Dhruba is from the second batch MPhil (1995-96), currently working as Senior Manager, Business Consulting, Ernst & Young LLP.
His previous engagement was about 9+ years as National Mission Manager, Institution Building and Capacity Building, Deendayal Antodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY- NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi. He has contributed to policy formulation at the national level, implementation of mega rural development government scheme, integrated forestry sector projects, enhancing livelihoods of the community, watershed- based projects, biodiversity, climate change, strengthening community institutions, health and nutrition and knowledge management.
LinkedIn: Dhruba Jyoti Sengupta – Senior Manager – Ernst & Young Global Consulting Services| LinkedIn
Twitter: https://x.com/DJSengupta1
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM so far?
A. Prior to joining IIFM, I was working in southern Rajasthan, after completing my post- graduation in Rural Development from XISS, Ranchi in 1991, on community forestry, integrated watershed-based forestry project, strengthening the community institutions working with the Government of Rajasthan and NGOs. I was based in a village named Mada, Bicchiwada Block, Dungarpur District in an NGO named PEDO. It was an amazing experience working in PEDO. I was the capacity building head of PAHAL Pariyojana, funded by SIDA and Govt. of Rajasthan. PAHAL provided opportunity to work with the Government and the community, learned how and what of bottom-up approach in planning and implementation of projects. It also provided opportunity to connect and learn from the great industry leaders like Parmesh Shah, Madhu Sarin, Bankar Roy, Aruna Roy, Rajendra Singh and other leaders.
I met Mr. P. M. Busi(PFM 1992) in Rajasthan, we were working together, and he had done PGDFM from IIFM and MPhil in NRM (first batch). Busi persuaded me to join IIFM and I joined in the second batch MPhil in NRM. Joining IIFM was one of the great decisions and a turning point in my professional career. I met great teachers like Mazumdar Sir (IFS 1982 Batch), Pethiya Sir, Biswas Sir, Pradyut Sir, Rekha Madam, Malkania Sir and Malkania Madam, Kotwal Sir, Rathor Sir, Madhu Verma Madam and Amitabh Sir. Professors were like guides to me and we use to spend quality time both in classroom and in canteen. Listening to them and learning from their journey helped me develop both knowledge and skill. There were some strict teachers like Pethiya Sir, and some were quite friendly like Mazumdar Sir(IFS 1982 Batch) . Amitabh Sir was like a good friend, we use to play cricket together and had participated in the All-India Sports Meet in Thiruvananthapuram. Sujoy was another good friend in the campus.
We had a great group in our Batch. There were two Professors from Nepal (Pokhra and Kathmandu University) in our batch, one Forester from MP Cadre, two Professors from Ranchi University, one practitioner from WWF, two from NGO. I was the Class Representative and got opportunity to participate in meetings with various committees. Most of the PGDFM students (95-96 and 96-97 batch) were good friends, we use to hand out together.
After IIFM, Professors had asked me to stay in the campus and start working in IIFM. But I was called back by PEDO to join and lead their forestry program. Went back to PEDO, worked there for a year, developed some good models in community forestry, got an opportunity to work in then NTGCF (now FES) for just 10 days. I somehow didn’t like the work profile, as work in PEDO was much more satisfying, and connecting with the community, so left NTGCF and went back to PEDO and joined as Assistant Director. I planned and implemented forestry programs with support from donors and plantation in more than 7,000 hectares across the district. Established a community managed sustainable forestry program, which was appreciated and adopted in national forestry guidelines. Facilitated convergence with relevant departments, which ensure the sustainability of the practices. Developed and implemented the first-ever Government and Non-Government development project – PAHAL – in Dungarpur supported by SIDA, Sweden with a value of Rs.500 crore, which was designed in line with the watershed approach and sustainable livelihoods. Conducted training needs assessment of the stakeholders. Designed training modules, programs, training materials and a calendar to enhance the capacity of government and NGO staff and field-level workers. Identified training agencies and resource persons to facilitate training of the project stakeholders. Facilitated federation of SHGs at the Panchayat and block level and gender mainstreaming in the interventions by developing a strategy and an action plan. Documented and evaluated the training process and prepared reports on the same. Facilitated HRD activities at the block and district level. Developed innovative training methodologies. Established MIS systems to monitor and train field workers for the same. Established a monitoring framework for periodic evaluation of gender mainstreaming at district, block and community level (all levels) using MIS tools.
