For Saket Sambhav, environmentalism is not a campaign or a weekend activity it is a lifelong commitment.
Originally from Patna, Bihar, Saket is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Sustainability from Rushford Business School, Switzerland. A climate advocate, animal rights activist, vegan and founder of The Better Human™ Life Foundation, he is working to make environmental responsibility a way of life rather than an occasional concern.
A major turning point came Four years ago when he encountered the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti and Acharya Prashant. Combined with the influence of Kabir, Buddha, Bhagat Singh, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and Mahatma Gandhi, these ideas reshaped his understanding of success, consumption, and human responsibility.
“I eventually aligned what I call the three Ps of life purpose, passion, and profession. When your inner self becomes clear, the path ahead clarifies itself,” he says.
Solving the Trust Deficit
While climate change became his cause, Saket believed another crisis often went unnoticed: the growing trust deficit in the social sector.
Many people want to support meaningful causes but hesitate because they are unsure how their contributions are used. This belief led to the creation of The Better Human™ Life Foundation and its guiding principle: the Zero-Leakage Model.
Public contributions are directed entirely towards mission activities, while operational expenses are absorbed by the leadership. Field interventions are documented through geo-tagged evidence to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Good intentions are not enough. Public trust requires systems, transparency, and measurable execution,” he says.
For Saket, governance is not separate from impact. It is impact.
Building Awareness and Action
Alongside conservation work, Saket launched WriteToWin, a free national platform where students write about climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
Supported by a ₹1 lakh quarterly prize pool, the initiative has engaged thousands of students. One major milestone came when more than 1,000 students at Laxmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata, participated in a climate essay-writing drive simultaneously.
“Children are among the most vulnerable victims of climate change, but they are also our greatest changemakers,” he says.
Saket has also built an independent digital community exclusively for environmentalists and activists, creating a dedicated space for collaboration beyond mainstream social media platforms.
Action on the Ground
The Better Human™ Life Foundation focuses on targeted environmental interventions.
In Delhi-NCR, the organisation has deployed nearly 400 bird nests and over 50 water stations to support urban bird populations affected by habitat loss and extreme heat.
A significant part of this work was led by Karan Kumar, popularly known as “The Tree Guy” and founder of Finobadi, who personally installed nests, placed water stations, and developed a solar-powered water station prototype for birds and stray animals.
In the Sundarbans, the foundation partnered with conservationist Swapan Suin, known as the “Mangrove Boy of India,” to support cyclone-affected families, improve school sanitation infrastructure, and strengthen climate resilience within vulnerable communities. Plans include planting 1,000 native mangrove saplings and distributing over one lakh indigenous tree seeds through a caretaker-based accountability system.
“People often see the final impact but not the countless hours spent executing it. Karan’s dedication reflects the kind of grassroots leadership environmental work truly needs,” says Saket.
We Are the Earth
At the core of Saket’s work is a simple belief: “We are the Earth.”
“Everything on this planet is fundamentally interconnected. The soil beneath us, the water we drink, the animals, trees, birds, and insects are all composed of the same elements. Harming them is quite literally harming ourselves,” he says.
This perspective shapes his understanding of environmentalism.
“The Earth will comfortably survive without us; we are simply fighting to save our own species.”
Looking Ahead
Ten years from now, Saket hopes today’s younger generation will ask difficult questions about what was done to address ecological decline.
“When they face the full weight of environmental degradation, I want us to be able to face them with honest, data-backed answers,” he says.
Beyond environmental outcomes, he hopes the Zero-Leakage model becomes a national benchmark for public-backed social impact initiatives.
His advice to young Indians is simple: examine personal consumption patterns, support sustainable and circular businesses, and choose leadership that prioritises biodiversity and
The Logical Indian Perspective
India does not lack people willing to contribute to social causes. What it often struggles with is confidence that contributions will be used effectively.
Saket Sambhav’s work stands out because it attempts to address that challenge directly. By combining climate action with transparency, accountability, and community participation, he is attempting to show that public trust can be earned through measurable action and that Sustainable change begins when responsibility is matched by accountability.
Whether the Zero-Leakage model becomes widely adopted remains to be seen. But it raises an important question for the future of philanthropy and social impact in India can public trust be rebuilt through radical transparency?
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