About Us

The Corbett Foundation (TCF) was established by late Mr. Dilip D. Khatau and his wife, Mrs. Rina Khatau, on April 22, 1994. Mr. Khatau was a former Member of the National Board for Wildlife in India and a former Member of the Indian Wildlife Business Council of the Confederation on Indian Industry.  TCF is a charitable trust, a non-profit and a non-governmental organisation that is fully  dedicated to the conservation of wildlife with active involvement of local communities.

TCF has successfully demonstrated its interventions around important tiger conservation landscapes in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur and Uttarakhand,  and  in semi arid ecosystems of Western India (Gujarat and Rajasthan) where it work towards the protection of Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered species and other threatened flora and fauna. TCF adopts a 'holistic approach' to conservation which includes interventions in the areas of ecological research, biodiversity conservation, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, habitat restoration, sustainable livelihoods, watershed development, sustainable rural development, human and veterinary health, policy and advocacy. TCF has implemented its programmes in over 650+ villages and adopts a multipronged strategy to help in creating a future where wildlife and human beings live in harmony.

With an extremely dedicated team, TCF has several success stories to its credit in more than 25 years of its existence. Conservation and integrated sustainable development require the support of contributors from diverse sectors to become successful. TCF partners with various corporates, multinational companies, financial institutions and public sector units over Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and International bodies to create meaningful partnerships and implement programmes that are aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

TCF is a Member of the IUCN, Member of IUCN-Indian National Committee, Member of Global Tiger Forum and a SAVE Associate. TCF’s key staff members are associated with the following IUCN Commissions: Species Survival Commission, Bustard Specialist Group and Bear Specialist Group, Commission for Education and Communication and World Commission on Protected Areas, South Asia. TCF is also a partner in Satpuda Landscape Tiger Partnership (SLTP) facilitated and funded by Born Free Foundation, UK. TCF has been accredited by Credibility Alliance under the Desirable Norms for Voluntary Organisations in India. TCF has been awarded the Transparency Key of GuideStar India in 2020 and 2021.

TCF is the recipient of the WWF-PATA Tiger Conservation Award in 2000, TOFT-Sanctuary Wildlife Tourism Award for the best Wildlife Tourism Related Community Initiative of the Year 2014, Kirloskar Vasundhara Mitra Award 2015 and a Certificate of Merit at the World CSR Congress in 2016 and 2018, Best Responsible Tourism Project by Madhya Pradesh Tourism in 2016, Certificate of Excellence by Corbett Tiger Reserve in 2017, Certificate of Excellence by Kanha Tiger Reserve in 2018 and Silver Award in Best Wildlife Conservation Project category at the Outlook India Responsible Tourism Awards 2020.TCF is represented on the State Wildlife Advisory Board of Gujarat, and was represented on the State Wildlife Board of Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh in the past. It is also represented on the State-level Bustard Conservation Committee of Gujarat and the Local Advisory Committee of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.

In tune with its Mission Statement - The Corbett Foundation consists of a group of dedicated men and women who are committed to the conservation of wildlife and nature, and to fulfilling the ambition that man and nature must live together in harmony - TCF works towards a harmonious coexistence between human beings and wildlife across important wildlife habitats in India, namely Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand), Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves (Madhya Pradesh), Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (Assam), and around the Greater Rann of Kutch (Gujarat). In addition to the above areas, TCF lays more emphasis on taking up conservation work in critical wildlife landscapes of the Kanha-Pench Corridor and the Bandhavgarh-Sanjay Dubri Corridor, both in Madhya Pradesh. TCF's programmes have also reached Pakke Tiger Reserve (Arunchal Pradesh), the Little Rann of Kutch and coastal parts of Kutch (Gujarat), Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharashtra), Barnwapara Wildlife Sanctuary (Chhatisgarh), Tamenglong (Manipur) and Laokhowa and Burachapori wildlife sanctuaries (Assam).

The Corbett Foundation is a charitable trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. It is also registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 under registration number 231650853 and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for CSR under registration number CSR00000183 and with the NITI Aayog under registration UA/2017/0179126. The donations to The Corbett Foundation are tax exempt u/s 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Corbett Foundation is honoured to be working under the guidance and leadership of its Board of Trustees. The Board comprises of individuals with immense experience in the nature of programmes and projects undertaken by TCF.

