From a journalist worried about space pollution to building India’s trusted eco-friendly hotel booking travel platform.
Prerna Prasad, Founder & CEO of Ecoplore, runs this Delhi-NCR–based sustainable travel company that curates and books experiential eco-hotels for people who want to slow down and reconnect with nature
“Our role is not just to give a memorable holiday close to nature, but to inspire people to adopt sustainability in their own lifestyle.”
About Prerna Prasad
Prerna is an environmental advocate who has spoken out against harmful policies, from tree cutting in South Delhi to the killing of Tigress Avni.
She began her career as a journalist with CNN-IBN and Headlines Today and later wrote Love@Politics, based on a true activist love story. She has also worked on the Tamil film Vella Panni. While working on a photo book on Delhi NCR with French photographer Johann Rousselot, she travelled widely and developed a deep interest in travel and conservation.
This led her to found Ecoplore.
About Ecoplore: A Sustainable Travel Company in India
Ecoplore curates and books eco-friendly stays across India: hotels, mud houses, forest lodges, and slow-living nature retreats for families, couples, and small groups looking for meaningful time in nature.
People can book through ecoplore.com, WhatsApp, email, or phone.
Ecoplore is present on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Why Prerna Started Ecoplore
Before Ecoplore, Prerna was working with a media company covering space, satellites, drones, and rockets.
That exposure led to a realization few people talk about:
“We are not just damaging planet Earth. We have not left any stone unturned to even pollute the universe and space. There are robots and satellites lying there with no accountability.”
She quit her job without knowing what would come next.
For four months, she did nothing until she planned a 10-day trip to Malaysia.
While researching eco-stays there, she spent two full months finding just six or seven hotels because there was no platform that made this easy.
That’s when it hit her:
“If it was this hard for me, how would anyone else find these places?”
When she returned to India, she began meeting people in sustainable tourism and researching whether something like this already existed.
That was the beginning of Ecoplore.
The First Eco-Stay Listed on Ecoplore
The first property she listed on Ecoplore wasn’t random.
It was a mud house in Jim Corbett, a place she had stayed at herself years earlier as a traveler.
“That was my first eco-hotel for Ecoplore. And it is still one of our best-selling properties today.”
Her first customer was her senior from CNN-IBN, also a journalist, who later became a repeat customer.
“When your first customer becomes a repeat customer, it means you’re doing something right.”
Impact: How Ecoplore Customers Are Changing Their Lives Through Sustainable Travel
One of Prerna’s favorite stories is about a traveler who won Ecoplore’s Traveler of the Year award.
Before traveling, her home had just one or two plants.
After staying at three Ecoplore properties:
“Her house was full of plants. Every balcony. Even indoors.”
For Prerna, this is the real outcome.
Not just vacations but behavior change.
The Shift That Unlocked Growth
For the first three years (2016–2019), Ecoplore marketed itself on sustainability:
- rainwater harvesting
- solar panels
- waste management
- plastic-free hotels
It didn’t work.
“People don’t buy whether a hotel has rainwater harvesting or solar panels. They don’t care.”
So Ecoplore changed its story.
Instead of talking about sustainability, they started talking about:
- hiking
- water sports
- peace
- food
- beauty
- relaxation
“When we started talking about experiences, we started getting traction, and we never looked back.”
How Ecoplore Makes Money Today
Ecoplore earns through:
- Direct travelers
- High-value B2B inbound bookings
B2B partnerships are currently their highest-paying channel, and Prerna is doubling down on them.
Revenue & Capital Journey
Ecoplore registered as a private limited company in 2019, just before COVID.
Post-2021, growth picked up:
|
Year |
Revenue |
| 2021 | ~₹14–20 lakh |
| 2022 | ~₹35–40 lakh |
| 2025 (current year) |
~₹60 lakh projected |
Total investment across six years, including travel, content, and four versions of the website, is around ₹1 crore.
“We reached break-even in 2022. Since then, we have not invested any money from our own pocket.”
Core Business Rule for Ecoplore
In an industry known for fake pictures and false promises, Prerna swears by one thing:
“Genuineness. What you see in the picture, the real place should be even better.”
She personally visits properties before sending customers.
“I am the first customer.”
Prerna’s ‘Slow’ Founder Philosophy
She chose life over hustle.
“People tell me I am slow. But I have lived my life. I travelled, I enjoyed, and I built my company.”
For her, success is purpose + peace.
“I only do what I enjoy. As women, we are taught to listen to everyone, be it parents, friends, or husbands. We get influenced too much. We should learn to take what helps us and ignore the rest.”
What She’s Building Next
Two priorities:
- More B2B partnerships
- A fully automated booking engine for Indian travelers built from her own profits, not investor money
Proud Moment for Ecoplore
Ecoplore recently received a Times Group Award for Sustainable Travel Content despite not being a typical influencer brand.
“We were chosen for our purpose, not for followers.”
Book Eco-Friendly Stays with Ecoplore
Website: https://ecoplore.com/
Instagram: @ecoplore
Check out the eco-stay videos
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ecoplore
If you’d like your journey to be featured in our Meet The Mahilas series, write to us at hello@mahila.money.
We’d love to hear your story and share it with women across India.
