WELCOME TO ECO TRIBE FOUNDATION
Who We Are
Leveraging years of hands-on expertise in sustainable agriculture, we empower farmers across India to enhance their livelihoods while embracing eco-friendly practices. Our multidisciplinary team—comprising agronomists, trainers, healthcare researchers, and community outreach specialists—provides tailored training, vital resources, and continuous support designed to meet the specific needs of rural communities.
Driven by a deep commitment to rural development, our staff works hand in hand with local farmers to foster a collaborative, knowledge-sharing environment. Together, we cultivate a culture of innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth—ensuring both agricultural productivity and ecological balance for future generations
Our Vision
Eco Tribe Foundation envisions thriving rural communities living in harmony with nature. We empower women and smallholder farmers through indigenous seed stewardship, sustainable agriculture, and climate-smart practices. By advancing biodiversity conservation and waste-to-wealth initiatives, we promote resilient livelihoods and safeguard our natural heritage. Having the conviction that true progress extends beyond the fields, we are dedicated to strengthening rural healthcare, with a particular focus on women’s and child health. Through community-driven awareness, prevention, and rehabilitation programs, as well as robust research and grassroots engagement, we tackle both communicable and non-communicable diseases to improve public health outcomes for all. We are relentless in our pursuit of reducing socio-economic inequality, ensuring that opportunities and benefits reach the most marginalized. Our vision encompasses the preservation of anthropological heritage, honoring traditional ways of life and cultural diversity as integral threads in the fabric of resilient, self-reliant communities.
Together, Eco Tribe Foundation strives to build a future where empowered people, thriving ecosystems, and enduring cultural heritage create balanced, sustainable societies—for today and generations yet unborn.
Founder's Vision
“As Chairperson, my responsibility is to lead with integrity, humility, and vision. Developing my leadership, empowering others, embracing diversity, and mentoring future leaders are not isolated tasks -they are interconnected commitments. By modeling these values, I help shape a resilient, inclusive, and impact-driven organization that stays true to its purpose.”
MEET OUR TEAM
Diptosh Das
Mr. Diptosh Das is a Senior Researcher, presently working as a senior research fellow, at the West Bengal Biodiversity Board, a legally mandated statutory entity in the Indian state of West Bengal. He earned his bachelor and master’s degree in botany from the University of burdwan and University of North Bengal respectively. He has ten years of research expertise in the field of mycology.He has strong expertise in isolation and molecular identifiaction of macrofungi,marine fungi, plant pathogenic fungi, entomopathogenic fungi, endophytic fungi, plant growth promoting rhiobacteria, mushroom cultivation technology etc.He ...
Kuntal Bera
Kuntal Bera is a research professional with over six years of experience in plant science and agricultural research. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Botany at Raiganj University while working as a Research Fellow at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya. He completed his bachelor's degree from Burdwan University and his master's degree from North Bengal University. His expertise encompasses plant biochemical and physiological reactions, crop physiology,abiotic stress tolerance in crops, and the larger area of sustainable agriculture. His work specifically focuses on how plants ...
Prajesh Dutta
Prajesh Dutta has been serving as dedicated faculty member in Department of Botany at Gour Mahavidyalaya, Malda, for over twelve years. His academic journey includes B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany from North Bengal University (2010), M.Sc. in Molecular Biology & Biotechnology from University of Kalyani (2012), and M.Phil. in Botany from University of Gour Banga (2017). He is presently pursuing Ph.D. in Botany at Raiganj University. He has qualified national and state-level examinations including GATE (2015), WB SET (2015), ...
Dr. Sarbashri Bank
Dr. Sarbashri Bank is a vascular biochemist and molecular pharmacologist with extensive expertise in vascular biochemistry, circadian rhythm research, proteomics, and translational drug development—particularly in the context of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. He earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Vidyasagar University, where he conducted collaborative research under the mentorship of Prof. Asru K. Sinha, a renowned cardiovascular scientist. Dr. Bank's doctoral research focused on elucidating the ...
