Jamshyd Godrej
Skills and Expertise
Mr. Jamshyd N. Godrej is the Chairman of the Board of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, USA.Mr. Godrej is the former Chairman of Ananta Aspen Centre (previously known as Aspen Institute India), Chairman & Trustee of Ananta Centre. He is the President of World Wide Fund for Nature – India. He is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, India Resources Trust and Council on Energy, Environment and Water. He is a Director of World Resources Institute, USA. He is also a Trustee of the Asia Society, USA. He is the Past President of Confederation of Indian Industry and also the Past President of the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association.
Mr. Godrej is the Chairman of the CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre. The Centre is housed in a LEED Platinum demonstration building which is the first green building in India and the greenest building in the world at the time when it was rated. The Green Business Centre is a Centre of Excellence for green buildings, energy efficiency, energy conservation, non-conventional energy sources, water policy, water conservation, etc.
Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. manufactures and markets refrigerators; washing machines; air conditioners; office furniture; home furniture; security equipment for banks (such as safes, strong room doors, bank lockers, etc.) and for commercial establishments and homes; locks and latches, forklift trucks and warehousing equipment; process equipment for chemical, petrochemical, refineries and allied industries; precision tools for sheet metal, zinc, aluminium; real estate development.
The Godrej group are leaders in home appliances, consumer durables, office equipment, industrial products, consumer products and services.
Mr. Godrej is an ardent yachting enthusiast and has done extensive cruising along the west coast of India, the Baltic & North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea.
The President of India conferred on Mr. Godrej the “Padma Bhushan” on 3rd April 2003.
Nitin Desai
Skills and Expertise
Mr. Nitin Desai has had a long and distinguished career in the government of India and the United Nations. He worked at senior levels in the Planning Commission establishing and managing the system for the cost-benefit analysis of public investment projects. He is a Member-Secretary of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Mr. Desai was the Chief Economic Adviser and Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance and has been associated with a variety of public service activities.Meher Pudumjee
Skills and Expertise
Ms. Meher Pudumjee took over as Chairperson of Thermax Limited on October 5, 2004, after the retirement of her mother Ms Anu Aga. She managed Thermax's subsidiary company in the UK before joining the Board of Directors in 1996. She worked closely with the company's treasury and working capital management functions. In January 2001, Ms. Pudumjee became a non-executive director and was appointed Vice Chairperson in 2002. During this period she played an active role in the turnaround of the company, looking at divesting of non-core activities and restructuring of business portfolios.Rajiv Lall
Skills and Expertise
Dr. Rajiv Lall is Founder MD & CEO of IDFC Bank. With over two decades of experience with leading global investment banks, multi-lateral agencies and in academia, he chairs the Infrastructure Council of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), is India's representative to the G20 Workgroup on Infrastructure and a member of the City of London's Advisory Council on India. He is also member of the Planning Commission's Steering Committee on Urban Development Management, the Prime Minister's Committees on Infrastructure Finance and Transport Sector Development and several other government committees. A Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University and a faculty member of the Florida Atlantic University Department of Economics, Dr. Lall has a number of publications and articles to his credit.Harish Hande
Skills and Expertise
Dr. Harish Hande is a social entrepreneur who founded SELCO India, a solar electric light company. Over the years SELCO has lit up over 120,000 households to emerge as India's leading solar technology firm. It provides customized solar lighting solutions to rural households. It runs the rural solar service financing programme in association with rural development banks, to help their customers pay for sustainable energy services. Dr. Hande has received many awards including the Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy- 2005 . SELCO also won the Ashden Outstanding Achievement Award for 2007.Ramesh Kymal
Skills and Expertise
