Qualifications: Master’s in Development, Azim Premji University, Bangalore, 2023

Email: premkumar@dakshin.org

Profile: Prem has always been interested in people and culture, which led him to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Language and Literature from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. In 2016, he represented India in the Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship, where he engaged with traditional Indonesian crafts. Inspired by this experience, he returned to work with Adivasis and other marginalised communities in Jharkhand, focusing on value addition of forest produce and traditional crafts.

The pandemic made him realise that livelihood initiatives alone could not address generational marginalisation. To gain a deeper understanding of holistic development, he pursued a Master’s in Development at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. During this time, he worked with Gond Adivasis of Panna Tiger Reserve on conservation-induced displacement, observing how human rights are often overlooked in the name of environmental conservation. He has since worked closely with historically marginalised communities across Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, contributing to projects in sustainable livelihoods, crafts-based entrepreneurship, natural resource management, and social and environmental justice.

Currently, he is part of the SeaChange initiative at Dakshin Foundation in the Andaman Islands, working on a Human–Crocodile Conflict Mitigation project. His professional interests lie at the intersection of gender, sustainable livelihoods, and social and ecological justice.

Outside of work, he enjoys reading, photography, hiking, cycling, and being around his kittens.