A space for expression shaped by the ethos of Ours To Tell—inviting everyone to speak freely and share their stories of and from the Himalayas. Timings are as follows: 5 December (1:00 pm - 3:00 pm), 6 December (1:00 pm - 3:00 pm), 8 December (1:00 pm - 3:00 pm)
5 December | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | AI, remote sensing and digital tools are transforming natural resource management and biodiversity conservation across India. Drawing from field-tested projects within the CoRE stack, the speakers highlight practical applications, lessons from the ground and emerging possibilities for collaborative, data-driven environmental action. Speakers: Dhruvi Goyal and Samitha Manohar
5 December | 2:30 pm - 2:45 pm | Award-winning eco-architect Rahul Bhushan takes us inside Pit Stop Babeli, exploring how the project rethinks the stopover in Himachal Pradesh, through local materials, building techniques and community-led design to create a meaningful public space in the Himalayas.
5 December | 2:45 pm - 3:15 pm | A keynote address by Mr Amitabh Kant—India’s Sherpa to the G20 during India’s Presidency of 2022–23 and former CEO of NITI Aayog—anchors the announcement of the winning proposals from the Himalayan Pit Stop Challenge 2025, which brought together designers, innovators and community stakeholders to reimagine how travellers pause, rest and connect across the Himalayas, creating pit stops rooted in people, place and purpose.
5 December | 3:15 pm - 4:00 pm | Explore how architecture in the Himalayas can harmonize with nature, culture and community. This panel highlights vernacular wisdom, sustainable materials, and resilient design strategies that address climate change, seismic risk, and modernization pressures—showcasing how building with the environment can preserve both heritage and future livelihoods. Speakers: Okit Sitek, Pema C. Bhutia, Phuntsog Namgail
5 December | 4:00 pm - 4:45 pm | The discussion explores how food serves as a repository of memory and cultural practice in the Northeast, revealing how recipes, rituals, and kitchens become spaces of both resistance and belonging. Speakers: Ningreichon, Tenzin Choedon and Tsheten Bhutia
5 December | 4:45 pm - 5:30 pm | Hear from grassroots developers and athletes who’ve carved their own journeys through grit, passion and community support sharing real stories from the field—as players, coaches, and mentors—revealing what it takes to raise the next generation of champions. Speakers: Dolkar Angmo, Nirav Shrestha, Peter Gebei, Spalgon Kanji (Rigzin Palgon), and Tenzin Dolma
6 December | 11:00 am - 11:45 am | Celebrating the Himalayas through the personal stories of riders and explorers—journeys of exploration, cultural discovery, resilience and inspiration—revealing how these experiences shape both people and place. Speakers: Adarsh Saxena, Clifton Shipway, Sonia Jain and Tashi Malik
6 December | 11:45 am - 12:40 pm | This spotlight session brings together conservation fellows and community practitioners from across the Himalayas to share grounded stories of stewardship, coexistence and the everyday work of protecting biodiversity in fragile mountain landscapes. Speakers: Agur Litin, Banyllashisha Wankhar, Karamat, Lundup Dorjay & Kavya Trivedi, Rakshak Singh Rana & Dheeraj Rana and Sapna Khando
6 December | 2:45 pm - 3:30 pm | In the Himalayas, conservation is inseparable from the communities who inhabit the land. This panel explores how local knowledge, participatory governance, and adaptive practices shape resilient, locally rooted models that safeguard both ecological and cultural landscapes. Speakers: Jose Louies, Malika Virdi and Shaleena Phinya
6 December | 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | Materials in the Himalayas embody the region’s memory, ecology, craft traditions and ways of life, linking design to identity and sustainability. Tied to the festival’s theme of belonging, the panel brings together voices from design, craft and research to reflect on how local materials can inspire more rooted, responsible, and regenerative design futures. Speakers: Ana Pantelic, Shubhi Sachan and Zeenat Niazi
