Dr. Kumar has a master's degree in physics and a PHD degree in forestry from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Ajai Kumar joined the Indian Forest Service in 1986 and till 1992 worked with Forest Department in Manipur State in India. From 1993 to 1997 he worked with the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board, which formulates and implements afforestation policies for the Ministry of Environment and Forests. He has been an advisor on forest management issues and was the member secretary of the High Power Committee constituted by the Supreme Court of India in 1997 to look into forest industries and forest management in the northeastern states. In 1998 he was awarded International Research Fellowship by the University of Melbourne, Austalia and from May 1998 to April 2001 he worked on his doctoral thesis in the University of Melbourne, Australia. His doctoral thesis is on 'Common Property Resource Management'. From October 2001 to November 2003 he worked as in charge of World Bank Forestry Project in Uttaranchal State of India. From November 2003 to December 2004 he worked with Forest Development Corporation in Uttaranchal State in India.From August 2005 to March 2010 Dr Kumar worked in the Ministries of Defence and Agriculture in Government of India. Presently Dr Kumar is the Senior Economist and Senior Country Coordinator of CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvment Center).