Varun Balakrishnan works at the intersection of wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, ecological research and community engagement. He co-founded the Centre for Eastern Ghats Studies, with a particular interest in understanding and restoring degraded landscapes and strengthening the scientific basis for conservation.
As the Director of the institution, Varun provides strategic and administrative direction across research, habitat restoration, community programmes, infrastructure and institutional operations. His role involves coordinating multidisciplinary teams, developing partnerships, managing resources and budgets, establishing operational systems, and creating an environment that enables researchers and conservation practitioners to work effectively.
He led the Elephants By The Lake project (EBTL), a landscape restoration initiative that brings together native forest restoration, water conservation, agriculture, community engagement and research. His work has focused on building the institutional and operational foundations required to sustain these programmes over the long term. It was EBTL that later evolved to CEGS.
Varun's approach to conservation places equal emphasis on scientific rigour and effective administration. He is particularly interested in building organisations that can support long-term field research and conservation, while creating meaningful opportunities for collaboration, education and engagement with local communities.