Mr. Ramesh Kymal is the Chairman & Managing Director of Gamesa Wind Turbines (P) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Gamesa Group, Spain which is a leading supplier of wind power technology in the world and a driving force behind the development of wind power technologies. Mr Kymal is a Mechanical Engineer with specialization in Operations Research, Statistical Quality Control and has pursued higher studies at INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France. He has served for over 25 years in various capacities across blue chip companies in both India and Europe. He is the Chairman of Renewable Energy Council of CII - Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre and is actively involved with wind power associations, promoting the sector by encouraging business and investment opportunities.Arvind Mahajan
Skills and Expertise
Mr. Arvind Mahajan has more than 38 years of experience in management consulting and industry. His management consulting experience includes more than 22 years as partner with AF Ferguson & Co, Price WaterhouseCoopers, IBM Global Business Services and most recently with KPMG. Mr. Mahajan is a part of the founding group and advisory board of IIMPACT, an initiative that provides free primary education to 60,000 girls in 1,100 of the poorest villages of India.Moutushi Sengupta
Skills and Expertise
Ms. Moutushi Sengupta is the Country Director for the MacArthur Foundation’s India Office. Prior to joining MacArthur, she was Director – Programmes and Advocacy for Oxfam India. Ms. Sengupta has worked with the Department for International Development (DFID) in India for over 15 years on a diverse portfolio of programs and projects across the country. She held the position of visiting faculty at the Symbiosis Institute of International Business, teaching post-graduate course on financial services for the rural poor.Anshu Bharadwaj | Chief Executive Officer
Dr Anshu Bharadwaj was a member of the Indian Administrative Services (IAS, 1992 batch, Karnataka cadre). He worked in the state government in various capacities. In 2007, he joined as Executive Director of Centre of Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and helped establish CSTEP as a leading technology policy Think Tank. He functioned as ED of CSTEP till 2020. He has expertise in technology and policy aspects of energy and environmental sectors. He is a member of several government committees in these areas.
He holds a PhD from the Departments of Engineering and Public Policy and Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Piittsburgh, USA. He also has a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and PGDM from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata.
Koyel Kumar Mandal | Chief of Programmes
Koyel Kumar Mandal provides strategic leadership and guidance to Shakti across all programme verticals. Koyel brings to this position over 15 years of leadership experience in designing and implementing programmes in climate resilient infrastructure and international climate finance, and developing financial and policy ecosystems for decentralized renewable energy. Prior to joining Shakti in April 2021, Koyel worked with the Institute for Financial Management and Research as Head of Programmes, GIZ as Senior Advisor, and G20 Saudi Arabia as Policy Expert. Koyel holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Wisconsin, USA, a Post Graduate Diploma in Natural Resource Management from the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta.
Vatsala Joseph | Chief Financial Officer
Vatsala Joseph leads Shakti’s financial strategy and manages all financial activities ranging from budgeting , internal controls, compliance, legal, reporting, monitoring and audits including grant and contract management. Prior to joining Shakti in July 2012, Vatsala has worked with Care, Oxfam and AIACHE. With over 27 years of experience, Vatsala specialises in financial planning, process and procedure implementation, fund management, budgeting, donor financial contract management, audits, taxation and general administration. She has extensive experience in administering large budgets funded by donors like USAID, DFID, British High Commission, European Union, ECHO, UNICEF, UNDP and CIDA. Vatsala is a commerce graduate and qualified CA partially.
Surendra Singh | Head – HR&OD
Surendra leads Shakti’s Human Resources and Organisational Development strategy for sourcing, developing, rewarding, engaging and retaining quality talent. With over 20 years experience in HR, Surendra specialises in organisational design, leadership development, talent management, change management, employment law and establishing effective HR systems. Prior to joining Shakti in July 2012, Surendra has worked with the British High Commission, ActionAid and the Population Foundation of India. Surendra is Post Graduate in Business Management with specialisation in Human Resources Management from the Institute of Management Technology, holds Diploma in Training and Development from the Indian Society for Training and Development, and is a certified Coach from Neuro-Leadership Institute.
