Manjunath Lakshmikanthan is a Regional Manager with ITC – Limited a leading multi-business conglomerate in India with interest in FMCG, hotels, paperboards and packaging, agribusiness and information technology. He is responsible of companies Social Investments in business critical regions of South Indian states. Prior to joining ITC – Limited he was with Center for Environment Education (CEE) coordinating UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme for South Indian states.
He has a Master degree in Forestry with specialization in Forest biology and Tree Improvement from University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad, Karnataka.
He is serving in ITC for 10 years now and pursuing company’s social investments (CSR) and sustainability agenda through crafting strategic partnership with government, CBOs, NGOs, rural banks and resource agencies. His work involves developing business models and approaches that integrates inclusive community development through sustainable management of natural resources that will have a positive impact on all the stakeholders in the region. He has identified key sustainability issues in agri-value chain, developed a mitigation plan & anchored its efficient implementation. He has promoted and scaled up localized water resource development in rural areas providing critical irrigation to agricultural crops and meeting livestock and domestic water requirements. He has presented research paper on community led restoration of village tanks and its economic impact on agriculture in academic and business forms. He has conceptualized, intensification of agro-forestry and integration of development programmes on a watershed basis and guiding its effective implementation through village institutions in backward rural regions of South India among socially and economically weaker section of society leading to diversified and assured income along with improved availability of key raw material to companies’ paper board business.