Latika Thukral
Latika Thukral | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1967 India |
| Occupation(s) | Banking professional, environmentalist |
| Known for |
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Latika Thukral (born around 1967) is an Indian banking professional recognized for her significant contributions to environmental restoration in Gurgaon, particularly through the #IamGurgaon initiative, which successfully planted one million indigenous trees in the Aravali Biodiversity Park. In 2015, she was honored with the Nari Shakti Award by the President of India.
Life
After earning a degree in marketing from the University of Delhi, Thukral spent two years working at ITC Hotels before embarking on an 18-year tenure at Citibank, where she advanced to the position of senior vice president. Upon relocating to Gurgaon in 1996, she witnessed uncontrolled urban expansion and subsequently launched the #IamGurgaon campaign in 1999, rallying volunteers to plant a million native tree species.
Her environmental initiatives were formally acknowledged by the Haryana Government with a commendation presented on Republic Day in 2010. The #IamGurgaon movement collaborated with municipal bodies and corporate partners to broaden its ecological endeavors. In 2015, Thukral was among the inaugural awardees of the Nari Shakti Puraskar in recognition of her leadership and influential work.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, #IamGurgaon was instrumental in delivering cooked meals to thousands of underprivileged households across Gurgaon, providing assistance estimated at up to 20,000 families over a two-month period, with an approximate monthly expenditure of 3,250 rupees per family.