Manu Maudgal | Head - Corporate and Philanthropic Engagement
Manu Maudgal leads Corporate and Philanthropic Engagement at Shakti. Manu has over two decades of rich experience in climate change mitigation interventions across key sectors including lighting, smart meters, solar rooftop PV, and cooling, Manu has in-depth exposure in the fields of environment and renewable energy from the perspectives of policy, consulting, and auditing. Prior to joining Shakti in March 2021, Manu has worked with GIZ as Programme Advisor from 2008 to 2020. He has also worked with TUV Nord India, and Confederation of Indian Industry in the past. Manu is Master’s in Business Administration from Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi; has Post Graduate Diploma in Environment Management from Indian Institute of Environment Management; and B. Tech in Chemical & Bio Engineering from REC, Jalandhar.
Atima Mankotia | Director - Communications
Atima Mankotia has over 25 years of experience in communication, digital media, advocacy, brand building, corporate communications, editing and writing. Atima has previously worked with United Nations Environment Programme as a Communication and Advocacy Lead, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited as AVP-Corporate Affairs and Communications, and NDTV as Editorial Advisor and AVP-Corporate Affairs and Communications. Atima has a Master’s degree in History from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, a Post-Graduation in Human Resource Management from XLRI, Diploma in Journalism from The British Institute and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Communication on Gender-based Employment Inequity in India, from IILM University, Gurugram.
Aditi Sinha | Associate Director – Communications
Aditi Sinha leads Shakti’s communications activities. Prior to joining Shakti in April 2013, Aditi worked as a consultant with the Aga Khan Foundation in New Delhi, where she planned and implemented communication strategies for interventions in rural development, education and water and sanitation. Her areas of interest include strategic communications, media relations, social media, writing, design and production and special events. Aditi holds a degree in international studies from the University of Oregon, USA.
Ruchir Shukla | Consultant (Electric Mobility)
With a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Ruchir has over two decades of valuable experience in engineering and project management. His experience in Electric Mobility domain includes transportation system, connectivity, charging infrastructure, and interfacing it with renewable / clean energy option. He is a technopreneur who has strong leadership and program management skills, and business discipline. Prior to joining Shakti, Ruchir has worked with Usha International, Mahindra Reva, Delphi, and his last assignment was with STL e-Mobility as India Consultant. He also assumed expat assignments in various countries in the past, and he is well networked with professionals and subject matter experts across sectors and geographies.
Shubhashis Dey | Director – Climate Policy Programme
Shubhashis Dey provides strategic planning, leadership, and guidance to Shakti’s Energy Efficiency Program. Shubhashis is a climate change and energy efficiency professional with 17 years of experience in advising government, multilateral, bilateral organizations and business in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Jordan, Mauritius and United Kingdom on projects related to energy efficiency and climate change policy in sectors such as industry, transport, forestry, water, urban infrastructure and buildings. Prior to joining Shakti in September 2016, Shubhashis was working with Ernst & Young as Manager – Climate Change & Sustainability Services, and has worked with Sodexo, Eaga Energy and McKinnon & Clarke in the past. Shubhashis is Post Graduate in Energy Management from Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management (IISWBM) and BE in Electronics Engineering from RCOEM, Nagpur University.
Vivek M Chandran | Director – Climate Insights
Vivek provides leadership and guidance to Shakti’s Climate Insight function, which includes Research and Advisory, Knowledge Management, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. He also leads two other programs—the Cities and Climate Action Programme, and Critical Raw Materials Programme. Vivek has expertise working on policies related to low-carbon growth, electrification of transportation, clean air, city climate action, transit-oriented development, and street design. Prior to joining Shakti in December 2017, Vivek worked at C40 Climate Leadership Group as City Director (Jaipur) and OSD to Jaipur Smart Cities Limited, visiting faculty and researcher at CEPT University, and has also worked with WRI-EMBARQ and Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development (ABIDe). He has a master’s degree in Urban and Transport Planning from CEPT University, Ahmedabad, and a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore.
