A Break That Became a Lifelong Passion
There was a point in Brajesh Singh’s high-powered career when the demands of corporate life became overwhelming. “I needed a break,” he recalls. Owning a guest house in Kanha, he decided to retreat there for a few months with his family. That break turned out to be transformative one for him.
In Kanha Brajesh Singh picked up a camera for the first time and began walking the forest trails. What started as a way to unwind soon became a devotion, his lens captured the forest’s many moods from the stillness of dawn, the graceful flight of birds, the regal presence of tigers. As per the forest department, Kanha is best known for its evergreen Sal forests, is home to about 300 species of birds, 43 species of mammals, 26 species of reptiles and more than 500 species of insects. The major species found are hard ground barasingha, tiger, leopard, dhole, bear, gaur and Indian python.
His home in Kanha offered front-row access to the wild, he shares “often, tigers pass by the house. Sometimes, the CCTV shows them strolling through the night as if they own the place, and truly, they do.” Today, Kanha is not an occasional retreat for Mr Singh but a home he regularly returns to after demanding work weeks.
Progress has to be with Preservation
Brajesh Singh’s corporate expertise gives him a unique perspective on industrial and infrastructural development. While India pushes forward on infrastructure, energy, and digital connectivity, Brajesh Singh argues that such progress must coexist with ecological responsibility.
“India’s transition from developing to developed nation is non-negotiable,” he says. “We need roads, dams, digital grids, and renewable energy investments. But every project must be designed with foresight on how will it impact our forests, water, biodiversity, and local ecosystems? That question must always be asked.” He sees development and conservation not as rivals but as partners. With careful planning and impact forecasting, Singh believes India can achieve both progress and sustainability. He shares four key steps of progress aligned with preservation for any mega govt project, starting from industry-market estimates and projections, investments and assembly, setting up monitoring systems, and using the data for analytics, research and demand supply.
Learning From Indigenous Wisdom
One of the strongest points Brajesh Singh raises on the show is the role of indigenous communities in conserving India’s natural heritage. Drawing from his travels to remote parts of the country, he highlights several examples:
The Bishnoi of Rajasthan, renowned for protecting blackbuck and other species, who exemplify the belief that wildlife is not to be conquered or captured but respected as part of life itself. Then there are the tribal communities in Odisha, who worship trees and animals as gods and goddesses because they see them as sources of livelihood and sustenance. Some groups even practice hunting in ways that maintain ecological balance without endangering the species.
“These communities are the guardians of ecosystems,” Brajesh Singh emphasizes. “If we protect and empower them, we automatically protect forests and wildlife.” For him, government initiatives must go beyond policy papers and actively support these communities as frontline defenders of biodiversity.
Green Hydrogen and India’s Energy Future
From conservation, Brajesh Singh transitions into another discussion of energy transition. He cites Ladakh’s green hydrogen hub as an important case study in India’s renewable energy ambitions. This tells us that the region’s climate conditions make it ideal for producing hydrogen, aligning with India’s net-zero 2070 vision, while adding, “green hydrogen is not just energy, it is independence. It means India won’t have to rely on foreign imports with the right infrastructure, hydrogen can be stored, transported, and supplied to regions with high demand. It can also electrify remote areas where power has yet to reach.”
He believes the Ladakh model can be replicated across India, decentralizing energy production so that it isn’t concentrated only in major cities. Localized micro-grids, he argues, are the future of India’s energy map.
Water: The Approach Needed
Brajesh Singh also touches on water management based on his extensive work in the sector, a subject he feels India must urgently address. Currently, water consumption is largely unregulated, with households in many areas not paying for usage.
“When something is free, it is taken for granted,” he says. “If water is billed into our economic framework, people will begin to understand its value. It is not an unlimited resource.” His vision involves stronger regulation, monitoring, and pricing of water, ensuring not only supply but also conservation through tech to restore water levels in drought susceptible areas and mitigating disasters during floods.
Corporate Expertise, Ecological Heart
What makes Brajesh Singh’s perspective compelling is how his two worlds merge, his experience advising corporates, governments, and research organizations on energy, water, and digital infrastructure enables him to speak with authority on policy and ESG frameworks. His life in Kanha jungle and his wildlife photography align those insights in a truly lived appreciation for ecosystems and biodiversity.Through this dual lens, he advocates for an effective and optimistic model of growth that is ambitious yet respectful, progressive yet protective. “Development should never come at the cost of nature, the challenge and the opportunity is to build responsibly co-existing with environment.”
As a corporate advisor and nature lover Brajesh Singh emphasizes on the balance India must strive for, as the nation builds its future, his story reminds us that true progress will be measured not only in GDP but in the health of its forests, rivers, and wildlife. To watch the full episode featuring Brajesh Singh, visit the Voice of MOSAIC YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@Voiceofmosaic
What started as a way to unwind soon became a devotion, his lens captured the forest’s many moods from the stillness of dawn, the graceful flight of birds, the regal presence of tigers.