Vikram Krishna is the Co-Founder and Chairperson of Sacred Groves, deeply committed to protecting the planet’s natural habitats. His mission is simple but urgent—to safeguard nature for present and future generations. He believes real change begins with individuals taking action because, at the end of the day, the Earth is our shared home.
Tell us about your life before the venture/ leading up to your venture?
For over 30 years, I worked with industry leaders like Lintas, SBI Cards, Citi, HSBC, and Emirates NBD, driving success across Marketing, Brand Management, Customer Experience, Sales, and Sustainability. Leading businesses through complex market conditions, I focused on differentiation and impact. But beyond corporate success, I felt a growing responsibility to apply my skills to a cause that deeply resonated—protecting our natural treasures. That realisation led to Sacred Groves.
Tell us something about your organization. What is it about and how is it helpful for people?
The Sacred Groves is a Community Interest Company, incorporated in England & Wales (Company Number 12481036), driven by the purpose of protecting our planet’s natural habitats. The platform has been built to enable millions of Guardians (environmentally sensitive individuals and companies) to seamlessly participate in the process of conservation.
Purpose
To protect natural habitats and inspire meaningful actions. The aspiration by 2030 is to protect and conserve a million acres of natural habitats with the support of a global community of Guardians.
The Problem
Deforestation and forest degradation continue to take place at alarming rates, with the world losing a soccer field equivalent (1.76 acres) of primary forests every 6 seconds, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI).
The Solution
According to the UN-REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation):
(a) Currently, 11% of all carbon emissions stem from deforestation—more than emissions from all means of transport combined.
(b) Halting deforestation and forest degradation can avoid emissions of more than 5 gigatons CO2/year.
(c) Forest conservation and restoration can provide more than one-quarter of the emissions reductions needed in the next two decades.
The IPCC Report of March 2023 lists ‘Reduced conversion of forests and other ecosystems’ as one of the top five solutions to reduce net emissions by 2030.
A Unique Approach to Conservation aligned with UN-SDG 15 (Life on Land)
Tokenization: Sacred Groves Clusters
The Sacred Groves secures natural habitats at risk of destruction through direct acquisition from landowners, maps them using geospatial imaging, and converts them using advanced analytics into virtual Sacred Groves Clusters (SGCs), which are placed on the blockchain. These are available for a fee (£40 for a 10-year term) on the Sacred Groves web and mobile applications for monitoring and support by Guardians (environmentally sensitive individuals and organizations). SGCs can also be gifted and make for planet-positive gifts for employee engagement or clients on birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events, etc. (choice of 46 occasions).
Conservation Commerce
The Sacred Groves develops bespoke solutions for enterprises to include conservation in their commercial value proposition to drive revenue and valuation growth. This concept differentiates enterprises across industry sectors by broadening their customer appeal, opening access to new markets, and responding to stakeholder pressures (investors, regulators, employees, etc).
Examples:
- Pyaarnation, an Instagram-based art seller, has committed to protecting one square foot of forests for every square foot of art sold.
- W. Salamoon, a European jewelry company, launched its ‘Forest Splendors’ collection at Paris Fashion Week 2024 in partnership with Sacred Groves.
- Ruya Bank launched ‘NatureProtect,’ a pioneering initiative that protects forests as customers grow their deposits with the bank.
Junk to Jungles
The Sacred Groves enables the deployment of the residual value realized from Junk (especially e-waste) through recycling/reselling toward conservation. This innovative, zero-cost action has a strong reputational value for organizations from an ESG perspective and aligns with at least four UN-SDGs (SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 15, SDG 17).
Examples:
- Dentsu converted their e-waste into forests via the NorthLadder e-auction platform.
- AKI Group, a diversified conglomerate, converted their ‘Junk to Jungles’ with Sacred Groves.
What has been the response of the consumers towards your venture? (Please talk about your recognitions/ achievements here)
The response has been incredible! Today, Sacred Groves protects three forests—two in Wales, UK, and one in Nova Scotia, Canada—with support from individuals and businesses in 30+ countries. Our forests in Wales were recently recognized as ‘National Forests for Wales’ by the Welsh Government for their rare temperate rainforests and ecosystem services.
We’ve been part of the Microsoft Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact Accelerator and featured in the PwC Net Zero Future50 – Middle East report. Our work was also recognized at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2023, and we were invited to the prestigious Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum at COP28 UAE.
How has your life changed because of your venture?
Transitioning from a senior corporate leader to a climate action influencer has been nothing short of transformational. My focus has shifted from driving shareholder returns to creating long-term ecological and social impact. I’m embracing new mental frameworks, stepping out of my comfort zone, and actively shaping emerging entrepreneurial opportunities like Conservation Tokens, Conservation Commerce, and Junk to Jungles. It’s an exhilarating journey—one that challenges and inspires me every day.
What are you working on right now?
We’re expanding our impact in India, working closely with National Parks to find innovative funding solutions for conservation. We’re also building partnerships with Indian companies to accelerate the ‘nature-positive’ movement—bringing businesses and communities together to protect and restore our natural world.
Give a motivational message for the audience/women who are reading this.
Climate change is both our greatest challenge and our greatest opportunity. It is the defining issue of our time—one that demands urgent action, bold ideas, and collective responsibility.
We are not just passive inheritors of this planet; we are its Guardians. As the Native American proverb reminds us, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” The choices we make today will shape the world they inherit tomorrow.
This is our moment to turn crisis into change—to protect, restore, and reimagine a future where people and nature thrive together. Let’s rise to the challenge and leave behind a legacy we can be proud of. The time for action is now!
Social Links:
LinkedIn: Vikram Krishna
Website: Sacred Groves