Siddharth Arora | Associate Director (Clean Power)
Siddharth Arora is part of Shakti Clean Power programme. With over ten years of rich experience in the domain of renewable energy, energy transition, electricity regulation, and sustainable development, Siddharth joined us in October 2021. Prior to joining Shakti he has worked with Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, where he worked as Senior Regulatory Officer. He has also worked with CERC, World Institute of Sustainable Energy, and Ecoren Energy India Pvt Ltd. He has written various research papers on the topics like wind energy, lithium-ion battery storage etc. Siddharth is an MBA in Power Management from National Power Training Institute, and has done his B Tech in Marine Engineering from BITS Pilani.
Sachin Kumar | Associate Director – Energy Efficiency Programme
Sachin leads Shakti’s Energy Efficiency programme. An energy professional with over 20 years of demonstrated experience across various dimensions of energy efficiency, Sachin has facilitated the low-carbon growth of various energy-intensive industry segments in the sector through research design, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. Sachin has extensive experience in working closely with policy makers, industry leaders, opinion-makers, funding organisations, and sector experts in the energy efficiency domain. Before joining Shakti in December 2021, he has worked with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as Senior Fellow & Area Convenor (Industrial Energy Efficiency). Sachin has a Ph.D. from TERI University, a Master of Environmental Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, and a B Tech in Civil Engineering from REC Hamirpur.
Narayankumar S | Associate Director – Electric Mobility
With over 10 years of professional experience, Narayan has worked extensively on electric utilities, e-mobility, and renewable energy integration. Prior to joining Shakti in July 2022, he has worked with The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) as Fellow and Associate Director (Electricity and Fuel), where he contributed to the energy transitions, integrated resource planning, e-mobility, and renewable energy. Narayan has Master’s degree in Energy Engineering from Anna University, and B Tech in Electricals and Electronics Engineering from University of Kerala.
Ramanshu Ganguly | Associate Director - Climate Insights
Ramanshu has over 10 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation and consulting. He has extensively worked on developing research designs in the area of energy access, climate smart agriculture, renewable energy, and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Shakti in July 2022 Ramanshu worked with Sambodhi Research and Communications as Assistant Vice President (Research), and with Fino Paytech Limited as Assistant Manager in the past. Ramanshu has a Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management from the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, and a Bachelor's degree in Science (Agriculture) from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa-Vidyalaya, West Bengal.
Parshant Kumar | Senior Budget Analyst
Parshant Kumar is part of the Finance team at Shakti and leads activities on budget management. Parshant has over 20 years of experience with substantial knowledge in accounting, legal compliance, financial management and monitoring of grants funded by key government and international donors. Prior to joining Shakti in November 2012, Parshant worked with large social sector organisations such as CARE India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, where he was instrumental in establishing robust systems for accurate and timely reporting to donor agencies. Parshant holds an undergraduate degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi and a post graduate diploma in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance from Symbiosis, Pune.
Archana Gandhi | Executive Assistant to CEO & Senior Manager - Administration
Archana Gandhi manages CEO’s office and handles administrative works including logistics, procurements, event management, housekeeping & office maintenance and vendor management. She has a rich working experience of managing the office of executive head of the organisation and handling of office administration and management including good understanding of systems for offices. Before joining Shakti, she has worked with Population Foundation of India, Institute of Human Development, and WaterAid. In all, she is having more than 18 years of working experience during which period he has developed a good understanding of Non-profit sector and is accustomed to working in a multi-cultural organization environment. Archana is B Com. from Delhi University and has Diploma in Secretarial Practice from Y.W.C.A, Delhi.
Parul Mittal | Senior Finance Manager
Parul manages financial matters which include handling of payments and deposits, preparation of financial statements and monthly management reports. She also manages the audit process and reviews transaction considering FCRA provisions and ensuring all FCRA compliances are adhered to. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant, holds a PGDBA degree from Symbiosis (SCDL) with finance as specialization and degree in Commerce honors from Jesus & Mary College, University of Delhi. Prior to joining Shakti in February 2015, Parul had worked with NEC Energy Private Limited and CARE India and had two years of valuable experience in the domain of finance, accounts, and taxation.