6 December | 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm | This session explores stories through the lens of women from the mountains filming their own people and landscapes. It also reflects on the journey of an actor who has walked a different path. They examine how the women’s lens threads through and connects lives across vastly different worlds. Speakers: Linda Horam, Manisha Halai, Sonam Dolma, Zainab Gani and Tillotama Shome (Actor)
6 December | 5:45 pm - 6:30 pm | A conversation with some of India’s most impactful wildlife filmmakers whose work is shaping conservation narratives both on the ground and globally. Wildlife cinematographer, National Geographic Explorer and Royal Enfield x Green Stories Edition 1 Grantee, Pooja Rathod will present a teaser of her film 'Elephant Within Me'—tracing one man’s mission to transform the way India’s wild-captive elephants are trained—a journey from cruelty to kindness. Speakers: Akanksha Sood Singh, Doel Trivedy and Pooja Rathod
7 December | 10:00 am - 1:00 pm | Marking the culmination of the Responsible Tourism Fellowship, Western Himalayas—a collaborative initiative with Green Hub—fellows will present Responsible Tourism Action Plans aiming to conserve nature, celebrate culture and create sustainable livelihoods through community-led tourism models that are both regenerative and deeply rooted in place. Pitches: Nishni, Uttarkashi (a self-sustaining, eco-sensitive destination); Rangdum, Suru Valley (a model for community-led, low-impact tourism); Sethan/Hampta, Kullu (a zero-waste tourist destination); Sissu Helipad, Lahaul Valley (a high-altitude, eco-friendly site balancing experience, sustainability, and community benefit).
7 December | 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm | Padma Shri awardee Jagdish Shukla explores the unfolding climate crisis through the dual lens of hard science and lived human stories. Referencing his acclaimed book A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Chaos Theory, he illustrates how subtle atmospheric shifts can trigger far-reaching impacts on societies, ecosystems and everyday life.
7 December | 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm | A spotlight session featuring Jagrity Phukan on Muga and Dulumoni Regon on life and weaving in Majuli—world’s largest inhabited river island—discussing craft communities and their relationship with nature in the weaving heartland of Assam.
7 December | 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm | A conversation on how Himalayan craft clusters and creative practitioners are adapting to shifting ecological realities—how communities are reimagining materials, techniques, and collective practices to mitigate climate risks while sustaining both livelihoods and traditions. Speakers: Nasir Ansari, Nishant Raj, Mehak Shabir and Smita Murty
7 December | 3:45 pm - 4:00 pm | Hear from Babar Afzal, the founder of the Pashmina Goat Project—globally recognised as the most credible voice on pashmina.
7 December | 4:45 pm - 5:30 pm | This panel explores how the creative economy can drive systemic change and resilience amid climate challenges—sparking innovation, reviving traditional knowledge, and shifting production toward circular, sustainable models through collective action for a regenerative future. Speakers: Bidisha Dey and Sumant Jayakrishnan
7 December | 4:00 pm - 4:45pm | This panel explores why rangelands and pastoral practices are essential to keeping Himalayan ecosystems alive—highlighting the knowledge, stewardship, and lived realities of those who depend on them. The discussion brings together science, tradition, and on-ground experience to examine what it takes to sustain these fragile landscapes. Speakers: Dr. Eklabya Sharma, Tsering Ladol and Thupden Lachungpa
8 December | 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | A panel discussion followed by a special reading marking the culmination of Zubaan’s anthology series from the Northeast and Eastern Himalayas—celebrating seven volumes that bring together distinct voices, lived realities, and emerging literary and artistic forms from the region. Speakers: Anjulika Thingnam Samom, Banamallika Choudhury and Mona Chettri
9 December | 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm | A demonstrative talk by photographer and author Ahtushi Despande, about her book Speaking Stones: The Rock Art of Ladakh that delves into the ancient imprints found in the rugged, harsh terrain of Ladakh, drawing on three decades of exploration in the region.
