Mr. A. M. Singh
Director General, NCCF & Project Director, USAID-TOFI Program, NCCF
Email – am.singh@nccf.in, dg@nccf.in
Mr. Arvind Madhav Singh is a retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of 1986 batch from Assam segment of Assam Meghalaya Cadre. Mr Singh retired from the post of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of the Forest Force (HoFF), Forest Department, Govt. of Assam (Jan,2019 – June 2021).
A man of dynamic personality, he had done Masters in Geology from Lucknow University and M. Phil in Internal Strategy & Security from Chennai University.
During his illustrious service period of more than 35 years , he rendered services to many posts in Centre Government as well as in State Government , some of them are PCCF & HoFF, Assam, Chairman, Pollution Control Board, Assam, Joint Secretary to Government of India (Ministry of DoNER from 2013-2016), Inspector General of Forests (IGF) & Deputy Inspector General of Forests,(DIG) in Ministry of Environment & Forests& Climate Change (2009-2013), Govt. of India, Professor, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun, (2003-2007); Associate Professor, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun, (1999-2003) besides various assignments in Assam. He had conducted more than 100 in-service courses for senior IFS officers and organised many theme-based training workshops.
He had presented many papers in various contemporary issues in Commonwealth Forestry Associations, IUFRO, ITTO, World Forestry Congress, Indian Forest Congress, Global Bamboo Summit and co-authored a book on Forest Certification (Published by TERI).
He had also represented India in many International Forums such as United Nations Forum on Forestry (UNFF), FAO, World Forestry Congress, CITES, Commonwealth Forestry Associations etc. He was one of the expert members in ITTO. Yokohama, Japan representing SE Asia from 2011-13. He is also an expert in People & Forest, Sustainable Forest Management & Forest Certification at National and International level and member of various committees.
He is working as Director General, Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF), a not-for-profit organization, mandated for diverse conservation activities and development of certification standards for various constituents of our natural resource base viz forests, trees outside forests, ecotourism, protected areas, and wetlands, non-wood forest products, quality planting materials, biofuel & biomass, and CR-I etc. He is actively involved in the promotion and review of sustainability standards, capacity building, liaising with the PEFC Secretariat as the representative of PEFC – National Governing Body from India and policy advocacy with the concerned ministries and state governments.
Along with the responsibilities of Director General, he is also handling USAID funded project on “Trees outside Forests in India” as Project Director in NCCF and also supervising TOF Certification Scheme along with CR-I recently developed by NCCF.
Mr. Richard Bright
CEO- Carbon Registry-India
Email – richard@nccf.in
Richard Bright, CEO Carbon Registry-India(CR-I) by Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests(NCCF) is a seasoned IT and digital transformation leader who has been in the field for over two decades, efficiently managing custom software development & solutions, information technology operations and driving sustainability initiatives through digital transformation.
Before, joining NCCF in 2019, Richard served as the Director at Teleperformance (Digital Integrated Business Services), where he led global Software service delivery across nine countries. His tenure at Teleperformance was marked by his ability to navigate the complexities of the IT industry and deliver results that surpassed expectations. Prior to that, he held leadership positions with companies like Intelenet Global Services, Serco, Kuoni Travel, Business Travel International and Sita-Western Union.
Apart from his experience, Richard possesses a range of certifications that attest to his expertise in the field. He holds a master’s degree in computer application and is a certified Prince 2 practitioner, Cisco professional, ITSM, Robotics & automation and data analytics expert, trained ISO 27001 LA, ISO 14064, ISO 9001 and adept in Life Cycle Assessment. He also has extensive exposure on ITGC, HIPPA, SOX, GRC and SOC Compliance.
Richard’s unique blend of expertise in technology, standard development, carbon markets, climate change mitigation & adaptation, policies and regulations, enables him to provide guidance to organizations seeking to implement sustainable practices and make a positive impact. His leadership has been instrumental in driving sustainability initiatives and digital transformation, and building a greener economy in India.