Manoj Kumar | Senior Financial Analyst
Manoj manages financial operations at Shakti in order to ensure compliance with donor requirements as well as internal organizational policies. Manoj has rich experience in financial planning, budgeting, and reporting. He holds a postgraduate degree in Commerce from Calicut University, Kerala and has worked with the British High Commission, New Delhi and Eastern Rana Forex Consultants Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi before joining Shakti in February 2015.
Aishwarya K S | Consultant (Climate Policy)
Aishwarya is a climate policy enthusiast and a sustainability practitioner with over seven years of experience in the development sector. She is well versed in quantitative and qualitative research, stakeholder liaisoning, policy analysis and project management. Prior to joining Shakti, Aishwarya worked at the Centre for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) and Nagrika and was an Urban Fellow at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS). Aishwarya holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies and Resource Management from the TERI School of Advance Studies.
Nidhi Madan | Senior Programme Manager – Climate Policy
Nidhi manages Shakti’s Climate Policy programme. A climate change and sustainability professional, Nidhi has over 10 years of valuable experience in climate change adaptation, natural resource management, sustainable development, climate finance, policy research, knowledge management, and environmental impact assessment. Prior to joining Shakti in March 2021, Nidhi has worked with GIZ as Technical Expert, Two Oceans Strategy as Senior Associate, and International Resource Group Systems as Consultant. Nidhi is M Tech in Energy and Environment Management from IIT Delhi, and B Tech in Environment from IP University (Gold Medallist).
Trupti Deshpande | Senior Programme Manager - Electric Mobility
Trupti comes with seven years of rich experience in the domain of public transport, electric mobility and clean vehicle technologies. Before joining Shakti in July 2022, Trupti worked with CSTEP as a Senior Associate where she engaged with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) on multimodal integration, e-bus tender, cost benefit analysis for E-bus and conventional bus variants. Trupti’s areas of interest are urban and public transport, clean vehicle technologies, infrastructure planning, and policy analysis. She has also published various articles on electric mobility and urban transportation. Trupti has a Master of Technology (Town and Country Planning) degree from the College of Engineering, Pune, and a Bachelor of Agriculture degree from B.K.P.S. College of Architecture, Pune.
Anurag Mishra | Senior Programme Manager – Climate Insights
Anurag is part of Shakti’s Climate Insight team. With over nine years of experience in policy research, stakeholder management, strategy development and communications, Anurag has worked across energy, climate change and mobility sectors with think tanks and governments bodies. Prior to joining Shakti in October 2022, Anurag was associated with the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi where he achieved the first rank in the Chief Minister's Fellowship Programme. He has previously worked with the Center for Clean Energy, Plaksha University, CUTS International, NITI Aayog, and Schlumberger Asia Services Limited. Anurag completed his M. Tech. in Earth Sciences from IIT Roorkee, and B.Sc. in Physics, Math, Geology from the University of Allahabad.
Suchitra Subramaniyan | Programme Manager - Electric Mobility
Suchitra works in the Electric Mobility programme at Shakti. A clean energy advocate and electric mobility enthusiast, Suchitra has four years of experience in these areas. Prior to joining Shakti in May 2021, Suchitra worked with Customized Energy Solutions as an Analyst (Emerging Technologies). She has also worked with the Renewable Energy Welfare Society and Hyderabad Industries Ltd. Suchitra holds an M. Tech. degree in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management from the TERI School of Advanced Studies, and B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from SRM University, Chennai. She completed her six-months internship at Shakti in 2017 during her M. degree at TERI.
