Jyotsna Sitling

Jyotsna Sitling is the first female tribal Indian Forest Service officer of India. With a career of 30+ years, she has worked at the helm of both state and central governments of India. As an institutional entrepreneur, she has created participatory institutions, policies, instruments and programs in areas like biodiversity, poverty, gender, livelihoods, watershed, agribusiness, entrepreneurship and skills. During this work, she has handled government projects and multilateral/bilateral projects with WFP, European Union (EU), GIZ, IFAD, IDRC, ICIMOD, UNESCO and World Bank. She continues to work passionately at the intersection of market, equity and environment. Presently, she is working on ecosystem for social enterprises in India. Ms. Sitling is IIM Bangalore alumnus and is a recipient of Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar 2004-05 and Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2006-07 for her outstanding contribution to the public service of the country. She has recently joined as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests – Van Panchayat in Uttarakhand after completing her tenure as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.