Returning to Love
RTL Talks Episode 4
Anika in conversation with Utsow Pradhan

Welcome to this special episode from the forest!
“All work that aligns towards the outcome of pure air, fresh water and rich soil is my interest”, powerful words from our dear friend Utsow Pradhan, the Founding Gardener of TIEEDI in Darjeeling.
After spending 18 years in the corporate world, in 2016 Utsow moved back to the hills of Darjeeling and regenerated one acre of dumping space into a hustling bustling forest garden (TIEEDI) with natural dwellings for travellers, experiential eco learning center, wild food forest and a waste innovation center. He collaborated with the communities to launch three zero waste villages… including India’s first zerowaste village: Rajahatta. This means nothing from these villages is burnt or dumped… and the secret is to not just manage waste, but to not generate waste in the first place! He has also cracked the formula for curating zerowaste schools, monastery, restaurants – just about anything; and is working actively with corporates to implement their CSR and EPR goals around environment. He has been diving deep into the world of Permaculture or Purkhaculture as he calls it, which is the foundation and an answer to so many of our everyday problems.
I met Utsow at our Returning to Love event, earlier in January this year (   • Full event video | 9th Edition  Retu...  ) where we invited him to talk about everyday environmentalism. I then visited TIEEDI in February 2024, where I felt even more inspired by their work. We then curated the Conscious Leadership Retreat, which we just concluded – and what an eyeopener it was! Truly to become great leaders, we must live consciously. And what better place to learn about living consciously than at TIEEDI.
From our time at TIEEDI, we understand that it is:
…a revolutionary space where environmental action is happening at grassroot level with the communities;
…where everyday environmentalism is a way of life;
…and research is not a goal but a necessity that sprouts from observing nature, living beings, and finding solutions for what it needs.
TIEEDI’s efforts have earned them the Sabera Award for environmental conservation, and a National Geographic documentary on TIEEDI, won “the best nonfiction film” at the Redwood Film Festival in California.
The TIEEDI family is as big as their hearts – 25 passionate individuals each contributing in their own unique ways. And then there is chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, Coco – the legacy dog, and Chungi – a dog with an old wise soul. The forest is guarded by mystical beings and the forest deity. The family extends to a beautiful community, who have all become eco warriors, committed in nurturing zerowaste communities.
In this episode, we will learn more about the man behind this ‘magical space’ – and about TIEEDI’s vision for a greener, healthier planet. One individual at a time. One village at a time.
#zeroWasteVillage #UtsowPradhan #TIEEDI #RTL #RTLTalks #podcast
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00:50 Introduction
03:28 4:42 Abbreviation of TIEEDI
04:49 5:41 Story of TIEEDI
09:46 11:12 Moment of realization
6:20 6:25 Waste Management 
6:26 6:38 Permaculture 
34:33 35:13 Sustainable dwellings
11:36 11:42 Idea of abundance
Community engagement
13:10 Gross Natural Abundance 
14:44 15:19 Perception of sustainability
15:27 15:47 New understanding of sustainability
18:01 18:42 Zero waste andolan 
18:55 18:42 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
22:15 22:22 Conscious Leadership Retreat / Himalayan Cleanup
28:39 28:52 Garden Secrets
31:53 32:32 Problem is the solution 
29:30 30:14 Deep understanding of plants 
30:22 31:26 Precious bamboo 
33:40 Save the soil
50:46 1:15:53 Rapid Fire round