Originally reported and written in February 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content.

At the break of dawn in Gurugram, Haryana, the city struggles to awaken from its slumber and dive headlong into the weekday. But miles away in the same town, there is an eco oasis that can’t wait to come to life as the first rays of sunlight hit.

Karma Lakelands is an ironic paradise that gives its guests a palatial leisure spot to unwind right in the heart of one of India’s busiest hubs. The day here stretches long amidst the myriad of activities — beekeeping, watching eco bricks being made from plastic, golfing on the nine-hole course and more. But before you know it, night envelopes the eco oasis.

And as entrepreneur Ashwani Khurana watches his creation unfold, he says he couldn’t be prouder.

There was always a spark of a love for nature that resided in this Delhi University graduate. He recalls, “When I was 19 and on my first visit to the Chandigarh Rock Gardens, a mutual friend introduced me to Padma Shri awardee Nek Chand, the creator of this natural paradise. Something clicked; then onwards, on every trip I made to the city, I would meet sir and be inspired every single time.”

Khurana, now 63, adds that after completing his graduate studies, he was engaged in his family business, which was “a huge success”. But even while training his sights on business, a passion for nature and the environment was taking seed in him.

He had his first stint with sustainable practices when he was 25 and planted hundreds of trees at his farmhouse in Delhi.

“A few months later, watching them flourish was almost overwhelming. It was like seeing a kid growing up. That was when it first struck me that this was a cause I was very passionate about, and I decided to plant 10,000 trees every year on different pieces of land........

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