Paavani has joined The Council as a Programme Lead with the Sustainable Food Systems team. Her work focuses on scaling the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in India, bringing together research, data and evidence to support public sector engagement and informed policy decisions.

Prior to joining The Council, Paavani worked at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), first as a Project Associate and then as a Consultant. There, under the UNDP-MoEFCC led Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), she developed biodiversity finance tracking tools, designed national surveys, and worked closely with stakeholders on conservation funding and accountability. She began her policy career as a Legislative Assistant to Member of Parliament (LAMP) Fellow, supporting a senior Rajya Sabha MP on legislative and budgetary matters.

Paavani holds a PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where her doctoral research examined the financial and psychological impacts of climate change exacerbated events, offering a multi-dimensional understanding of human well-being. She also holds an MSc in Economics with a specialisation in Environmental Economics from TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, and a BA (Hons.) in Economics from Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Outside of work, Paavani is an avid reader and gardener, a passionate baker, and an animal foster, finding joy in everyday acts of kindness and creativity.