Governing Board

Mr. Pushpadhar Das, chairperson

He is a graduate from St. Stephens’ College, Delhi and has done his PGDM from IIM Bangalore. He is a Member of Gramya Vikas Mancha, Nalbari and also an Advisor to Sitajakhala Dugdha Utpadak SSL, one of the oldest and successful milk cooperatives of Northeast India. He is well known as an agri-entrepreneur with vast knowledge and skills on farm machinery bank, multi-cropping, crop-diversification, dairy, pisciculture, and SRI. Mr. Das has led the MIS implementation at ASOMI and also been offering consultancy on Contract Farming of medicinal and aromatic plants as well as horticulture crops.

Dr. Chandana Goswami, vice-chairperson

Professor Chandana Goswami is the Dean, School of Management Sciences at Tezpur University. Earlier she was the Director of Internal Quality Assurance Cell, and also was the Head, Dept. Of Business Administration.  She did her MBA and PhD from Gauhati University, FDP from IIM Ahmedabad and was a British Chevening Fellow in 2004. She is involved with teaching and research at Tezpur University and has taught for more than 25 years. She has produced eight PhDs so far.  She has presented research papers within the country as well as abroad.  Additionally, she is a corporate trainer and has conducted trainings for Powergrid and Numaligarh Refinery Oil India to name a few.

Mr. Manoj Kumar Basumatary, Treasurer

Mr. Basumatary is a graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He is the co-founder of Symbiotic Foods Pvt. Ltd. and also acting as its CEO. Symbiotic Foods is a unique Social Enterprise established to promote pig rearing and currently working in the value chain of piggery sub-sector. He is a pioneer in establishing pig rearing as a profitable livelihood opportunity and currently acclaimed as a trendsetting Social Entrepreneur. Prior to starting his own social enterprise, he worked as a Chief Manager at State Bank of India (SBI) in New Delhi for 15 years and also worked as a Partner in Udayachal Ventures for 3 years.

Mr. Apoorva oza, member

Mr. Apoorva is a member of Global Program Team of Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and also in the board of AKRSPI (Aga Khan Rural Support program of India), ACT (Arid Communities and Technology), ASA (Association for Social Advancement), INAFI, and Parvah. He is also chairperson of Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell and Sajjata Singh. He is the founder of Working Group for Women and Land Ownership. He graduated in BE Mechanical Engineering from Gujarat University and post graduation in Rural Management from Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). After post-graduation, he worked with Gujarat Dairy Development board for more than 2 years and than joined AKRSPI, where he worked for more than 35 years in various capacities in which he served for 20 years as the Chief Executive.

Mr. Biren Bhuta, Member

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Mr. Bhuta graduated as a production engineer from Bharti Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering, Pune, Biren pursued a post-graduate diploma in management (PGDM) from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata and started his career as a Corporate Banker with Standard Chartered Bank in Chennai. Later on he switched careers to become a television journalist with NDTV in Mumbai. He consulted Tata steel for rural development in Bastar, Chhattisgarh and also worked with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Odisha on a project to mitigate impacts on Olive Ridley turtles. Post that he worked as the Chief of CSR of Tata Steel for seven years in Jharkhand and Odisha

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Ms. VARSHA MEHTA, MEMBER

Ms. Mehta works towards making a positive difference in the lives of those less privileged, through dialogue, innovative solutions, advisory inputs, and institutional transformation, where possible. For about 30 years, she has been working on social and institutional issues around natural resource management (NRM); from participatory forest and water management to pastoralism and climate-smart agriculture, with a focus on enabling social and gender equity. She has capacitated teams and organizations to undertake community-centric planning and implementation of projects in agriculture, smallholder livestock production, forests and water resource management. Currently, she is working as an independent consultant and is based out of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Ms. Sangeeta Barooah, Member

Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, a Delhi-based journalist and writer, specializes in North-east India. Born in Golaghat, Assam, she graduated from Gauhati University in 1995 and began her journalism career with United News of India in 1996, becoming the first woman from the North-east to work in the agency’s Delhi office. Her focus on the North-east deepened with an Inclusive Media Fellowship in 2011, allowing her to report on livelihood losses from Majuli island’s erosion. Joining The Wire provided a platform for digital news about the North-east, where she now serves as National Affairs Editor. She won the Ramnath Goenka Award in 2017 and the Parag Das Journalism Award in 2023. Her books include Assam: The Accord, The Discord (2019) and The Assamese: A Portrait of a Community (2023).

Mr. Romeo koch, Staff Nominee

Romeo Koch is a botany graduate from Guwahati University and holds a master’s degree in ecology and environmental science from Assam University. He began his journey at SeSTA as an executive trainee in 2014 and now serves as the Program Director of Operations. With extensive experience in managing projects that support rural livelihoods, Romeo has led impactful initiatives like ITC – MSK Project, Moi Progoti, Livelihood by CRISIL Foundation, SDTT – DBI, and MKSP. His visionary leadership and expertise in developmental studies have made him a driving force in empowering rural communities and promoting sustainable development.

Mr. pradyut bhattacharjee, executive director, sesta

Pradyut Bhattacharjee, an engineer-turned-development professional, has over 20 years of experience leading teams and projects in rural development. As Executive Director of SeSTA, he promoted women’s collectives, mentored young professionals, and worked on organization development. During his tenure with PRADAN in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, he specialized in social mobilization, institution building, and sustainable livelihoods. An empanelled National Resource Person for NRLM, Pradyut supports State Rural Livelihood Missions across the North-East. He has also served as CEO of a large women’s cooperative in Jharkhand, focusing on input-output linkages. Collaborating with organizations like APPI, TATA Trusts, UNDP, and NRLM, he has implemented projects across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and the North-East. 

MS. PATRICIA MUKHIM

Patricia Mukhim, a journalist, writer, social activist, and editor of The Shillong Times is an inspiration rooted in truth and compassion. Renowned for her dedication to Meghalaya, its people, and their well-being, she has made her mark as a fearless advocate for human rights and environmental protection. Through her incisive journalism and activism, she has confronted pressing issues like discrimination and deforestation, using her platform to amplify marginalized voices. Her unwavering commitment to justice has earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Padma Shri, reflecting her profound impact on society. Patricia’s multifaceted contributions as a writer and activist have not only enriched the journalistic landscape but also galvanized communities to stand up for their rights and safeguard their environment. Her life and work embody the spirit of resilience, making her a powerful force for positive change and a source of inspiration for generations to come.