Our Team
Our people are our brand ambassadors. Never exhausting and truly passionate about delivering an unparalleled experience to each and every guest is the cornerstone of our philosophy. There are no practised smiles, only genuine warmth and sincerity and this is what makes our team so special.
Management
Gajendra Singh Rathore
Founder, Jungle Camps India
A Chartered Accounted (CA) by profession, Gajendra’s interest in wildlife began when he started working as a CA and had a couple of clients belonging to the wildlife sector. He was fascinated by the rich wildlife we have in various National Parks in India itself and how many of them are still under-explored. He is driven by his passion towards wildlife and believes that his true success comes from the number of lives Jungle Camps has changed in the remote areas it operates. He is constantly on the look out for the ways he can make Jungle Camps India one of the finest wildlife and hospitality experience for the discerning traveller.
Ajay Singh
Director & Head Finance
With over a decade of accounting and taxation experience, Ajay leads the finance department. Quiet and unassuming, he forms the backbone of the company. With sharp acumen for all things numbers, no new activities and expansions are rolled out without his approval. Born and brought up in Rajasthan, he loves to read and spend time with his family in his free time.
Yashovardhan Rathore
Director
Born in the family of passionate wildlifers, his love for nature and wildlife was inculcated in the childhood itself. With Masters in International Hotel Management from Les Roches Spain, Yashovardhan has also completed his bachelors in law. A man of many interests, he loves sports and has been a prize winning athlete during his former school years too. He is passionate about travel and loves exploring new destinations. His goal is to expand the portfolio of Jungle Camps India to make it into a leading safari and wildlife company in the world.
Mr. Shailendra Singh
Mr. Shailendra Singh aged 61 years is an esteemed Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1988 Madhya Pradesh cadre, has had an illustrious career marked by diverse and significant contributions across various departments and ministries. Born on December 20, 1962, in Bihar, Shri Singh is fluent in Hindi, Bengali, and English. He holds a Bachelor of Science, an LL.B., and an MBA in Public Policy. Throughout his tenure, he has held key positions such as Agriculture Production Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary at Vallabh Bhawan, Bhopal, Joint Secretary in the Commerce & Industry Ministry, and Principal Secretary for SC/ST Welfare, among others. His notable achievements include receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation in Public Administration for his work in improving India’s performance in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report. Shri Singh’s career exemplifies dedication and versatility in public service, significantly impacting sectors such as agriculture, industrial policy, welfare, and tax administration.
Mr. Tarun Khanna
Mr. Tarun Khanna aged 53 is a partner of the Investment Advisor and is responsible for ideating, identifying, investing, monitoring and exiting investments in the consumer products and services sector. He is serving and has served on the boards of several portfolio companies of the Investment Advisor NTL, Barbeque Nation, Sapphire Foods, Mrs. Bectors Foods and Thalappakatti Hotels. Prior to joining the Investment Advisor in 2008, He was a director in the investment and corporate banking sector at Yes Bank, an Indian private sector bank. He was responsible for originating mergers and acquisitions ("M&A") and capital raising transactions across North and East India for four and a half years, originated several private equity transactions and worked with several private equity funds, including with CVCI. He was also an integral part of the startup team at Yes Bank and served in a variety of leadership roles. Prior to his engagement at Yes Bank, he has spent four years at Citi's corporate and investment banking business, before which he was with GE's commercial finance business for 18 months. He earned an MBA from the University of Baltimore and a B.S. degree in Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Ms Maansi Khangarot
Ms Maansi Khangarot aged 25 is a B.Arch.(H) qualified and is having an experience of 3 years. Maansi is a highly skilled architect whose career is distinguished by a diverse range of experiences and a robust educational background. Having had the privilege of working under the esteemed French architect Stéphane Paumier (HMNOP, RIBA), Maansi has cultivated a profound understanding of architectural design, project management, and interdisciplinary coordination.
Ms. Laxmi Rathore
Ms. Laxmi Rathore aged 53 years having over 20 years of rich and diverse experience in the hospitality industry, Ms. Laxmi Rathore stands as a beacon of expertise and leadership. She has dedicated more than two decades to mastering the art and science of hospitality, making her a distinguished figure in the field. She ensures that each camp under the Jungle Camps India umbrella maintains high standards of service, sustainability, and guest satisfaction. Her responsibilities encompass strategic planning, coordination of daily activities, and the implementation of innovative practices to enhance the guest experience. She actively contributes to the housekeeping department, ensuring impeccable standards are maintained. Additionally, her exceptional skills in design and soft furnishings enable her to create aesthetically pleasing and comfortable environments, enhancing the overall guest experience. Mrs. Laxmi's leadership is characterized by her commitment to eco-friendly initiatives, promoting local culture, and ensuring that the operations align with the group's core values of environmental stewardship and community engagement. Her expertise in managing diverse teams and her ability
Mr. Ashok Kumar Mittal
Mr. Ashok Kumar Mittal aged 61 years having rich experience of 33 years and graduate in B. Com from Rajasthan University, Jaipur in the year 1985 and CS a fellow member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi in June, 1990 and worked as Company Secretary of M/s Jay Bharat Sona Industries Pvt. Ltd., Surat from 01/03/1991 till 23/04/1992 and in Lunar Diamonds Limited, New Delhi from 01/05/1992 till 20/09/1996, right now working as practicing Company Secretary..
