the formation of 16 farmer associations, enhancing market access and cooperative decision-making.
- Enabled long-term sustainability through government convergence, aligning CSR interventions with state agriculture and rural development programs for continued impact.
Senior Programme Manger| Financial Inclusion/Livelihood
IDF Financial Services Pvt Ltd
06.2009 - 12.2012
- Designed and led a large-scale financial inclusion and literacy program reaching 12,000+ self-help groups (SHGs) and 5,000+ farmer collectives across Karnataka.
- Managed a team of 15+ professionals, ensuring effective program execution, financial sustainability, and grassroots capacity-building for long-term empowerment.
- Forged strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, state departments, and banking institutions to expand financial access for marginalized rural communities.
- Developed a robust MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning) framework to track and optimize ₹100+ crore in credit linkage programs in partnership with the State Bank of India.
- Trained 1,900+ community mobilizers in financial and digital literacy, strengthening community-level leadership and promoting inclusive economic development.
- Enhanced economic resilience and financial autonomy of rural households through improved access to credit, savings, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Project Coordinator | Watershed / Livelihoods /Quality Control
SPOORTHI Institute for Rural Development
06.2004 - 06.2007
- Led watershed development and livelihood enhancement programs benefiting 2,000+ scheduled tribal communities across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
- Transformed 2,500 hectares of degraded land into productive farmland, improving food security and promoting climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture practices.
- Managed a team of 16 field professionals, implementing community-led initiatives focused on inclusive rural and tribal development.
- Collaborated with farmers, women’s groups, and self-help groups (SHGs) to strengthen community participation and ownership of development outcomes.
- Facilitated financial inclusion for 5,000+ SHGs and 12,000+ families, expanding access to credit, savings, and livelihood financing mechanisms.
- Oversaw ₹3.5+ crore in development investments through partnerships with NABARD and the Government of Karnataka, ensuring accountability, impact, and long-term sustainability.
Internship and Volunteer Experience
- Centre for Public History (CPH) | Bengaluru, India | May 2009 – Jun 2009
- International Labour Organization (ILO) | Mysore, India | Sep 2007 - Jan 2008
- National Aids Control Organization (NACO) | Bangalore, India | Jan 2009 – March 2009
- Karnataka State Aids Prevention Society (KSAPS) |Mysore, India | Mar2008 - May 2008
Education
MBA - 🎓 Management of Social Initiatives (MSI)
IIMK
Online 06.2024 - 07.2025
MBA - Development Management
University of Mysore
Mysore 06.2007 - 05.2009
Bachelor of Arts - Social Science
Kuvempu University
Chitradurga 05.2002 - 06.2004
Certification
- Social Performance Management in MFIs | Micro Save, India
- Social Return on Investment (SROI) | KPMG, India
- Sustainable Development in Humanitarian Action | KAYA
- Setting Filed Team in Humanitarian and Emergency Programme | KAYA
- Impact Investment and Social Bonds | Jindal Centre for Social Innovation
- Women Agri Entrepreneurship Development Programme | NABARD, Bangalore, India
- Social Impact Strategy: Tools for Entrepreneurs and Innovators | University of Pennsylvania
Interests
Sustainable Livelihoods and Green Enterprises
Philanthropy Advisory and Strategic Grant-Making
Languages
English
Advanced (C1)
Hindi
Advanced (C1)
Kannada
Advanced (C1)
Tamil
Advanced (C1)
Telugu
Advanced (C1)
Urdu
Upper intermediate (B2)
Software
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences
Stata: Statistical Software for Data Science
SAS (Statistical Analysis System)
Skills
- Philanthropy Advisory and Strategic Giving
- Grant-Making and Portfolio Management
- Sustainability and Climate Action Leadership
- Strategic Partnership Development
- Funding and Resource Mobilization Strategy
- Impact Investing and Climate-Tech Enablement
- Program and Operations Planning
- Due Diligence and Financial Assessment
- Budget Validation and Rationalization
- Risk Analysis and Mitigation Planning
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEAL)
- Innovation and Systems Thinking
- Thematic Strategy Building
- Organizational Leadership and Capacity Building
- Program Design and Intervention Modeling
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Policy and Advocacy Engagement
- Governance and Compliance Oversight
- Impact Communication and Reporting
- Organizational Development and Change Management
- Strategic Planning and Roadmap Development
- Process Improvement and Systems Strengthening
- Grant Fund Lifecycle Management
- Project Planning and Execution Excellence
- Conflict Resolution and Negotiation
- Data Analytics and Decision Support
- Knowledge Management and Dissemination
- Capacity Building and Leadership Development
- Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI)
- Climate Resilience and Nature-Based Solutions
- Sustainable Livelihoods and Circular Economy Models
- Corporate CSR and Donor Relationship Management
- Research, Policy, and Proposal Development
- Workshop Facilitation and Stakeholder Engagement
- Outcome-Based Portfolio Optimization
Affiliations
- India Permaculture Network (IPN)
- Third Sector Research Group of India (TSSRGI)
- International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTRR)
High-Impact Short-Term Assignments
Vahan | Designed and implemented a high-impact skill development program
Outreach | Led watershed development projects to restore degraded landscapes
MYAKPS | Developed a transformative rural healthcare program to bridge service gaps
Samrudhi Trust | Advanced education reforms by integrating holistic learning frameworks
Sikshana Foundation | Strengthened education through innovative learning methodologies
Navya Disha Trust | Designed and executed an Entrepreneurial Development Program (EDP)
TARU | Led initiatives to improve access to clean water and sanitation in underserved communities
CRISIL India | Conducted impact evaluation of KRIDL, optimizing public infrastructure investments
Accomplishments
- Strengthened Agricultural Value Chains and Policy Reform : Led policy evaluation and impact assessments for Karnataka’s major agricultural programs, improving efficiency across 470 Custom Hiring Centers and 200 APMCs. Designed a digital performance dashboard for the Agriculture Department, saving 15% of the state’s operational budget, and facilitated ₹149 crore in millet value-chain contracts, directly linking farmers with markets.
- Restored Ecosystems and Enhanced Rural Livelihoods at Scale: Led watershed and natural resource management programs and Reliance Foundation, treating 20,000+ hectares of degraded land and doubling the income of 10,000+ farming families. Mobilized over ₹46 crore across CSR and government-converged projects, built 16 farmer associations, and empowered 2,000+ women-led agri-enterprises, ensuring long-term ecological and economic sustainability.
- Empowered Youth and Women Through Livelihood and Education Programs : Implemented Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Livelihood programs impacting 500,000+ youth and children across 200+ government schools. Established a Livelihood Skill Development Center training 5,000+ youth, and mobilized ₹40+ crore in CSR partnerships, embedding life skills and employability into rural and urban education systems.
- Scaled Tech-Driven Health Systems Across Rural India : Designed and deployed digital and AI-enabled healthcare solutions that reached 200+ rural and tribal communities, creating 4.5 million family health profiles. Forged partnerships with Unilever, Pfizer, J&J, and ADB, and launched a WhatsApp-based diabetes screening chatbot, expanding access to early detection and preventive care for 20,000+ low-income families.
- Led a National Climate Action and Sustainability Portfolio : Spearheaded a $5 million portfolio focused on climate action, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity protection across 26 states and union territories. Developed and implemented nature-based solutions and regenerative agriculture models that strengthened climate resilience in vulnerable regions while integrating women’s livelihoods and carbon mitigation strategies.