Our Team
VIKSAT has a team of professionally qualified staff member’s with rich experience and expertise in diverse fields of its operations. The team is led by the Director as the executive head of the organisation. Its second line of leadership, Dy. Director coordinates various thrust areas, is also professionally well qualified and well experienced, operating independently in respective of their programmes. The management, programme coordinators and programme officers, Field Coordinators usually take collective decisions on all the important matters.
The Director reports to the Council of Management, which is the apex body of the organization, currently chaired by Shri Kartikeya Sarabhai. VIKSAT team seeks guidance from the Council to carry out its mission of promoting and strengthening people's institutions through interactions, for an equitable, gender-sensitive, sustainable development and management of natural resources.
The organization’s management style is unique in the sense that it blends professionalism with informal human relations that complement each other. The flow of hierarchy consists of Director, Dy. Director, Programme Coordinators, Field Coordinators, Project Officers, Project Associates, Field Supervisors, Administration and Accounts staff. The organization work culture is quite democratic and there is easy access to staff members across groups and levels. Organization believes in team work and the operations are independently carried out by functional groups. As and when required, task based teams are also formed for carrying out specific activities.
The Human Resource Development aspect is given importance in the personnel policies and growth opportunities for the staff members are carefully planned. Most of the field staff is recruited from local area and senior positions are occupied by well qualified professional staffs which are the strength of the organization. All the staff members are given ample opportunities for capacity building and self-development through the constant avenues for in-house and external trainings at different levels.
Total transparency is observed in terms of implementation and information sharing with all the funding agencies and other concerned on all aspects of the programme and the management. Accuracy, timeliness and transparency in information sharing and reporting are embedded in VIKSAT management and most of the funding agencies find VIKSAT as donor friendly, exceptionally competent and highly reliable NGO with total accountability.
Our Values:
VIKSAT works towards Sustainable Development through Participatory Natural Resource Management with people at centre and for the interest of the poor and marginalized.
| Integrity in everything we do | Serve with passion | Empathy for all |
|---|---|---|
| We strive never to take the easy path, but always the honest one. We practice integrity in all our actions and try to do the right thing by every stakeholder. | We are fiercely committed to our purpose of sustainable Development, and work with a burning desire to make a difference. | We are committed to working together with unconditional respect, freedom, trust and support for each other. |
Our Team :
Shri Dilip Surkar
Dilip Surkar is a development professional working in the field of education, environment conservation and sustainable development for over 33 years. He is currently serving as the Executive Director of VASCSC, Director of VIKSAT, and as Senior Fellow with AIF. He is a civil engineering graduate with postgraduate education in financial management, environmental management, and water & sanitation. He has been an active contributor to various areas of scientific, educational, environmental, and social relevance. Under his leadership, VASCSC received the ‘National Award for Science & Technology Communication’ from Govt. of India, and the prestigious ‘Times of India Social Impact Award for Education Sector.’ He worked as the National Coordinator of the GEF UNDP SGP in India. Also served as the Managing Director of Paryavaran Edutech, a not-for-profit company. He was Co-chair of End Water Poverty (EWP) for two years and a board member of CANSA for four years. He is currently the Chairman of the Society for Sustainable Urban Development (SSUD). He is on Boards of organizations including CEE, CHETNA, KHAMIR, and Paryavaran Edutech. He is a member of several committees contributing to conservation and development.
Shri Mahesh Patel
Mahesh Patel as a Dy. Director is responsible for overall management, & monitoring of ongoing projects. He led and manages employees and ensures that all project/programme activities are timely implemented. He ensures planned outputs and outcomes of the project with the funding agencies and other partners. He is actively engaged in the Monitoring of Programme activities and proper utilization of funds and financial management of the projects
Shri Ravindra Wagh
Ravindra Wagh holds an M.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering with a specialization in Soil and Water Conservation Engineering. With an extensive career spanning 19 years and 3 months in the rural development sector, he has served as a Senior Programme Coordinator at VIKSAT. Currently, Mr. Wagh leads the Land and Water Management Group, overseeing coordination and program implementation in the Kheroj, Bhuj, and Dahej field office areas.
In his role, he actively engages in coordinating with funding agencies, contributes to proposal writing for new opportunities, and handles documentation responsibilities. With a focus on expertise in Natural Resource Management, Ravindra Wagh excels in conducting training needs assessments and developing various training modules and materials tailored for diverse stakeholders. He has conducted numerous training programs, particularly in Natural Resource Management, with a special emphasis on watershed management and water resources.
Shri Nilesh Patel
Nilesh Patel is Master in Rural Management. He has over 16 years of experience in development sectors specifically in promotion and strengthening of People Institution (Self Help Group, Village Organisation, Federation), Farmer Producer Company (FPC), Agriculture, Water and Sanitation. Nilesh manages the programme in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat.
Shri Bipin Parmar
Bipin Parmar is M.A with over two decades of professional experience. Throughout the years he has worked in the areas of research and development, Field Work, Coordinating various projects etc. He is working with VIKSAT Since 2010 at Ahmedabad Head Office. Presently he is working as Project Officer cum Admin In-charge at VIKSAT. In addition to this he is also looking after the project ‘Improving Quality of water Resources in the communities of the Vagra taluka in the dahej special economic zone (SEZ). His expertise is in Field Work, Mingling with People, Office Management, etc.
Ms. Pooja Varyani
Ms. Pooja Varyani is a highly skilled professional in human resource management, administrative coordination, and research. With a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and a Master's degree in Public Administration, she currently works as a Project Associate at VIKSAT. Pooja excels in recruitment, employee welfare, HR policies, and administrative functions. She also handles social media management, content creation, and website maintenance. Her previous roles as a Research Assistant at the Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute and Project Assistant at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India equipped her with expertise in coordinating the international program, and academic courses, conducting evaluations, and supervising skill development initiatives. Pooja has received accolades for her academic achievements and has presented research papers at national and international conferences.
Ms. Kavita Ramnani
Ms Kavita Ramnani has been associated with Nehru Foundation for Development since July 2011. Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD) is the parent organization and provides Secretarial & Legal Services to the associated institutions and activities.
Ms Ramnani holds a Masters Degrees in Commerce and in Law with specialization in Intellectual Property Rights.
Dr. Ashma Kazi
A dedicated professional holding a Ph.D. in Climate Change Impacts Management, and a Gold Medal in M.Sc. Climate Change Impacts Management. With more than 4 years in the research field, research methodologies, statistical tools, project management, data analysis, and impactful reporting, she is committed to societal betterment. Her passion lies in climate change, sustainable development, GIS, climate modeling, and trend analysis. As Project Manager experience, She led projects like urban biodiversity conservation, solid waste management, and skill development by crafting comprehensive research proposals, collaborated with diverse teams, conducted data-driven analyses, and effectively communicated findings through reports and presentations. The recognition she received, including the Gold Medal and the Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Uday Sanman Meritorious Student Award, further affirm her commitment to making a difference.