We Are India's Climate Change
Think and Do Tank.

A climate-first organisation at the intersection of research, implementation, and community, with nearly a decade on the field. Six states. One mission.

ABOUT US

Founded on the Belief That Villages Hold the Answer.

Back to Village (B2V) was founded in 2016 with a simple but radical conviction: that rural India is not a problem to be solved from the outside, but a source of solutions waiting to be discovered from within.

What began as a grassroots agricultural implementation organization across Odisha has evolved, through 10 years of field learning, into India's Climate Change Think and Do Tank, operating across six states at the intersection of climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable livelihoods, and indigenous knowledge systems.

We bridge the persistent gap between what research says should work and what actually works on the ground, generating evidence from multi-year field validation and designing solutions from the outset for government and civil society to adopt at scale.

OUR PROCESS

Six Values That Guide Everything We Do.

Accountability

We keep our word, even at financial cost. Trust and reliability are the bedrock of every bond we build with our funders, partners, and communities.

Climate Conscious

Climate awareness is not just our research focus; it is our way of life. We avoid waste and make climate-conscious choices in everything we do, always.

Co-creation

We collaborate with communities long before any idea reaches the field. Co-creation is not a method; it is our evolved process with all our stakeholders.

Rigor

We research with no shortcuts and no assumptions. Every finding we publish has been earned through thorough, repeated validation.

Compassion

Our relationship with communities goes beyond the professional. We work for real impact, going the extra mile without any obligation.

Context-Sensitive

Every suggestion we make is locally adapted to its context. We never copy solutions from one place to another; local relevance is always non-negotiable.

OUR STORY

From a Farm in Odisha to a National Think and Do Tank.

2016

B2V Founded

Founded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with the conviction that sustainable village development required an integrated approach to agriculture and livelihoods.

2018

Non-Profit Registration

The work begun in 2016 was placed on a formal legal footing, allowing B2V to hold institutional grants, partner with government agencies, and commit to the multi-year project cycles its research model depends on.

2020

The Pivot Lesson

A COVID-period project revealed the limits of pure implementation without systemic design. Marked internally as "a missed opportunity and a great learning" that set the course for our evolution.

2021

Rural Tourism Conceptualized

A livelihood model addressing distress migration through community-led tourism was designed, demonstrating our commitment to innovative, long-term models.

2022

Multi-State Expansion

Operations expanded across four states: Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal, marking our shift from local to regional impact.

2022

First Research Farm

B2V established its own natural farming research station, allowing proof-of-concept validation on our own land before recommending models to farmers.

2023

National Policy Recognition

India's Union Minister for Rural Development visited B2V's research farm, signaling national-level recognition of our approach and the beginning of our policy influence trajectory.

2025

Think and Do Tank Transformation

B2V formally repositions as India's Climate Change Think and Do Tank, integrating rigorous research with field implementation to create policy-ready, replicable models at scale.

MEET THE TEAM

A Team Built for the
Research-Practice Intersection.

IIT and IIM credentials combined with over a decade of grassroots field experience combined. This combination is not incidental; it is the foundation of our Think and Do positioning.

Manish Kumar

Founder and Advisor

Shikha Singh

Chief Executive Officer

Avimuktesh Bhardwaj

Chief Operating Officer

Pranesh Chaudhary

President

Sumit Kumar

Secretary

Amardeep Kumar

Treasurer

Sanjeet Kumar

Governing Body Member

Vandana Kumari

Governing Body Member

Dr Shweta Kumari Singh

Governing Body Member

K. Chandan

Governing Body Member

Rakesh Mahanty

General Body Member

Neeraj Kumar

General Body Member

Vikram Sharma

General Body Member

Meet our Board Members

Pranesh Chaudhary

President

Sumit Kumar

Secretary

Amardeep Kumar

Treasurer

Sanjeet Kumar

Governing Body Member

Vandana Kumari

Governing Body Member

Dr Shweta Kumari Singh

Governing Body Member

K. Chandan

Governing Body Member

Rakesh Mahanty

General Body Member

Neeraj Kumar

General Body Member

Vikram Sharma

General Body Member

FAQs

Got questions?

We are here to make B2V easy to understand. Find answers to the most common questions below.

Still got questions?

How We Work

Impact & Research

Partner With Us

What does "Think and Do Tank" mean?
icon

There is a persistent gap in rural climate work between the research that shapes policy and the implementation that happens in villages. B2V exists to close it, which is why we do both. Our field programmes generate real-world evidence, while our research helps improve implementation, inform policy, and enable others to replicate what works. Every intervention is an opportunity to learn, and every insight is used to improve outcomes for communities.