Marketing & Sales Team
Abhishek Aggarwal
Head Sales & Strategy
A part of the team from past 8 years, Abhishek joined the company after completing his MBA. Responsible for strategy & expansion, he is also leading the sales and marketing efforts in the company. Soft spoken with keen attention to detail, he is an expert in designing bespoke tours and experiences. He is also the team’s go-to-man for any queries one may have related to travel and wildlife. In his free time, he can often be seen making travel plans to unexplored destinations.
Sandeep Pandey
GM, Revenue & Reservation
With over two decades of experience in the hospitality and wildlife, Sandeep is an expert on the national parks of India. Born in the charming town of Orchha (situated in Madhya Pradesh), Sandeep’s childhood was spent in listening to the tales of the famous tigers from nearby tiger reserves. Passionate about adding value to the guest experience at the lodges, he loves introducing about the guests to the magnificent wildlife of the ‘tiger country’. He is also the person who knows all about best safaris and the park gates. When not at work, he is often seen riding on his Royal Enfield to the remotest regions of the country.
Naturalist Team
Surendra Singh Rathore
With over two decades of experience in Pench National Park, Surendra is the eldest team member of the Pench Jungle Camp. An army veteran, he shifted to the jungles to follow his passion for wildlife and nature. A passionate wildlifer and an award winning wildlife photographer. Surendra, brings in creativity, professional skills and passion to provide a unique and memorable experience to the guests.
Mohan Kumar M
With the past experience of environment education for students and a keen interest in Natural History, he has been associated with many research papers too. Fascinated with wildlife, with a special interest in reptiles and amphibians, Mohan has travelled across the length and breadth of the country extensively to study the various flora and fauna. A recent joinee to the Kanha Jungle Camp, Mohan was erstwhile associated with other lodges in Kanha national park itself earlier.
Himanshu Bagde
Himanshu saw his first tiger in Nazgira at the age of 15 and was captivated by the experience. Born and brought up in Nagpur, he grew up hearing stories of the jungles. His first chosen profession was in the field of sales and marketing, however the allure of the wildlife never left him. In 2009, he quit his corporate job to follow his passion. A man of varied interests, not only is he an expert at tracking the tigers but is also a wildlife photographer with a keen interest in conservation. Currently based out of Tadoba Jungle Camp, he will enliven your drives with the history and his knowledge of wildlife.
Shashank Munjamkar
A wildlife biologist by profession with M.Sc., Shashank has been passionate about the subject from his childhood. Growing up near Tadoba, he is familiar with not just the keystone species, the tigers but also other often looked over species. He has been rescuing and rehabilitating animals and reptiles since 2010. Some of the species he has successfully rescued and rehabilitated include tigers, leopards, nilgai, species of deer, sloth bears, crocodiles, monitor lizards, snakes, turtles and even a variety of birds. While you are at the lodge, do ask him to share his experiences which make for fascinating stories.
Rajnish Pradhan
Starting his career as a front office assistant, Rajnish has managed to climb up the ladder of success due to his diligence and hardwork. With over 14 years of experience across leading hotels such as Taj Hotels, Orange County and Radisson Group, Rajnish comes with a wealth of experience of not just wildlife but also hospitality. Passionate about delivering superior excellence, Rajnish is an asset to the team.
Monthung Ezung
A part of the team since it’s very inception, apart from a trained naturalist, Monthung is an experienced hospitality professional too. Due to his experience and interest, he wears a dual hat of being a naturalist and looking after lodge operations too. An avid birder himself, Monthung is the best guide to accompany you on your bird watching walks.
Ruturaj Patil
A post graduate in management studies, Ruturaj is a trained naturalist, wildlife photographer and a trekker. With the past experience of working in Amboli, a haven for reptiles and amphibians in Western India, he is now in Kanha National Park because of his love for tigers. If asked to choose a favourite between the two places, his quick reply is a resounding and unwavering ‘both.’ Apart from wildlife he also loves cycling and had covered a distance of 1,400 km in a single trip where he cycled all the way from Kolhapur (western India) to Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of India.