Late Mr. Dilip D. Khatau

Founder

Mrs. Rina D. Khatau

Chairperson

Chairperson, Conservation Corporation of India Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. B. K. Goswami, IAS (Retd.)

Trustee

Former Secretary,
Government of India

Dr. M. K. Ranjitsinh, IAS (Retd.)

Trustee

Former Secretary,
Government of India

Mr. Nirmal Ghosh

Trustee

Former member of the steering Committee of Project Elephant 
and US Bureau Chief of The Straits Times

Mr. Sam Mistry

Trustee

Former Director, Adventure Lodges Pvt. Ltd.

 

Mr. Akshobh Singh

Trustee

Associated with Central Himalayan Environment Association

Mr. Darius E. Udwadia

Trustee

Senior Partner, Udwadia & Co.

Mr. Prabhu Rajkotia

Trustee

Director, Conservation Corporation of India Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Laxmikumar N. Goculdas

Trustee

Director, DMCC Speciality Chemicals Limited

Dr. Divyabhanusinh Chavda

Trustee

Advisory Board Member, WWF-India & Member, Cat Specialist Group, 
Species Survival Commission, IUCN

Mr. Atul C. Kirloskar

Trustee

Executive Chairman, Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd. and Chairman, Kirloskar Industries Ltd.

Mr. Gautam Dilip Khatau

Trustee

Director, Conservation Corporation of India Pvt. Ltd.

Partners

Key People

  • Dr. A.J.T. Johnsingh

    Scientific Advisor

    Dr. A.J.T. Johnsingh conducted the first study on a free-ranging large mammal in India by studying dholes or Asiatic wild dogs in Mudumalai-Bandipur landscape from 1973 to 1978. After working at Wildlife Institute of India as faculty from 1985 to 2005, he has been associated with Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and WWF-India. He has represented IUCN in its Cat, Canid, Asian Elephant, Bear and Caprinae Specialist Groups and Government of India as a member of National Wildlife Board and Tiger Conservation Authority. Presently he is a member of Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board. His primary interests are mahseer, large mammal, wildlife corridor and habitat conservation. He has authored two popular books Field Days and Walking the Western Ghats and is the senior editor of The mammals of South Asia Vol I and II.

  • Dr. Asad R. Rahmani

    Scientific Advisor

    Dr. Asad R. Rahmani is the former Director of Bombay Natural History Society. His main work is on bustards, storks, globally threatened birds, wetlands and grasslands. He has written more than 160 scientific papers, 20 books, and numerous articles, editorials and book reviews. He believes that the conservation movement in India should involve local communities, and the benefits of conservation should be received by the local people as well.

  • Mr. Kedar Gore

    Director

    Backed with a Master's in Zoology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management, Kedar Gore has been actively engaged since 1997 in wildlife conservation and environmental protection work with reputed NGOs such as WWF-India and TERI. Kedar has been working as the Director of The Corbett Foundation since July 2009 and heads of all its divisions. He has received the NUFFIC Fellowship of The Netherlands Government in 2009 and 2012, and is a Fellow of the International Visitor Leadership Program 2010 of the US Department of State. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Conservation Biology from the Bombay Natural History Society, in addition to other professional courses from the Wildlife Institute of India, the Wageningen University, and the US Department of State. He is a Member of the IUCN Commissions - Commission on Education and Communication, Species Survival Commission (Bustard Specialist Group) and World Commission on Protected Areas. Kedar has been honoured with IUCN CEC Excellence Award, South & Southeast Asia in 2019, Excellence in Biodiversity Conservation and Environmental Awareness by Think Wildlife Awards in 2018 and 50 Most Impactful Social Innovators Award by World CSR Congress in 2018.

  • Dr. Harendra Singh Bargali

    Deputy Director, Corbett

    Harendra Singh Bargali completed a Doctorate at Saurashtra University, Gujarat, India, studying sloth bear ecology and human-bear conflicts, and is one of the first individuals to conduct an intensive study of this species in India. Apart from being Deputy Director at TCF, is also currently Research Associate at Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, USA, and Co-Chair of the IUCN/BSG Sloth Bear Expert Team. He has previously worked with Wildlife Institute of India, Wildlife Policy Research Cell and WWF, and has also been a member of the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Advisory Board (2012-2014).

