OurChampions

Cohort1|2024-25

Inourpilotyear,NYCCsupported28ClimateChampionsfrom26statesandUnionTerritories,wholedlocalclimateprojectimpactingover62,350communitymembers,2,500+youngpeople,andpartneredwith380+stakeholders,including135+governmentbodies.Thesechampionsalsotooktheirworkglobal—representingNYCCatplatformslikeCOP29inBaku,Azerbaijan,theGirlsGoGreenSummitinBangkok,andseveralnationalconvenings.

Pathanamthitta , Kerala

Abu Abraham Mathew

Abu Abraham Mathew is a dedicated social sector leader from Central Travancore with over seven years of experience in project management and crisis response. Starting as a volunteer during the floods and pandemic, he has evolved into a strategic collaborator with state governments and NGOs.

Port Blair , Andaman and Nicobar islands

Agnesia Dung Dung

Agnesia is a Botany post-graduate from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with a specialized background in biodiversity research and currently working as a Program Associate at Dakshin Foundation.

RANCHI, JHARKHAND

Ankita Kumari

Ankita Banra is a pioneering grassroots leader from Jharkhand’s HO Indigenous Community and the President at ASMITA - a youth-led and feminist organization.

Jagraon, Punjab

Bharat Bansal

Bharat Bansal is a climate advocate and youth engagement practitioner, currently working as a Community Manager at Reap Benefit and has spent eight years facilitating over 100+ learning experiences, engaging more than 2,500 young people across India in climate action and building essential 21st-century skills.

Churachandpur, Manipur

Breeze Kimneithem

Breeze Kimneithem is an Independent Interdisciplinary Researcher and Development Professional committed to advancing multi-dimensional sustainability through an intersectional lens.

Kolkata, West Bengal

Debarati Sengupta

Debarati Sengupta is an early-career marine researcher whose research focuses on the ecological preservation of the Indian Sundarbans.

Vellore, Tamil Nadu

Dhakshina Moorthy CJ

Dhakshina Moorthy CJ is a specialized consultant in Gram Panchayat Development Planning, especially for localizing Sustainable Development Goals through participatory governance.

Hyderabad , Telangana

Eerekar Prashanth

Prashanth Eerekar an eco-innovator dedicated to mobilizing the next generation through mock COP simulations and innovative endeavours.

Vill- sisola bujurg, distt- Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

Hina Saifi

Hina Saifi is a UN-recognized Climate Leader driving community-led climate action in Uttar Pradesh.

Namchi, Sikkim

Kalpana Mukhiya

Kalpana Mukhiya is an environmental specialist working on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration in Sikkim.

Wokha,Nagaland , Nagaland

L Thungbeni Murry

Thungbeni Murry is a development professional with specialization in Social Work and Management, specializing in large-scale community mobilization across Nagaland and Gujarat.

Barpathar, Golaghat, Assam , Assam

Lekhashri Bora

Lekhashri Bora is a dedicated environmental leader and a Biology teacher working in rural Assam, who also served as a Chief Minister’s Climate Resilient Village Fellow.

Ranikhet, Uttarakhand

Manisha Arya

Manisha Arya is a dedicated Program and Community Manager at EarthJust Ecosystems, where she oversees the Satat Shikshak Samudaya, a vast network of over 5,000 sustainability practitioners which include educators, Youth, corporate leaders & government leaders.

Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir

Mohsin Javid

Mohsin Javid is a wildlife ecologist and Ph.D. candidate at Aligarh Muslim University, specializing in Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

Jamshedpur , Jharkhand

Naveen Kumar

Naveen Kumar is a climate advocate and community leader working with LGBTQIA+ and marginalized communities in Jharkhand. His work brings together climate action, health, and social inclusion, with a focus on grassroots change.

New Delhi , Delhi

Nidhi Chauhan

Nidhi is a dedicated grassroots organizer and youth activist working at the intersection of labor rights and climate justice, focusing on migrant women, waste workers, and construction laborers.

Belthangady , Karnatka

Pranesh Nellyadi

Pranesh Nellyadi is an Innovation Fellow at Project DEFY and Changeloom Fellow, specializing in policy design and grassroots governance. He has contributed to the Karnataka and National Youth Manifestos, bridging grassroots voices with policymakers.

Kanalichhina in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand

Priyanka Digari

Priyanka is a grassroots climate activist from Uttarakhand working at the intersection of forest conservation, youth leadership, and community resilience through her work at the ARPAN organization.

West Garo Hills , Meghalaya

Rakesh Ch Saha

Rakesh Chandra Saha is a Zoologist and PhD student translating scientific research into community-led conservation efforts in Meghalaya.

Chandrapur , Maharashtra

Ram Dilip Chaudhari

Ram Chaudhary is a social worker and researcher working with Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Maharashtra’s Naxal-affected regions.

Korba , Chhattisgarh

Rashmi Yadav

Rashmi Yadav is a former Gandhi Fellow and community leader from Chhattisgarh working at the intersection of public health, gender, and climate action.

Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Reeya Detroja

Reeya Detroja is a purpose-driven leader working at the intersection of social justice, gender equality, and climate action.

kishanganj, Bihar

Roshni Perween

Roshni Perween is a UN-recognized activist and survivor-leader who has transformed her lived experience of child marriage and domestic violence into a powerful force for social justice.

Berhampur, Ganjam, Odisha

Shibani Padhy

Shibani Padhy is a climate innovator from Odisha who blends technology with grassroots action to address environmental challenges.

Leh, UT Ladakh

Stanzin Dothon

Stanzin Dothon is an indigenous environmental leader from Leh, Ladakh, working at the intersection of climate action, cultural preservation, and youth leadership.

Guwah, Assam

Tanuz Kalita

Tanuz Kalita is a researcher and anthropologist working at the intersection of indigenous knowledge and climate resilience.

Jodhpur , Rajasthan

Tirthraj Singh

Tirthraj Singh is a grassroots climate leader from Phalodi, Rajasthan, working to amplify the voices of last-mile communities often excluded from mainstream climate discourse.

Margao , Goa

Vaibhavi Vishwas Naik

Vaibhavi Vishwas Naik is an Assistant Professor of Zoology and Environmental Studies, with a research focus on Golden Jackals in Goa.