Prasanth Nair was selected to the Indian Administrative Service in the year 2007 securing an all-India rank 4 in the UPSC exam. Hailing from Thalassery in Kannur District, Prasanth grew up in Thiruvananthapuram and graduated in law from the University of Kerala with first rank.

He has served in various capacities in various sectors including Tourism, Excise, Taxation, Roads, Water supply, Shipping, Energy, Skill Development, shipping, tribal welfare etc. He headed two World Bank Projects, viz. Jalanidhi & KSTP. As District Magistrate in Kozhikode District of Kerala he earned the moniker of ‘Collector bro’ for his citizen friendly and participative approach in governance. He initiated ‘Operation Sulaimani’ to eradicate hunger under the umbrella project named ‘Compassionate Kozhikode’. Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin chose it as one of the 50 inspirational projects from around the world. Digital Empowerment Foundation and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation selected it for the social media for empowerment (SM4E) award. Prasanth is considered as a pioneer in using social media for governance in India and an expert in mass communication. He is the founder of India’s first tribal heritage village project, ‘En Ooru’ in Wayanad. He is the founding CEO of Unnathi, a specialised agency providing livelihood and scholarships for the upliftment of scheduled caste and tribal youth. Presently he is the Special Secretary to government handling Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Department. He is also the Managing Director of KAMCO, the pioneering agricultural tools and equipment manufacturer in India.

An avid film buff, Prasanth has co-scripted malayalam movies, directed short films, documentaries and musicals and acted as well. His short film, ‘Daivakanam’ was premiered at Cannes Film Festival, 2018. He has also acted in Malayalam movies. His recent documentary, “Fragrance of the Gods” is a powerful statement on bonded labour.

Prasanth writes in Malayalam and English with equal ease, and his articles have been widely published. He is the author of the best sellers ‘Collector Bro: The quixotic thallals of a civil servant’ and “Lifebuoy”. His latest shortstory collection ‘Broswamy kathakal’ is also a best seller. He has also served as a speaker at various academic and development forums including the UN University-Bonn, IIT, IIM, IRMA, LBSNAA etc.