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Our Story

iamgurgaon is an initiative led by the citizens of Gurgaon who are dedicated to restoring the city’s environment that has been marred by unbridled urbanization. Our green army of concerned residents aspires to have an impact by fostering an ecosystem that restores our city’s biodiversity. It is an attempt to boost accountability, consciousness and vigilance amongst people in order to make our home, Gurgaon, a better and greener place.

Over the years, we have worked with partners, volunteers and the government on eco-restoration projects. The restoration has been of forests, waterbodies, drains and that were misused as dumping sites and for encroachments. The Aravali Biodiversity Park, Chakkarpur Wazirabad Bundh, Badshahpur Forest Corridor, Sikanderpur Pahadi, and Samadhaan Hub are some endeavors of our green journey.

Our urban planning efforts not only add to the beauty of the environment but also encourage unique ways of mobility so that the community can use these spaces for walking, cycling and other ways of leisure. Through our various initiatives, a crucial one being ‘Million Trees Gurgaon’, we have successfully created a sanctuary across Gurgaon by planting over 270,000 saplings. This ecosystem has become a favored habitat for endangered animal and bird species.

In these 15 years, iamgurgaon has been lauded for the work and effort of our team and partners on initiatives that span numerous acres and encompass the city of Gurgaon.

Our Ethos

Work Together.
Make a Difference.

We believe that great change is possible when we come together as one. While this has been our inspiration, it has also attributed to our success. All of us together make Gurgaon what it is. We are the present and we create the future.

Our Team

Swanzal Kak Kapoor

Swanzal Kak Kapoor

swanzal@saka.co.in
Swanzal Kak Kapoor

Swanzal Kak Kapoor

swanzal@saka.co.in

Swanzal is an architect by training, an artist at heart and an eco-warrior by calling. Her strong belief in the architecture of resonance and culture of social responsibility led her to co-create the award-winning Saka Studio in Gurgaon. Cognisant of the fact that the quality of life in Gurgaon had declined, she felt that everyone must “be the change”. Swanzal thus co-founded iamgurgaon, emphasising on a collaborative approach to city planning, expansion and administration for successfully reviving our habitat.

Priti Sanwalka

Priti Sanwalka

pritisanwalka@gmail.com

A Chartered Accountant, Priti avidly collaborates with NGOs in areas of environmental conservation and the upliftment of marginalised children. She is a member of the Board of Directors, the treasurer and Chair of Finance of Mobile Creches, an NGO focusing on the right to early child development for marginalised young children. Priti has been working with iamgurgaon as a core team member since 2011.

Nidhi Kankan

Nidhi Kankan

nidhikankan@gmail.com

An Economics graduate, Nidhi completed her master’s degree in counselling psychology 15 years later. As a mother of three adult daughters, she considers being a homemaker her primary occupation. Nidhi also works in the field of mental health, mostly for the less fortunate individuals in society. She has an inclination towards the environment and as a core team member of iamgurgaon, she feels proud to work for the rehabilitation of the environment in the city we call home.

Anjali Khatri

Anjali Khatri

anjalikhatri@hotmail.com

Originally from Chandigarh, Anjali completed her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and master’s degree in PR and advertising. She formerly served as a Research Associate with Petroleum India International in Mumbai. Today, she is a talented artist and a homemaker residing in Gurgaon who has a passion for yoga, nature walks and music. Anjali has been with iamgurgaon since the very beginning. She continues to work extensively with both NGOs and private schools in Gurgaon to educate children about various environmental developments and help them become more ecologically conscious individuals.

Gayatri Singh

Gayatri Singh

gayatri@artpilgrimlive.com

After completing her graduation in Economics from St. Stephens College (University of Delhi), Gayatri worked in the art and education sectors for over 20 years. She began her entrepreneurial adventures soon after she worked with Arthur Andersen and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Gayatri is the founder of ThinkStations and co-founder of QBS Learning, both of which are leading education content companies. Following her success, she was presented with the Tata Stree Shakti Award for Female Entrepreneurship. Today, she is the core team member and treasurer of iamgurgaon.

Vasundhara Agarwal

Vasundhara Agarwal

vasundhara6@hotmail.com
Vasundhara Agarwal

Vasundhara Agarwal

vasundhara6@hotmail.com

Deeply passionate about nature and gardening, Vasundhara also enjoys travelling and wildlife photography. She has dabbled in numerous business endeavours ranging from computer education for children to manufacturing environment-friendly electrical fittings. Striving to make our society a better place, she has worked with various NGOs like the Delhi Foundation of Deaf Women and schools for underprivileged children like Pragati and SShrishti. Her areas of expertise are fundraising, administration, teaching, and event planning. Ever since she joined iamgurgaon in 2013, she has not looked back.

Namrita Chaudhri

Namrita Chaudhri

namritachaudhri@gmail.com

Namrita developed a profound admiration for coexisting with nature and a yearning for uncluttered surroundings as a result of growing up in green cantonment surroundings. She has lived in Gurgaon since 2004 when she relocated her family to what was once a tranquil suburb surrounded by lush expansive fields. In addition to doing packaging for special occasions, Namrita is a music, art and travel enthusiast. Her journey with iamgurgaon started with a focus on volunteer initiatives that bring our community together for the enhancement of our environment.

