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Diplomats, entrepreneurs, researchers, students, investors, and policymakers from India and abroad gathered at Royal Global University (RGU) today for the opening of the 13th Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum (EHNF) 2025. The forum emphasized the urgent need to place the Eastern Himalaya at the center of global climate action.
Envisioned by Shri Ranjit Barthakur, the visionary behind the concepts of Third Pole and Eastern Himalaya Naturenomics, EHNF 2025 is organized by Balipara Foundation in partnership with RGU, IIT Guwahati, Gauhati University, and Cotton University. The forum focuses on aligning economic development with ecological regeneration in one of the world’s most vulnerable mountain ecosystems.
Delivering the Leadership Speech, Norway’s Ambassador to India, Her Excellency May-Elin Stener, stressed that mountain regions must be prioritized in climate diplomacy. She described them as “water towers for half of humanity” and said, “Our mountain regions must move from the margins to the center of climate action, because if the Himalaya’s water towers weaken, half of humanity’s future weakens with it.” She also highlighted the importance of India–Nordic cooperation in clean energy and adaptation solutions.
RGU Chancellor Dr. A. K. Pansari called on universities to take a leading role in climate action. “A university must not only enlighten minds, it must empower society. Our students are not merely preparing for the future; they are creating it,” he said.
Shri D. B. Sundara Ramam, Vice President- Corporate Services, Tata Steel India, urged businesses to rethink priorities, noting that ecology and economy can no longer be treated as opposing forces. Assam Chief Secretary Shri Ravi Kota emphasized the state’s commitment to a new development model for the Eastern Himalaya, stating, “Assam has the responsibility and the opportunity to show that infrastructure, industry, and forest protection can advance together.”
Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga National Park, added that conservation should be treated as an economic pillar rather than an obstacle.
A major highlight of the inaugural session was the launch of Guardians of Eastern Himalaya, a youth volunteer network promoted by RGU, Balipara Foundation, and Assam Investment Advisory Society. The network aims to engage students in river protection, forest restoration, biodiversity documentation, and community-based entrepreneurship, placing young people at the forefront of climate solutions.
Throughout the day, sessions focused on nature-based solutions, climate-linked entrepreneurship, and corporate leadership in ecological regeneration. Speakers represented major companies and organizations, including Google, Coca-Cola, Tata Consumer Products, Tata Power, Tata Electronics, Varun Beverages, Rajasthan Royals, and the Numaligarh Refinery Limited, alongside civil society groups from across the region. Research papers presented at the forum will be published in special editions of the Royal Journal of Social Science and Research (RJSSR), contributing to evidence-based knowledge on the ecology and economy of the Eastern Himalaya.
EHNF 2025 will continue tomorrow with discussions on the role of cultural knowledge in shaping sustainable business and strategies to scale local innovations for global relevance. Participants from Bhutan, Nepal, and leading conservation organizations will also join the sessions.