Developed gender training modules and established a community-based review
mechanism. Provided critical advisory support to the PMU on project management.
I met my better-half Nilanjana, she was in the PEDO campus for her summer placement from XISS, Ranchi (1994-95 batch). She joined PEDO after her post graduation in Rural Development and we worked together. I got married in August 1997 and my son Onkar was born in 1998. Nilanjana left PEDO and joined NEEDS in Deoghar, Jharkhand as it was close to Ranchi, her hometown. My son used to stay in Ranchi with my in-laws, Nilanjana use to work in Deoghar, and I was in Dungarpur. This did not continue for long, and I was offered a good deal then by NEEDS to provide technical consultancy services in watershed planning and implementation. So given the situation, I left Rajasthan and joined NEEDS in 1999. Working there with large number of NGOs and providing consultancy services somehow improved my skill sets developed from IIFM. My journey in consulting services started from NEEDS. During this tenure I designed and implemented micro watersheds across Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar; conducted need assessment training and organizational capacity building for NGOs; provided technical support on project management using M&E tools; established periodic monitoring framework at district, block and community level; conducted participatory research & documentation.
Me and my wife both were shifted to Bhubaneswar after the super cyclone to manage the network of NGOs working in disaster preparedness and management. Working closely with the Disaster Cell (now SDMA) in Bhubaneswar, I received a fellowship from Indo German Social Service Society (IGSSS), Regional Office East, for conducting a post-funding appraisal and evaluation of 50+ project partners of IGSSS in eastern and western Orissa in 2001. My daughter Snehal was born in 2002.
I was offered a position in Madhyam Foundation a startup for consulting services in 2003.While in Madhyam, services provided were like – assessment and capacity- building support to Chilika Development Authority to develop several watersheds in the catchment area of Chilika lake; provided capacity building support to the community in forestry, promoted forest-based livelihoods, developed community-managed forestry. Conducted training programs for the communities in forest-based livelihood programs in Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project, supported by JICA. Trained members of the NGO-MFIs in Orissa in the sub-sector management skills. Provided technical support to develop monitoring indicators for projects in Odisha supported by Ford Foundation, New Delhi and India Development Services (IDS), USA in Bihar and Orissa.
While doing so, there was lot of learning from the field, and I felt the need to hone my skills in bridging the gap between theory and practice. I joined The Livelihood School (now Institute of Livelihood Research and Training [ILRT]), BASIX as Regional Manager. Working in ILRT helped me build my knowledge and also skill to write case studies etc. I developed training modules, materials and tools on seven different livelihood promotion modules, based on market study of training need assessment. Designed and implemented action research project – Livelihood Pathways for the Poorest- in a district of Bihar (Gaya) supported by Grameen Foundation USA, which established a financial model to address the poorest through the microfinance industry under the project with relevant departments, which enabled better planning and effective investments in other rural areas. Avinash (IIFM 2000 batch) had joined my team in Gaya.
Conducted training needs assessment of the practitioners (JEEViKA – BRLPS), Bihar for 15 selected cases, and rolled out a training plan for Village Organization members and field functionaries of BRLPS. Documented and coordinated the Bihar study to identify the training needs and plan an annual training schedule to roll out State Rural Livelihoods Mission supported by the World Bank, conducted by Consortia of Management Institutes (IIM-A, MDI-Gurgaon, XIMB, XLRI, The Livelihood School, PRADAN and ACCESS Development Services).
For about five and half years, working with stalwarts like Vijay Mahajan, Sankar Dutta, Prof Raju (IRMA), Profs in IRMA, XIMB and IIM-A, MDI-Gurgaon and XLRI, enabled my learning in academia world. Also coming from the practitioner side this stint with ILRT helped me in developing my knowledge and skill on teaching and training methodologies, documenting case studies, preparing training courses and materials, imparting training and teaching management students in XISS-Ranchi, XIMB, KIIT School of Rural Management-Bhubaneswar and Development Management Institute- Patna.