Santanu Kar
He is an agriculture learner with a passion for combining field experience and technology to uplift farming communities. During his graduation, he gained hands-on exposure to real-world agriculture and technology transfer through the RAWE program, working directly with farmers. Later, in his master’s, he conducted research on the effect of EMS on lentil varieties,gaining expertise in crop protection and disease management. Passionate about integrating science and ...
Soham Mukherjee
Soham Mukherjee is a Doctoral Scholar in Seed Science and Technology in Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya. He completed his Graduation in Agriculture, followed by Masters degree in Seed Science from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya. During RAWE (Rural Agriculture Work Experience) in undergraduate studies and Farmers’ Advisor during an internship in Jiva Ag. Services, he has gained experience in field level issues faced by the farmers for different ...
Dr. Rajesh Jeewon
Highly cited researcher as listed by Clarivate Analytics (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.)
Dr Rajesh Jeewon is a distinguished academic from Mauritius. He currently works as an Associate Professor at the University of Mauritius; a Distinguished Scientist Fellow at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia and has been nominated for the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) President's International Fellowship (hosted by the Kunming Institute of Botany, China). He graduated with First Class Honours with Double Gold Medals and completed his PhD from the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He then did his postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Portsmouth, UK, and then continued his career as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow and Honorary Assistant Professor at HKU. He then shifted his passion towards teaching as well and completed a Certificate of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education (Level 1 & 2; University of Hong Kong, 2007, Passed with Excellence) and also a Certificate in Teaching and Learning for tertiary education (University of Mauritius, 2010). In 2009, he joined the University of Mauritius as a lecturer and was subsequently promoted to Senior lecturer and then Associate Professor. Since then, he has been appointed as the Head of the Department (in the Faculty of Science for 2 years and 2 years in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) and was acting Dean as well for both Faculties on a number of occasions. With respect to curriculum development, Dr Jeewon has also mounted accredited commissioned programs for external organizations. He is an active member of various departmental, faculty, and university committees, external academic boards, and participates in a number of national and international committees. Additionally, he engages in community services, media presentations, and contributes to assistance in continuing education. ...
Dr. Rajeshwary Ghosh
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA
Dr. Rajeshwary Ghosh is a trailblazer in cardiovascular research, known for her cutting-edge work on protein quality control in heart disease. Currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, she brings deep expertise in cellular stress responses, autophagy, and cardiac aging. With a foundational background in Biochemistry and Marine Biology, she has carved out a niche in understanding protein synthesis, degradation, and quality control mechanisms within cardiac physiology and pathology. Her postdoctoral training spanned several prestigious institutions, including the University of California Davis and the University of South Dakota, where she developed her expertise in autophagy and proteotoxic stress responses. Prior to her current role, she held faculty and research positions at the University of Utah and the University of South Dakota. Dr. Ghosh’s laboratory investigates the role of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), protein degradation pathways, and cellular stress responses in cardiac aging, hypertrophy, and ischemic injury. Her work aims to uncover therapeutic targets to mitigate heart failure and age-associated cardiomyopathies by enhancing protein quality control mechanisms. Dr. Ghosh has received multiple honors, including the American Heart Association Career Development Award and the 2025 Paul and Jolanda Penczner Award. Her NIH R01 proposal on targeting toxic protein aggregates in the heart is under review, and her innovative fluorogenic CMA assay has been submitted for patent. Her research has appeared in top journals such as Circulation Heart Failure, Cells, and AJP-Cell Physiology. An active mentor and advocate for inclusive science, Dr. Ghosh supports young researchers through national programs like SPUR, UROP, and the Native American Research Internship. She also contributes to peer review for the AHA and serves on multiple faculty committees at UTHSC. Driven by discovery and impact, Dr. Rajeshwary Ghosh is shaping the future of cardiac medicine by translating molecular insights into real-world therapies.
