Prabir Banerjea

Banerjea worked with multinational companies for over two decades before turning in 2005 to conservation and social restoration work. He co-founded the Balipara Foundation, which was established in 2007 with an initial focus on the conservation of the Asian elephant, alongside Ranjit Barthakur, its founder forester, and Radhika Barthakur. With Barthakur he co-created the term Naturenomics, the foundation's framework for linking ecological value to economic activity.

As managing member he oversees the foundation's programmes in habitat restoration, livelihoods and research, and the teams that carry them out. The foundation reports that it manages more than five million natural assets across 4,000 hectares of land and works with more than 10,000 people across seven indigenous communities in Assam; by 2024 it reported 6.72 million trees planted across 5,537.5 hectares with direct benefits to 36,000 people.

Banerjea also helped found Wild Mahseer, a heritage homestay and social restoration project for the tea tribe community, together with Ranjit Barthakur, as part of the foundation's work on rural tourism.[2]