Prasanth Narayanan | Programme Manager (Transport)
Prasanth manages projects under Shakti’s Transport programme. Prashanth has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from CEPT University, and a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from the Nitte Mahalinga Adyantha Memorial Institute of Technology, Mangalore. Prior to joining Shakti in June 2021, he worked with Urbanist as Research Associate and CEPT University as an Academic Associate / Visiting Faculty.
Hitesh Gupta | Programme Manager (Clean Power)
Hitesh is part of Shakti’s Clean Power team. With a B. Tech in Electrical Engineering, Hitesh has over four years of working experience with government, international agencies, leading think tanks and research organisations. Prior to joining Shakti in July 2021, Hitesh worked with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) as Project Engineer, where he was instrumental in conducting research-based studies for decarbonizing the Indian economy, and assisting in implementing projects in collaboration with UNIDO, World Bank and GIZ.
Kruthika Jerome | Programme Manager (Clean Energy Finance)
Kruthika manages Shakti’s Clean Energy Finance Programme. A climate finance professional, Kruthika has over four years’ rich experience in financial services and public policy. Prior to joining Shakti in October 2021, she has worked with Goldman Sachs as an Analyst, where she partnered with various stakeholders to revise financial models. She also worked with Finance Ideas (Netherlands) as a Consultant in the past. Kruthika has master’s in public policy from Maastricht University and UNU Merit, and B Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology.
Vidvatta Sharma | Programme Manager (COP Office)
Vidvatta Sharma supports the office of the Chief of Programmes. A post-graduate in English Literature, from Miranda House, University of Delhi, Vidvatta has experience in advertising, social media marketing, public relations and public affairs.
Priyanka Sharma | HR Manager
Priyanka comes to Shakti with five years of valuable experience in HR operations, employee relations, recruitment and implementing HR policies. Prior to joining Shakti in August 2022, Priyanka worked with Upgrid Solutions, and Quess Corp Limited, where she managed HR functions including recruitment, payroll, HRMS, and helped developed HR Policies. Priyanka has a Bachelor's degree in English honours from University of Delhi, and Post-Graduate degree in HR from Venkateshwara University.
Hansika Dhankhar | Programme Manager
Hansika is part of the Clean Power team. She has over five years of experience in the space of policy advocacy, marketing and business development. She has been a part of various research projects in renewable energy. Prior to joining Shakti in September 2022, Hansika was working with the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission and Amplus Energy Solutions Private Limited. Hansika has completed her M. Tech. in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management (REEM) from TERI School of Advanced Studies and B.Tech. in Electronics & Communication Engineering from JSS Academy of Technical Education, Abdul Kalam Technical University (Formerly UPTU).
Priti Shukla | Assistant Programme Manager - Transport
Priti provides tactical support to Shakti’s Transport programme. Priti has a Master’s degree in Planning, with a specialization in Urban Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and Bachelor’s of Architecture from SEDA Navrachana University, Vadodara. Prior to joining Shakti in April 2021, Priti worked with the National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi as a Research Associate, where she was associated with the National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for transit-oriented development and value capture finance for Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS).
Priyadarshini Alok | Assistant Programme Manager – Electric Mobility
Priyadarshini works in the Electric Mobility programme at Shakti. With a master’s degree in Transport Planning from School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, Priyadarshini specialises in transport planning, road safety, feasibility study, and architecture design. Priyadarshini started at Shakti as Intern and joined on regular basis in December 2021.
Pavithra Sinha | Assistant Programme Manager – Clean Power
Pavithra works in the Clean Power programme at Shakti. With a Master’s degree in Energy and Sustainability from the University of Southampton (UK), and BE in Electricals from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Pavithra specialises in data analysis and experimental methods, climate design of buildings and cities, GIS and Bioenergy. Prior to joining Shakti, Pavithra completed six-months internship with Shakti.
Sneha Kashyap | Assistant Programme Manager (Energy Efficiency)
Sneha holds a dual degree (B Tech + M Tech) in Energy Engineering from Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi. Prior to joining Shakti in March 2022 she has worked with TERI as Research Associate and handed various projects like energy efficient technology for reduction of iron process, towards low carbon steel sector, study on PAT scheme etc. Sneha specializes in research, analysis, report writing and dissemination, and is very passionate about environment related issues.