What makes B2V's approach different?`
icon

B2V combines long-term field implementation with rigorous research. We co-create models with communities, validate them across multiple locations, and continuously refine them using evidence. We build this work with others as much as with communities, partnering with government departments, fellow NGOs, research institutions and funders so that a model proven in one district can travel to the next. Our work spans climate resilience, regenerative agriculture, rural livelihoods, water security, entrepreneurship, and community institutions, allowing us to address interconnected challenges rather than isolated problems.

How do communities participate in the process?
icon

Communities are collaborators, not subjects. They help identify problems, shape solutions, test interventions, and provide continuous feedback throughout implementation. We work the same way with our partners, collaborating with local NGOs, community institutions, government line departments and research bodies at every stage. This participatory approach keeps our research practical, locally relevant, and grounded in lived experience.

Can B2V work outside its current operational states?
icon

Yes, where there is strategic alignment, strong local partnerships, and community readiness. We believe expansion should be intentional rather than opportunistic, ensuring that new programmes maintain the same quality, relevance, and long-term commitment as our existing work.

FAQs

Got questions?

We are here to make B2V easy to understand. Find answers to the most common questions below.

How We Work

Impact & Research

Partner With Us

What does "Think and Do Tank" mean?
icon

There is a persistent gap in rural climate work between the research that shapes policy and the implementation that happens in villages. B2V exists to close it, which is why we do both. Our field programmes generate real-world evidence, while our research helps improve implementation, inform policy, and enable others to replicate what works. Every intervention is an opportunity to learn, and every insight is used to improve outcomes for communities.

What makes B2V's approach different?`
icon

B2V combines long-term field implementation with rigorous research. We co-create models with communities, validate them across multiple locations, and continuously refine them using evidence. We build this work with others as much as with communities, partnering with government departments, fellow NGOs, research institutions and funders so that a model proven in one district can travel to the next. Our work spans climate resilience, regenerative agriculture, rural livelihoods, water security, entrepreneurship, and community institutions, allowing us to address interconnected challenges rather than isolated problems.

How do communities participate in the process?
icon

Communities are collaborators, not subjects. They help identify problems, shape solutions, test interventions, and provide continuous feedback throughout implementation. We work the same way with our partners, collaborating with local NGOs, community institutions, government line departments and research bodies at every stage. This participatory approach keeps our research practical, locally relevant, and grounded in lived experience.

Can B2V work outside its current operational states?
icon

Yes, where there is strategic alignment, strong local partnerships, and community readiness. We believe expansion should be intentional rather than opportunistic, ensuring that new programmes maintain the same quality, relevance, and long-term commitment as our existing work.

Still got questions?

FAQs

Got questions?

We are here to make B2V easy to understand. Find answers to the most common questions below.

How We Work

Impact & Research

Partner With Us

What does "Think and Do Tank" mean?
icon

There is a persistent gap in rural climate work between the research that shapes policy and the implementation that happens in villages. B2V exists to close it, which is why we do both. Our field programmes generate real-world evidence, while our research helps improve implementation, inform policy, and enable others to replicate what works. Every intervention is an opportunity to learn, and every insight is used to improve outcomes for communities.

What makes B2V's approach different?`
icon

B2V combines long-term field implementation with rigorous research. We co-create models with communities, validate them across multiple locations, and continuously refine them using evidence. We build this work with others as much as with communities, partnering with government departments, fellow NGOs, research institutions and funders so that a model proven in one district can travel to the next. Our work spans climate resilience, regenerative agriculture, rural livelihoods, water security, entrepreneurship, and community institutions, allowing us to address interconnected challenges rather than isolated problems.

How do communities participate in the process?
icon

Communities are collaborators, not subjects. They help identify problems, shape solutions, test interventions, and provide continuous feedback throughout implementation. We work the same way with our partners, collaborating with local NGOs, community institutions, government line departments and research bodies at every stage. This participatory approach keeps our research practical, locally relevant, and grounded in lived experience.

Can B2V work outside its current operational states?
icon

Yes, where there is strategic alignment, strong local partnerships, and community readiness. We believe expansion should be intentional rather than opportunistic, ensuring that new programmes maintain the same quality, relevance, and long-term commitment as our existing work.

Still got questions?