Ms. Abhilasha Shrivastava
Manager
Email – abhilasha@nccf.in
Ms. Abhilasha Shrivastava is a Environment and Wildlife professional with a postgraduate degree in Environmental Science and a diploma in Development Studies. With over 5 years of hands-on experience in Wildlife Conservation projects and extensive involvement in training frontline staff of the forest department, she has made many contributions in the development of technical reports, Training Module, management action plans, and policies.
In 2023, Ms. Shrivastava joined the Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests (NCCF) in the capacity of Manager, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Her role encompasses the comprehensive management of the organization, overseeing a wide range of critical responsibilities. She is entrusted with the meticulous execution of NCCF’s established standards, including Tree outside Forests (TOF) certification, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), Protected areas and Wetland standard (PAWS), Quality Planting Material (QPM) certification, Safeboards (SPCS), and Bio-Fuel and Biomass certification scheme.
Beyond her immediate responsibilities, she plays a vital role in overseeing the collaboration and coordination of NCCF with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in India.
Ms. Shrivastava’s unwavering dedication to the cause is evident in her special interest in developing research-based policies for the conservation of the environment and wildlife. She firmly believes in the principles of ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) for promoting better, greener, and more sustainable practices in every facet of her work.
Mr. Barisan Ray
Project Associate (Program Officer)
At present, Barisan holds the position of a Project Associate (Program officer) and currently working on the Ecotourism Standard and Quality Planting material (QPM) Certification Standard.
He completed his undergraduate studies in Agriculture at HNB Garhwal University, Uttarakhand, and pursued a master’s degree in Environment Management at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. His research during his master’s program focused on “Digital soil mapping of soil organic carbon and nitrogen content in Dehradun Forest Division, Uttarakhand.” He has done several review term papers in the field of Soil science, Ecology and climate change. Barisan has special interest in the field Natural resource management, Remote sensing and GIS tools for forest and climate change research domain.
Ms. Ritika Bhardwaj
Project Associate (Program Officer)
Email – ritika@nccf.in
Ritika has an education background of Bachelor in Science Honors – Forestry and MSc. Environmental Science. She did her dissertation work in Calculation of Carbon Footprint at Himachal Pradesh University Shimla (Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions). She also has a 1 year of experience in raising quality planting material for forest regeneration, making nursery beds, collecting seeds and caring for nursery planting.
Ms. Anjali
Project Associate (Program Officer)
Email – anjali@nccf.in
She holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences (Environmental Biotechnology) from Banaras Hindu University and completed her graduation in chemistry and Botany from the University of Allahabad. She has previously worked in a data engineering company and as a Research Analyst in an Environmental Consultancy where she worked on different topics like Net Zero, Carbon Emissions and the Energy Scenario of India.
She joined NCCF in September 2023 and currently working on the Safeboards Certification Scheme and Non-Wood Forest Resources (NWFR) Certification Standards.
Mr. Mohit Kumar
Registry Administrator
Email – mohit@nccf.in
Mohit Kumar joined NCCF in 2021 as Registry Administrator for Carbon Registry-India. He provides support to registry users with opening and using their accounts, including creating new project records and issuing, transferring, and retiring Marketable Carbon Units (MCUs). He performs completeness check and Know your Customer (KYC) procedures. He coordinates with the CR-I finance team to track and process account holder invoices. Mohit holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Delhi College of Arts & Commerce (University of Delhi).
Mr. Shivam Sharma
Accounts
Email – accounts@nccf.in
Mr. Sharma is a key resource person for NCCF’s Finance and Accounts department and works as the Account Executive at NCCF. He holds an MBA degree in Finance from Amity University, Noida, and a BBA degree in Banking & Finance from Sharda University, Greater Noida. His primary responsibilities include overseeing the financial matters related to USAID TOFI Projects, Training and CBs.