Post this, I wanted to work with large scale livelihood programme/scheme to explore and learn from the livelihood challenges faced across different geographies. I joined DAY- NRLM, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India in 2012 as National Mission Manager, Institution Building and Capacity Building, also managed Knowledge Management and Communication portfolio.
Nine years in NRLM had provided great opportunity to contribute to design and implement large scale livelihood scheme working within the Government system. Designed and developed various government policies and SOPs for NRLM implementation at center and state level.
Designed, developed, implemented and institutionalized capacity building architecture across the country using the support of Resource Cell, NIRD-Hyderabad, National Resource Pool. Contributed as a State Anchor for supporting Assam, Gujarat and Haryana State SRLMs in implementing the NRLM programme and facilitated converge with relevant departments. Facilitated training needs assessment to enhance the capacity of stakeholders in community development and livelihood improvement. Facilitated the training plan of Covid-19 management and rolled it out to more than five crore Self-Help Group members across the states and UTs. Facilitated and finalized the preparation of gender mainstreaming strategy and supported states to form over 69.9 lakhs SHGs, which included more than 7.2 crore rural women members, facilitated in disbursement of more than Rs.11,000.00 crore community funds and Rs.2.15 lakh crore bank linkage for the improvement of livelihoods (till I was engaged in NRLM). Anchored FNHW portfolio in DAY-NRLM, MoRD and developed training modules, annual training schedule national and state strategy and relevant policies etc. Supported states in designing and preparation of the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) [decentralized community-based planning process], which was rolled out across the country. Created global e-platform for local artefacts and NTFP products for developing market linkages, provided critical advisory support to the DAY-NRLM on project management. An interesting assignment was delivered – provided support to Mr. Kopulla Raju (IAS 1981), while he was in the National Advisory Council (NAC) in preparation of course materials on poverty reduction in India for LBSNAA, Mussoorie for 2012-13 batch IAS Officers, and visited LBSNAA to roll out the community interactive sessions, which continued for couple of years. Not sure about the current batches though.
I thought of experiencing working in the Big 4’s, so joined Ernst & Young LLP as
Manager and am currently leading a team of excellent professionals (few from IIFM like Akshat Nagar, Bhaskar J Paul, Ratul Saha, Shakti Saha, Chiteshwar Kumar, Saishri Reddy) based in Guwahati, Assam. Currently I have been promoted as Senior Manager in the firm and I continue working as Team Leader of Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) Phase II. The Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation is co-funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Government of Assam with an aim to conserve Assam’s forests and biodiversity while improving the livelihood of the forest dependent communities. The second phase of the APFBC focuses on ecosystem conservation, community involvement, and institutional development, with an emphasis on gender and social equity.
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. If I reflect on my journey of 33 years in development sector and specifically 28 years after IIFM, there are a number of milestones.
I think I grew up learning from the challenges and learned the hands-on knowledge and skill (how to address) in designing, strategizing, implementing and monitoring large scale Government projects. On one hand working in DAY-NRLM, MoRD, I could influence few national level policies (specific to Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ministry), and on the other hand I continuously build on the lessons learned.
One important thing I would like to mention here is – while working closely with the senior bureaucrats (IAS and IFS), you get to upskill yourself and develop knowledge base as well as skill sets such that the client looks forward for your guidance!! I can see that a role transformation happened over three decades. One fundamental learning is – “no work is small” – it can give you lot of learning!! If you translate the learning into action, nothing like that.
Q. How has been your experience in your current Organization? What all areas have you been working here?
A. Experience in Ernst & Young LLP (my current employer) is fantastic, and it provides you opportunity to increases your horizon of thinking and take actions. Since last four years, the project that I am leading in Assam – Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) is co-funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Government of Assam with an aim to conserve Assam’s forests and biodiversity while improving the livelihood of the forest dependent communities. It has majorly three components:
● (i) Conservation of Ecosystem, including (a) multi-scale approach with an environmental and social lens to conservation planning in priority sites and (b) informed decision making in natural resource management, (c) equitable share of benefits. This also includes technology solutions using GIS and IT platforms, plantations, climate change, wildlife, collaborative biodiversity management;
● (ii) Community Engagement, including (a) income generation through sustainable use of natural resources, (b) improved livelihood-oriented skills and market access (c) diversified-livelihood assets with a gender-transformative approach (d) increased well being and reduced vulnerability to future risks;
● (iii) Institutional Development, including (a) institutional capacity of the department strengthened, (b) increased efficiency, motivation of the forest department in conservation efforts and (c) improved workplace conditions and social welfare. Cross cutting sectors are gender and social inclusion and environmental and social safeguards.