Latika Thukral

Latika Thukral

latikathukral@gmail.com

After relocating to Gurgaon in 1996, Latika experienced how the remote town transformed drastically due to chaotic urban expansion. She resigned from her position as Senior Vice President of Citibank in 2008 and co-founded iamgurgaon soon after. Latika was awarded the Nari Shakti award by the President of India in 2015 for her efforts in changing the environment of Gurgaon for the better through this initiative. She also received an appreciation award from the Haryana government in 2010, the L’Oréal Femina Women of Substance in 2014, and Most Powerful Women in the Social Sector by Business Today in 2018.

Deep Kalra

Deep Kalra

dk@makemytrip.com

An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Deep is the Founder, Group Chairman and Group CEO of India’s most successful online travel company - MakeMyTrip Ltd. He was nominated by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year - Business Transformation in 2011 and the Most Powerful Digital Influencer in India in 2012 by KPMG. Deep is not only a swimming and yoga enthusiast but he is also keen on adventure sports quizzing and travelling. His strong belief in community initiative led him to become one of the core members of iamgurgaon.

Swanzal Kak Kapoor
swanzal@saka.co.in

Swanzal is an architect by training, an artist at heart and an eco-warrior by calling. Her strong belief in the architecture of resonance and culture of social responsibility led her to co-create the award-winning Saka Studio in Gurgaon. Cognisant of the fact that the quality of life in Gurgaon had declined, she felt that everyone must “be the change”. Swanzal thus co-founded iamgurgaon, emphasising on a collaborative approach to city planning, expansion and administration for successfully reviving our habitat.

Priti Sanwalka
pritisanwalka@gmail.com

A Chartered Accountant, Priti avidly collaborates with NGOs in areas of environmental conservation and the upliftment of marginalised children. She is a member of the Board of Directors, the treasurer and Chair of Finance of Mobile Creches, an NGO focusing on the right to early child development for marginalised young children. Priti has been working with iamgurgaon as a core team member since 2011.

Nidhi Kankan
nidhikankan@gmail.com

An Economics graduate, Nidhi completed her master’s degree in counselling psychology 15 years later. As a mother of three adult daughters, she considers being a homemaker her primary occupation. Nidhi also works in the field of mental health, mostly for the less fortunate individuals in society. She has an inclination towards the environment and as a core team member of iamgurgaon, she feels proud to work for the rehabilitation of the environment in the city we call home.

Anjali Khatri
anjalikhatri@hotmail.com

Originally from Chandigarh, Anjali completed her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and master’s degree in PR and advertising. She formerly served as a Research Associate with Petroleum India International in Mumbai. Today, she is a talented artist and a homemaker residing in Gurgaon who has a passion for yoga, nature walks and music. Anjali has been with iamgurgaon since the very beginning. She continues to work extensively with both NGOs and private schools in Gurgaon to educate children about various environmental developments and help them become more ecologically conscious individuals.

Gayatri Singh
gayatri@artpilgrimlive.com

After completing her graduation in Economics from St. Stephens College (University of Delhi), Gayatri worked in the art and education sectors for over 20 years. She began her entrepreneurial adventures soon after she worked with Arthur Andersen and The Economist Intelligence Unit. Gayatri is the founder of ThinkStations and co-founder of QBS Learning, both of which are leading education content companies. Following her success, she was presented with the Tata Stree Shakti Award for Female Entrepreneurship. Today, she is the core team member and treasurer of iamgurgaon.

Vasundhara Agarwal
vasundhara6@hotmail.com

Deeply passionate about nature and gardening, Vasundhara also enjoys travelling and wildlife photography. She has dabbled in numerous business endeavours ranging from computer education for children to manufacturing environment-friendly electrical fittings. Striving to make our society a better place, she has worked with various NGOs like the Delhi Foundation of Deaf Women and schools for underprivileged children like Pragati and SShrishti. Her areas of expertise are fundraising, administration, teaching, and event planning. Ever since she joined iamgurgaon in 2013, she has not looked back.

Namrita Chaudhri
namritachaudhri@gmail.com

Namrita developed a profound admiration for coexisting with nature and a yearning for uncluttered surroundings as a result of growing up in green cantonment surroundings. She has lived in Gurgaon since 2004 when she relocated her family to what was once a tranquil suburb surrounded by lush expansive fields. In addition to doing packaging for special occasions, Namrita is a music, art and travel enthusiast. Her journey with iamgurgaon started with a focus on volunteer initiatives that bring our community together for the enhancement of our environment.

Latika Thukral
latikathukral@gmail.com

After relocating to Gurgaon in 1996, Latika experienced how the remote town transformed drastically due to chaotic urban expansion. She resigned from her position as Senior Vice President of Citibank in 2008 and co-founded iamgurgaon soon after. Latika was awarded the Nari Shakti award by the President of India in 2015 for her efforts in changing the environment of Gurgaon for the better through this initiative. She also received an appreciation award from the Haryana government in 2010, the L’Oréal Femina Women of Substance in 2014, and Most Powerful Women in the Social Sector by Business Today in 2018.

