Sanjoy Patnaik is an Independent researcher and practitioner. He has about two and half decades of experience in land and forest rights issues in India, with expertise in rural and social development, participatory processes, and natural resource management.

Over the years He has gathered in-depth understanding of socio-political systems, local governance systems and have a strong grounding in inclusive programming in different parts of the country around land, forest and agriculture. His experience includes performing policy and field level research, initiating policy dialogue, developing high advocacy strategies and plans, relationship building with multi-stakeholders including state and national governments and planning bodies like NITI Aayog, monitoring and evaluating programmes, capacity building, identifying new opportunities and fundraising, and programme planning and management. He enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams and in national and international environments.