Dr. Gouranga Upadhyaya
DST-INSPIRE Faculty (Assistant Professor),
Jadavpur University
Dr. Gouranga Upadhyaya is currently affiliated to Jadavpur University, West Bengal as DST-INSPIRE Faculty (Assistant Professor). Dr. Upadhyaya received his PhD degree from University of Calcutta in 2021 and moved on to IISER Kolkata followed by University of Nebraska, Lincoln (USA) for postdoctoral training. His research work focuses on the study of molecular basis of temperature signalling and stress tolerance in plants. Dr. Upadhyaya has been mostly engaged in comprehensive understanding of structure-function relationship of thermo-morpho-responsive proteins and their underlying mechanism. He has been a recipient of prestigious fellowships like SERB-N-PDF for postdoc, DST-AWSAR for popular science story and ANRF-Prime Minister Early Career Research Award (PM-ECRG), Young Scientist award by Society for Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology, DST-INSPIRE award for PhD etc. He had also received Gold medal during his Master’s degree. Till date, Dr. Upadhyaya has published 14 research articles in reputed international peer reviewed journal, 6 book chapter and also serves as a reviewer in multiple research journals.
Alan Rockefeller
Recognised as "One of the most well-known mycologists studying psilocybe species" by National Geographic
Alan Rockefeller is an acclaimed mycologist renowned for his expertise in DNA barcoding, field photography, and microscopy. With over 20 years of experience, he has documented and photographed more than 2,500 fungal species. Alan has dedicated the past 15 years to studying fungal diversity in Mexico, regularly leading forays and sharing his knowledge with mycology enthusiasts worldwide. Alan is passionate about education and has taught thousands of people how to extract and sequence the DNA of their mushrooms. His contributions include uploading over 700 DNA sequences to GenBank and co-authoring several scientific papers, notably on new species of bioluminescent Mycena and Psilocybe. He has also identified over 400,000 fungal observations on platforms like iNaturalist and Mushroom Observer, contributing significantly to the understanding of global fungal diversity.
Dr. Milan C. Samarakoon
PhD (Applied Microbiology)
Lecturer at Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Recognized as a Top 2% Global Scientist by Stanford University (2024)
Dr. Milan C. Samarakoon is a passionate plant pathologist dedicated to advancing environmental and agricultural sustainability through innovative research in disease management. Currently serving as a lecturer at Chiang Mai University, Thailand, he specializes in fungal and viral plant pathogens. Dr. Samarakoon holds a Ph.D. in Applied Microbiology from Chiang Mai University (2021), an M.Sc. in Plant Protection Technology from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (2014), and a B.Sc. in Agriculture from Rajarata University, Sri Lanka (2012). Recognized as a Top 2% Global Scientist by Stanford University (2024), his research focuses on fungal taxonomy, plant virus epidemiology, and sustainable disease control strategies for economically important crops. With over 90 peer-reviewed publications, his work has significantly advanced understanding of plant pathogen taxonomy, phylogeny, and management. As an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Fungal Biology and the New Zealand Journal of Botany, he helps shape mycological and phytopathological research. Dr. Samarakoon leads funded projects investigating plant pathogens while mentoring graduate students in plant disease diagnostics and molecular pathology. His interdisciplinary approach bridges taxonomic discovery, pathogen biology, and agricultural applications to drive innovations in crop protection.
Dr. Mritunjoy Barman
Post Doctoral Research Associate,
Department of Entomology,
University of Nebraska–Lincoln, USA
Mritunjoy Barman is a motivated scientist with over eight years of experience in applied Entomology and advanced molecular biology with a particular focus on virus vector interactions. His research expertise spans the epidemiology, ecology, and molecular biology of agriculturally important insect and mite vectors, combining both field and laboratory approaches.
He has carried out extensive work on whitefly transmitted begomoviruses (family Geminiviridae), investigating their transmission biology, molecular diversity, and plant insect virus interactions. Building on this foundation, his current research is centered on the Wheat Curl Mite (Aceria tosichella), the vector of major wheat viruses such as Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), as well as aphid transmitted Barley and Cereal Yellow Dwarf Viruses (B/CYDVs) in Nebraska. His ongoing projects, supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), aim to better understand vector ecology, virus strain dynamics, and their impact on crop health and yield.
Through his multidisciplinary expertise integrating entomology, plant virology, molecular diagnostics, and field epidemiology, Mritunjoy Barman strives to develop sustainable solutions for crop protection and to strengthen integrated pest and disease management strategies.
