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State Climate Fellows
Deploying young, dynamic and experienced climate professionals to drive subnational climate action across India.
About the project
Our State Climate Fellows use their expertise to champion state climate strategies, streamline action and build alignment with India's national climate goals.
The initiative aims to boost the technical capacity of states; offer opportunities for knowledge exchange and interdepartmental coordination and explore collaboration between states, external agencies and networks.
In phase 1 (2021-2023), Fellows were deployed in five states - Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura. In phase 2 (2023-2024), we have deployed Fellows in the following states - Punjab, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Ladakh while retaining Tripura and Madhya Pradesh. In phase 3 (2024-2025), our Fellows are working in four states - Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.
Meet Aswathykrishna PN:
Aswathykrishna PN is our State Climate Fellow for Telangana
Aswathykrishna PN is working with Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI), Hyderabad, an autonomous institute of the Government of Telangana.
She is currently supporting research, capacity building, and policy development, helping to drive climate change initiatives at the state level. Ashwathy is also facilitating inter-departmental coordination, exploring potential bankable projects, and enabling knowledge exchange across various platforms.
Meet Divyanshu Shukla:
Divyanshu is our State Climate Fellow for Uttar Pradesh
Divyanshu is working in the state of Uttar Pradesh at the Directorate of Environment, Government of Lucknow.
In his role, Divyanshu is focused on building the capacities of government officials across various departments, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and implement effective climate policies and programs.
His work involves providing technical support, stakeholder engagement, data analysis & documentation, and policy research to strengthen the state's climate resilience.
Meet Sarita Fernandes:
Sarita is our State Climate Fellow for Maharashtra
Sarita is working with the State Climate Action Cell, under the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Maharashtra. Her focus areas involve training and building the capacities of officials across 44 AMRUT cities of Maharashtra on urban climate action.
She is also reviewing and supporting the drafting of Maharashtra's climate policies and climate-resilient agriculture in the districts via the climate action cell. As a Fellow, Sarita is also supporting the formulation of District Climate Action Cells.
Meet Vibhav Kumar Sharma:
Vibhav is our State Climate Fellow for Madhya Pradesh
Vibhav is working with the State Knowledge Management Centre on Climate Change (SKMCCC) under the Environmental Planning & Coordination Organisation (EPCO) in Madhya Pradesh. He plays a key role in building institutional capacities by designing and delivering targeted capacity-building programmes for government officials on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and climate finance.
Vibhav also supports the integration of climate resilience into state planning and governance frameworks. His work focuses on fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, facilitating knowledge exchange, and ensuring that Madhya Pradesh’s climate action strategies align with national and global commitments.
Meet our previous Climate Fellows
Our State Climate Fellows programme has been running since 2021 and has proven to be an invaluable way of ensuring climate issues are factored into state government work.