Sakshi Nathani | Assistant Programme Manager (Energy Efficiency)
Sakshi is Masters in Building Energy Performance (M. Tech.) from CEPT University, Ahmedabad, and has B. Arch degree from Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies, Mumbai University. Sakshi is trained in Building Energy Efficiency. Before joining Shakti in May 2022, Sakshi has worked with Tata Consulting Engineers, and McCoy Architectural Systems in the past.
Ria Ranjan Srivastava | Assistant Programme Manager (Climate Policy)
Ria Ranjan Srivastava provides tactical support to Shakti’s Climate Policy program. Ria has Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from IIT (BHU) Varanasi. Prior to this she completed her M Tech in Environmental Engineering from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad, and B Tech in Civil Engineering from Galgotia’s College of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Ria did her summer internship with IIT Kanpur, where she conducted a comprehensive study and analysis of air quality parameters in Kanpur city, and impact of socio-economic activities on air pollution in the nearby areas.
Riya Bhandari | Programme Assistant – Climate Policy
Riya is part of Climate Policy team at Shakti. A Civil Engineering Graduate from IP University, Delhi, Riya is passionate to work in the area of climate change and environment protection. She is armed with GIS skills to gather and analyse data for tackling environmental issues. Riya completed her six months internship with Shakti and joined on regular basis in December 2021.
Pramit Pal Chaudhuri
Pramit comes with a wide experience of over three decades in public policy and political economy. He is presently the head of the Eurasia Group’s India practice, visiting fellow at the Ananta Aspen Centre and a consultant with USISPF. Pramit is a well renowned journalist, serving as the Hindustan Times’s foreign editor for 20 years and writing earlier for The Telegraph and The Statesman. He has also been a consultant with the Rhodium Group, BowerGroup Asia and the Mitsubishi Corporation of India. He served as Member, National Security Advisory Board, Prime Minister of India from 2011-2015.
Dr. Ashvini Kumar
Dr. Ashvini Kumar has over four decades of experience in the energy sector, especially solar energy. He has worked with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) as a Principal Scientist / Director for 26 years, and with the Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. as Managing Director (Solar Energy) for five years. His last assignment was with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as a Senior Director where he led their Renewable Energy Technology division. Dr. Kumar has a Ph. D from IIT Delhi. As an Advisor, Dr Kumar extends technical advice to Shakti’s programme areas, shares insights on policy matters, reviews research and publications, and extends opinion and advice as required.
Amita Sharma
Amita Sharma served in the Indian Administrative Service with 33 years in the development sector as public policy maker and program manager in different fields. Some of the key posts she held included Additional Secretary, Government of India, Department of Higher Education, Joint Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development, heading the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program from its inception, Mission Director Elementary Education, Government of Madhya Pradesh for universalising elementary education and adult literacy programmes in the State. She has won several national and international awards which include ‘India Today award for Woman in public Affairs (2010)’, South-South Cooperation Excellence award2010 (UNDP-ILO), Best Government website, Government of India, 2010 (designed for the flagship program MGNREGA), Education Guarantee Scheme, MP India-best MDG practice, WB, Shanghai, 2004, President of India’s award for highest female literacy growth in the state of MP, 2001, Common Wealth Gold Award for best Global Innovation in Public Service for Education Guarantee Scheme, Govt of MP, 1998, President of India’s award for census (1991).
Post retirement, she worked as Visiting Professor, IIT Bombay (IDC Design School) and the Centre for Urban Science and Engineering (C-USE), Consulting Editor for Financial Chronicle, (newspaper) and Senior Consultant, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, Government of India, Technical Consultant with IPE Centre for Knowledge and Development. She works on issues related to sustainable development, with a focus on equity and education and digital design technologies for knowledge and capacity development.