Having worked full time with research and development institutes and NGOs that focus on biodiversity conservation and livelihoods, Manjula now operates as a consultant for research, documentation, appraisals and monitoring and evaluation of projects that calls for knowledge and experience of sustainable development, conservation, NRM, ethnobiology & traditional knowledge, livelihoods and gender. She is actively involved in Research and Development work in the area of bioresource and agri-based livelihoods, inclusion of women and socially marginalized in all aspects through capacity and training, participation in management entities, collectives for finance, upskilling and market outreach.
Manjula has a deep interest and experience in working with the Traditional Knowledge (TK) of tribals and other traditional communities in conserving and utilising the bioresources. Having been associated with the Irula tribal community in northern Tamil Nadu in an NGO and later through doctoral research for over fifteen years, Manjula has recently published a book in English (‘The Irular of Northern Tamil Nadu – An Indigenous Community and Their Traditional Knowledge’ and also in Tamil (‘Vada Tamizhnatu Irular Vazhviyalum Avargalin Marabsaar Arivum’) to share the status of such communities viz., TK , erosion of TK, how such communities are placed in such changing scenarios of biodiversity loss, urbanisation , loss of livelihoods etc.