Q.What is the most satisfying part in your career?
A. Working with the community is the most satisfying part, and especially rural women coming out of poverty is the biggest achievement. DAY-NRLM has provided that platform and support. At the end of the day – a million-dollar smile of a rural poor women who have come out of poverty and gives blessing to you – makes your day!! I have experienced it.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. Off course yes, any institutions in that matter prepare you with the loads of knowledge and skill sets.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.
A. For me Devilal Vyas, Bunkar Roy, Madhu Sarin, Parmesh Shah were the biggest influencers in my early carrier days. Prof Majumdar(IFS 1982 Batch), IIFM also has a special mention in driving me to get engaged in forestry sector projects and showed the pathways. In mid carrier it was Vijay Mahajan, Sankar Dutta, Prof K Raju from IRMA, Prof Somnath Ghosh from IIM, Kozhikode and Prof Sambhu from IRMA and then later part it was T Vijay Kumar (83 batch IAS Officer), Amarjit Sinha (83 batch IAS Officer), S M Vijayanand (81 batch IAS Officer). I did spent lot of time traveling with my influencers and discussed issues and challenges. Given an opportunity I would like to thank all of them in shaping my carrier. In the recent years it was Amit Vatsayan(PFM 2001) and Amit Kumar (ex IFS 96 batch) and Amit Bajaj(PFM 2006)have helped me sharpen my skills.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. Oh! It’s been years that I have left the campus, yet lot of memories of IIFM days – the IIFM building, the Professors, the India Gate, the classroom, computer centre, library, hostel and of course the canteen. Chai pe adda, the birthday parties and the halla-bol with MPhil and PFM friends. The list can go on, each day in the campus was a memorable day, including a few scolding from Profs. especially Pethiya Sir. I don’t recollect the name of the shop downhill where we used to walk down for samosas and chai but it was wonderful. The Forest Meet – cricket tournament – the practise, the travel, the dress code, the matches. Memories of visiting Kathmandu and Pokhra University with batchmates, Sujoy and Mazumdar Sir. Memories of visit to Kanha and Tadoba National Park.
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. Biggest takeaway from IIFM was its course, course materials and lectures. Since I had to teach my batchmates at night, the course was refreshed each day which was a big advantage! All that happened within the campus and off the campus helped me being me and then a professional.
Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A. Best buddy was Ishita Sinha (batchmate), Majumdar Sir(IFS 1982 Batch) and Sujoy was close. I had to fight with the faculty in-charge for issuance of scholarship for the entire batch (baring one – Khan who was CF from the MP Forest Department) and ensured that everyone got it, which had a price to pay (I had to revise sessions with them at night) as I had to ensure that my batchmates scored good marks so that the scholarship was received by all.
Q. As an alumni, what’s your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. Focus on the course being taught, spend time with faculties and library, connect
between theory and practice. Enjoy the stay in IIFM campus!!
Q. What was your typical day at the work? And how does it look like while you are on a break?
A. Since I have spent lot of time in the client office, my day is usually planned but there are disruptions as working with the Government has challenges. But I enjoy working closely with colleagues, seniors and clients. Since I stay alone for almost 20 years now, so I have learned to manage my daily routine and plan efficiently.
Q. And how about weekends, hobbies, family and anything else you want to add?
A. My weekends are mostly spent with client so nothing special for me. When I am with the family (as they stay in Kolkata), I do spend a quality time with the family.
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? Your engagement with IIFM Placement or OT/SI?
A. We do have IIFM students placed in EY. A training program for Rangers from Assam is being organised in January 2025. More engagement with IIFM’s rich experience may be planned to equip the practitioners with necessary tools to address the challenges in the field.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there?
A. Over the years things have changed. I would like to appreciate the management to bring in the dynamic Director. Things are more organised, and the institute has lot of visibility in the recent times. Alumni is pro-active and doing an excellent job supporting the freshers.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. P M Busi, Amit Vatsayan and Biswadeep Ghosh.