Deep Kalra
dk@makemytrip.com

An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Deep is the Founder, Group Chairman and Group CEO of India’s most successful online travel company - MakeMyTrip Ltd. He was nominated by Ernst & Young as Entrepreneur of the Year - Business Transformation in 2011 and the Most Powerful Digital Influencer in India in 2012 by KPMG. Deep is not only a swimming and yoga enthusiast but he is also keen on adventure sports quizzing and travelling. His strong belief in community initiative led him to become one of the core members of iamgurgaon.

Our Invaluable Support

Vijay Dhasmana

Devoted to the cause of forest conservation, Vijay has spent more than 10 years working tirelessly in the field of ecological restoration, especially in the Aravali range. He has been a vital contributor to iamgurgaon by focusing on reviving the Aravali Biodiversity Park and the Chakkarpur Wazirabad Bundh. As part of his efforts, he also encourages landscape professionals to make use of native plants in their designs. Vijay continues to work on “re-wilding” initiatives in North India and leads an annual course called Barefoot Botanist - a plant field appreciation course with WWF.

Beyond Built - Nidhi Madan

Nidhi is a landscape architect with degrees in architecture and landscape design from SPA in New Delhi and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is also a Director and Access Consultant at Samarthyam, the National Centre for Accessible Environments, and the Indian Society of Landscape Architects’ Honorary Secretary (ISOLA). Enthusiastic about accessibility in spaces, sustainability, and the environment, Nidhi continues to work on the iamgurgaon Badshahpur Forest Corridor project with the entire Beyond Built (BBPL) team.

Uditi Agarwal

An urban planner, Uditi has more than 7 years of experience in urban development, policy formation, planning, and design in India. She has collaborated on projects with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and German Development Agency. Additionally, she has been working as a Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (GOI) on urbanisation strategy in India, urban mission formulation and management. She has also played major roles in the Government of India’s AMRUT, HRIDAY, and Smart Cities Missions. Her areas of specialisation include master planning, urban conservation, sustainable mobility, climate change, and housing.

Vina Verghese Biswas

An IIT Kharagpur graduate with a master’s degree in landscape architecture from SPA in New Delhi, Vina is a landscape architect. She has been a founding partner of VSPB Associates since 1995. She has also served as a visiting faculty member in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi and the Sushant School of Art and Architecture in Mumbai. Vina received the IFLA AAPME 2018 Outstanding Award from the International Federation of Landscape Architects (in the Social and Community Health category) on behalf of her firm for the iamgurgaon project on the eco-restoration of the Chakkarpur Wazirabad Bundh.

Sehreeti Developmental Practices Foundation – Nidhi Batra, Arvinder Singh

Sehreeti Developmental Practices Foundation is a non-profit organisation that strives to connect people with their surroundings. The foundation focuses on various areas including urban and landscape design, placemaking, participatory planning, policy and research, skill development and capacity building, environmental education, and outreach and advocacy.

JRA Design - Radhakrishnan Raghavan, Kavita Jain

JRA Design is a celebrated enterprise that specialises in landscape architecture and master planning, having gained recognition with numerous accolades. The firm possesses extensive proficiency in handling an array of projects, ranging from townships, institutions, housing, and hospitality to commercial, farmhouses, private residences, riverfront, and airport developments. JRA Design strives to generate an elevated sense of place that takes into account human engagement and interaction within a spatial framework. JRA Design’s approach is to create environmentally conscious solutions that foster a more liveable and sustainable world.

Lopez Design

Lopez Design is committed to using design-driven solutions to contribute to the development of cities and communities. As a multidisciplinary design firm, Lopez Design creates transformative interventions that provide genuine consumer experiences to promote sustainable business growth. The opportunity to work on eco-restoration projects spearheaded by iamgurgaon has allowed Lopez Design to extend this ideology and create comprehensive wayfinding and placemaking interventions that benefit the people of Gurgaon.

Gopal Namjoshi

Gopal Namjoshi is an environmental activist who expresses his concerns through art. He uses scrap metal to create sculptures that shed light on the environmental hazards created by consumerist lifestyles and junkyards. Namjoshi repurposes the discarded metal to create tangible renderings of humanity’s expired indulgences, and his creations occupy pride of place in cities and private collections. His philosophy is that trash is an aesthetic treasure, and his thought-provoking creations aim to bring attention to forms of activism often overlooked by major institutions.

Mukul Goyal

Mukul Goyal is an accomplished designer and a distinguished alumnus of Domus Academy (Milan), NID (Ahmedabad), and IIT-Kanpur. He is currently the Principal Designer and Director at Designwise India Pvt. Ltd. Mukul’s designs draw inspiration from everyday life and skilfully blend traditional materials with contemporary elements, resulting in lively and unique creations. His designs not only provide individuals with a fresh perspective but have also gained widespread recognition from various media outlets.