  • Dr. Naveen Pandey

    Deputy Director, Kaziranga

    Naveen Pandey is one of the finest veterinary surgeons in India, and has over 14 years of experience in the field. His study on the welfare, status and management of captive elephants in West Bengal is now a commonly followed standard. He lays emphasis on Preventive Medicine, Disease Surveillance and Conservation Medicine to contain the spread of diseases amongst wildlife. He holds an MBA and works for interdepartmental collaboration for effective conservation initiatives. He has recently been awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship for studying Conservation Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

  • Dr. Devesh Gadhavi

    Deputy Director, KERC (A division of TCF in Kutch)

    Devesh Gadhavi has a Master's in Zoology and is pursuing his PhD in Zoology (Wildlife Science). An avid wildlife photographer, he is a member of 'State Level Bustard Conservation Committee' in Gujarat, and has played a key role in the preparation of the 'Bustard Recovery Plan for Kachchh District'. He has eight years experience in the field of ecology, and his main topic of interest is avian ecology. He has been instrumental in undertaking ecological and socio-economic projects in Kutch in collaboration with the Forest Department of Gujarat.

  • Dr. Gyanendra Prajapati

    Sr. Programme Officer (Medical)

    Gyanendra Prajapati has a Master's in Social Work and a Bachelor's in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery. He is actively involved in the examination of patients at OPDs and village camps, and conducts health awareness programmes for students and local communities living around Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

  • Mr. Rajesh Sakat

    Coordinator (Sustainable Livelihood)

    Rajesh Sakat has a Master's in Social Work with a specialisation in Family and Child Welfare from Karve Institute of Social Service, Pune. He is currently pursuing a PhD from Tata Institute of Social Sciences on Corporate Social Responsibility with a focus on Rural Development. He has over 10 years of experience in the social developmental sector. At TCF, he heads 'Pukaar' TCF's livelihood training programme for forest-dependent communities.

  • Mr. Dushyantsinh Jhala

    Accounts and Admin Officer

    Dushyantsinh Jhala, incharge of handling accounts and internal audit, has done his graduation in Psychology and brings with him around 18 years of professional work experience. With a keen interest in wildlife and conservation, he started his career as a researcher on Lesser Florican project in Blackbuck National Park, Bhavnagar. He has worked as an accountant in various companies. He is also an avid birdwatcher and is a gifted artist, whose wildlife paintings on canvas perfectly depict the moods of wildlife.

  • Mr. Dikesh Chaudhary

    Project Officer (Sustainable Livelihoods - Kanha)

    Dikesh Chaudhary works as Project Officer at TCF's Kanha division where he focuses on organizing livelihood training programmes for forest-dependent communities, formation of SHGs, and creating market-linkages for SHGs and individual entrepreneurs. He has a Master's in Social Work and and an experience of over three years in various livelihood-generating skills and in working with communities living in and around Kanha Tiger Reserve.

  • Mr. Dibyajyoti Saikia

    Project Officer (Sustainable Livelihoods - Kaziranga)

    An impeccably sound extension worker, Dibyajyoti Saikia, is known for his artistic inclinations in the community around Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. He has dexterously used the goodwill- generated through art, folk and dance activities- for establishing livelihood vocational training programme in Kaziranga for TCF. His Assamese background with family-driven agricultural exposure helps him to identify suitable livelihood interventions for the local villagers. He carries over 15 years of experience in wildlife and eco-tourism In Assam and Andhra Pradesh and advocates group-based vocations for an effective social change.

  • Dr. Lalit Singh

    Programme Officer (Rural Medical Outreach Programme)

    Dr. Lalit Singh holds a Bachelor of Ayurvedic medicine & surgery (BAMS) degree and is an MD in Ayurveda (Pharmacology with manufacturing of Ayurvedic medicine) from Rishikul Government Ayurvedic College, Hardwar, Uttarakhand. His thesis work involved extraction of copper from copper sulphate & preparing of copper bhasma. His interests in the medical field lie in the research of health, Ayurveda and alternative healing systems. Currently at The Corbett Foundation's division at Ramnagar, Corbett, he heads the Rural Medical Outreach Programme and the medical team during medical camps and at the OPD.