Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal

24/04/2026

The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, has entered into a strategic partnership with the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance collaborative research and training initiatives. The agreement was formalized at the IIFM campus by Directors Dr. K. Ravichandran (IIFM) and Dr. S.P. Aggarwal (NESAC).

This collaboration aims to integrate space technology with forestry expertise to strengthen biodiversity conservation, climate research, and geospatial applications in natural resource management.

23/04/2026

The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, marked the 8th Edition of Poshan Pakhwada with an expert session on early childhood nutrition and development. The session was delivered by renowned nutritionist Dr. Rashmi Shrivastava, who highlighted the critical importance of the first six years of life in shaping cognitive growth and overall brain development.

Through an engaging and informative interaction, the session reinforced the significance of nutrition-sensitive interventions during early childhood. The programme concluded with a shared understanding of the need to promote awareness and adopt practices that support lifelong health, learning, and well-being.

20/04/2026

We have Ashutosh Mahana as our IIFMIGHT in Focus.

He has been working with JK Paper Ltd since graduating from IIFM in 2007 and brings almost 2 decades of experience covering agroforestry promotion, development of high-quality planting material & carbon finance projects where he played a key role in implementing a CDM A/R project in collaboration with the World Bank. He works closely with farmers to ensure sustainable raw material supply.

Ashutosh started his career with JK Paper Ltd from IIFM campus in 2007 and continue to work and learn there. He is currently managing their Fibre resource

16/04/2026

The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM Bhopal), in collaboration with UNEP-India and MoSPI-GoI, successfully hosted a national-level experts' consultation on 13th April 2026 to standardise ecosystem data for SEEA-EA implementation in India.

Chaired by Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati (UNEP Country Head) and Dr. K. Ravichandran (Director IIFM), the workshop focused on aligning metadata and indicator protocols across ministries, state governments, and grassroots organizations. This follows the January 2026 mandate to operationalise ecosystem accounting under India’s NBSAP.

The sessions were enriched by roundtable discussions featuring Ms. Anita Baghel (DDG-SSD, MoSPI), Dr. R. Kodali (Advisor, MoEFCC), Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy (Dean, IIHS), Dr. S.K. Barik (NEHU), and Dr. Kiran Kumara (ICAR-NIAP), among other distinguished experts and participants, including the member secretaries of the State Biodiversity Board of Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This initiative reinforces IIFM’s role in translating environmental leadership into measurable sustainability outcomes.

06/04/2026

We have Dr. Muhammed Nahar as our IIFMIGHT in Focus.

With over 22 years of experience in leading sustainable tourism & ecotourism‑based development across India and beyond, Nahar’s work has been widely recognized for its impact on conservation, community livelihoods, tourism policy, while working with institutions such as ADB, NITI Aayog, World Bank, USAID, JICA & UNDP, as well as in academia at IITTM and TISS.

Currently, he is working with the Asian Development Bank as an Ecotourism Planning Specialist and as a consultant on multiple public and private-sector assignments. Also an adjunct faculty and domain expert at the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), and have been associated with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), teaching courses at graduate, postgraduate, and PhD levels.

I am a tourism professional, academician and policy expert with over 22 years of experience in ecotourism, sustainable tourism development, and natural

01/04/2026

Adventure. Leadership. Real-World Learning at IIFM

At the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) Bhopal, learning goes beyond textbooks - it is about developing leaders who can handle real-world challenges with confidence and resilience. The Adventure Club reflects this spirit by organising experiential activities that build teamwork, decision-making under uncertainty, and leadership in dynamic situations.

We are happy to say that Zest - The Adventure Club won the Best Club of the Year award at Kalpataru 2026, based on the General Body's recognition. This achievement reflects a culture of collaboration, ownership, and student-driven leadership.

* Club Coordinator: Mahammad Siddhik, who led a team of 27 members with commitment, coordination, and strong leadership, played a key role in the club's success.

* Senior Club Members: Bhaswanth Sai Teja, Neeraj Nandan, Sourabh Malviya, Saurabh Kumar Suman, Keerthi Gadina, Eue Pandi Lepcha, Nissa Abraham, Aditi Agrawal, Khushbu Mali, Anwesha Singh, Alfred Toppo, Kiran Renu Naik, Rishi Gautam, Alphin Abraham, Mahammad Siddhik

* Junior Club Members: Shiva Padala, Sanapala Sravani, Ayushi Tigga, Chandana Addagarla, Deepthi Gadi, Dev Lekshman A, Sanapala Dinesh, Krishna Chaudhary, Sanjay D, Shreya Singh, Somnath Singh, Tushar Kumar Verma, Srujan Kumar Anishetti

Relive the energy and thrill of the Adventure Club’s activities on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?utm_source=ig_contact_invite&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_content=mqrcaxy

# MBA

30/03/2026

We have Kanishk Negi as our IIFMIGHT in Focus.

He is currently the Director at Schneider Electric. With over 21 years of experience leading sustainability initiatives in global supply chains and advising companies on sustainability strategy, Kanishk’s work has been globally recognized for its impact and has also got him various awards/recognition all over the world.

Kanishk regularly shares his views and insights across various UN, OECD, and industry forums and is also associated with various academic institutions such as

23/03/2026

We have Michelle Maria Thomas as our IIFMIGHT in Focus.

She is a development professional with almost 2 decades of experience working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, education & social impact, supporting small & growing businesses across South Asia & other emerging markets.

Currently working at Stanford Seed – working with SME founders and their senior leadership teams across South Asia and supporting their growth journeys.

16/03/2026

We have Rohit Magotra as our IIFMIGHT in Focus.

With over 24 years of professional experience, he works at the intersection of urban climate adaptation, disaster resilience, sustainable energy transition and gender. He is widely recognised as a global pioneer on heat adaptation.

He is Deputy Director of Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe), one of South Asia’s leading think tanks on climate, energy, and sustainable development.

Rohit Magotra is Deputy Director of Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe), one of South Asia’s leading think tanks on climate, energy, and

09/03/2026

We have Navin Horo as our IIFMIGHT in Focus.

Navin is a development professional with 25+ years of experience across natural resources management, economic development, digitalization in rural development, climate and carbon finance currently working with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Over the course of his career, he has worked with government agencies, multilaterals, bilaterals & philanthropies, focusing on collaborations, innovations & initiatives that create large-scale sustainable impact.

05/03/2026

We have Aryasilpa Adhikari as our IIFMIGHT in Focus.

She is a development professional with 12+ yrs of experience across impact investing, financial inclusion & education working at the intersection of capital, policy & public systems. Her past tenure includes Intellecap, Northern Arc Capital, Yubi (CredAvenue) & ACCESS Development Services.

I am a development management professional with over 12 years of experience across impact investing, financial inclusion and education, working at the

03/03/2026

The Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, hosted Ms. Sandhya Sekar, Programme Director, Mongabay India, for an engaging session on “Using Storytelling to Bridge Science and Conservation.”

The session highlighted how effective storytelling and strategic media engagement can strengthen conservation outcomes and enhance public understanding of environmental issues. Ms. Sekar emphasized the importance of translating scientific research into clear, compelling narratives that inform policy and practice. She shared practical guidance on writing opinion pieces, framing impactful stories, and engaging constructively with journalists.

The session enabled IIFM students to better understand the role of science communication in conservation and how evidence-based narratives can influence environmental awareness and decision-making.