About Us

Sudha and I began our philanthropic journey in 2016 with a simple but powerful commitment: to improve the quality of life of tribal communities in the Nilgiris. With the help of our friends, family and local NGOs we implemented targeted initiatives focused on education, sports, health and nutrition programs- creating meaningful impact across more than 20 tribal villages. TopHills77 began by addressing social causes that improved the lives of tribal communities in the Nilgiris.

Then came a defining moment.

During a trek with Naturalist Bhoopathy sir, in the Gene Pool forest area we witnessed something transformative. On one side stood landscapes overtaken by invasive species — ecosystems diminished, biodiversity suppressed, totally dry & barren. On the other side were areas restored by the Forest Department, where eucalyptus and wattle had been replaced with native plant layers including ground cover, herbaceous layer, shrubs, sub canopy and mature canopy layer. Native birds, insects, plant diversity and soil moisture was restored, so we saw a complete revival.

This side-by-side comparison demonstrated a powerful truth: ecological degradation is reversible when science, community, and sustained effort converge. The experience revealed both the scale of ecological damage and the immense potential for recovery. The once-thriving shola forests and grasslands of the Nilgiris were not totally lost — they were simply waiting to be revived.

TopHills 77 evolved from that moment.

Today, alongside our social initiatives, we are deeply committed to watershed restoration, invasive removal, native shola forest and grass land regeneration, and the revival of native ecosystems by employing local community human resources for restoration work. Our restoration approach is scientific, low-impact, nature-based and manual i.e. labour-intensive.

TopHills77 is an NGO under Section 8 of the Companies Act of India.

The Story behind our name?

TopHills77 was born in the highlands of Kotagiri, in a landscape where mist moves slowly across rolling grasslands and ancient forests breathe quietly beneath the canopy. Top Hills is where our first steps into restoration began.

The number 77 carries our compass. It marks the 77° East longitude that runs through the Nilgiris — a living segment of the Western Ghats, one of the world’s great biodiversity regions and among the oldest forest systems on Earth. Here, shola forests and montane grasslands evolved over millennia, shaping water, climate, and life across South India.

When we chose the name TopHills77, we anchored ourselves to this geography — and to make a difference to it’s future, our enduring purpose.

It will continue to remind us that restoration is not an abstract mission. It is rooted in soil, slopes, watersheds, the flora & fauna and the community. It is tied to a specific longitude, a specific landscape, and a specific promise:

• To restore what was once thriving.
• To protect what still endures.
• And to ensure that these hills continue to thrive for generations to come.