Sustainability in Viksit Bharat 2025

Mr. Vineet Sikka

Chairperson, Energy Environment Water National Committee, BCC&I and MD - Distribution, CESC Ltd

Mr. Vineet Sikka an alumnus of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, and IIMB having proficiency in business management, with 37 years of rich and diverse experiance.

He started his career with Siements Ltd. and having served the customers across various Industry segments moved on to ABB Ltd. at senior level positions in sales and marketing channel management, operations in utility industries, infrastructure & renewable domains. In his last stint as CEO of BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, Delhi and now as Managing Director (Distribution) at CESC Ltd, Kolkata he has contributed immensly in ensuring uninterrupted quality power supply to customers, reduction in T & D losses, energy transition, optimizing costs & improving operational efficiencies thrugh digitalisation of processes and simultaneously enhancing productivity.

He is the Chairman of Energy, Environment and Water Committee of The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I), and also Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Energy of CII Eastern Region as well as Utility Member on Board of Governors of India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF).

Mr. Ghanshyam Prasad

Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA)

Shri Ghanshyam Prasad, is presently holding the post of Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power and Ex-Officio Secretary to the Government of India from 15th July 2022.

He is Member, ex-officio, of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. He is also the 1st Executive Director of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC). He is the president of Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP), Power Sector Skill Council (PSSC) and Excellence Enhancement Centre (EEC) for Indian Power Sector.

He also has corporate experience and was Government Nominee Director of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), a Maharatna Company; Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO), now renamed as Grid Controller of India Limited; and Jammu and Kashmir State Power development Corporation Limited (J&KPDCL). Presently he is the Director on the Board of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited in an ex-officio capacity.

He did his B.Tech (Electrical Engineering) for IIT/BHU, Benares Hindu University. He holds a M.Tech in Energy and Environment Management from IIT, Delhi and also MBA (Finance) from IGNOU, Delhi.

With experience of more than 35 years in the power sector, he has worked and contributed in the areas of generation including the renewable energy, transmission, distribution, power market development/trading of power, Reforms & restructuring in power sector, energy efficiency, regulatory commission experience, disaster management in power sector, data analytics and information management system. He was also a part of the G20 Energy transition working group.

He has received the policy pioneer of the year award by India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) on 3rd May 2022. He has led the Indian side in the Joint Working Group (JWG) with Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Australia.

Mr. Rajib Kumar Sen

Programme Director - (Health & Family Welfare, State and Finances, Sustainable Development Goals, Women & Child Development), NITI Aayog.

Shri Rajib Kumar Sen is a Programme Director at NITI Aayog, where he oversees the Sustainable Development Goals, Health, and Women & Child Development verticals.

With a career spanning nearly 30 years, he has served across diverse roles in the Government of India, including Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Expenditure, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management), Ministry of Defence (Department of Defence and Department of Defence Production), Ministry of Education (Department of School Education), Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, XIIth Finance Commission and the erstwhile Planning Commission. He has also contributed to the State of Goa in its Finance Department.

Dr. Ajay Mathur

Professor of Practice in the School of Public Policy at IIT, Delhi and Former DG, ISA.

Ajay Mathur is Professor of Practice in the School of Public Policy at IIT, Delhi. He was the Director General of the International Solar Alliance, a treaty-based organization from 14 March 2021 to 14th March 2025. As of 1st March 2025, 123 countries had signed the Treaty.

Prior to his election as the Director General of ISA, Dr. Mathur was the Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) 2016 - 2021, and earlier of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) 2006 - 2016. He has also been a Dean at TERI, President of the wind-energy company, Suzlon, and Team Leader for Climate Change in the World Bank. He was also the Director of the Green Climate Fund in its foundational phase.

As DG of ISA, Dr. Mathur built up it's advocacy, capacity building and project preparation activities. He has led the preparation of reports that are prepared on an annual basis, the creation of national centers for capacity building, and enabling countries to make institutional changes encompassing both regulatory and policy change and project development. He has created a Global Solar Facility with a Payment Guarantee window to attract investment in small solar in Africa (This facility will later be expanded to Asia and Latin America). A Solar X Startup challenge has also been initiated to identify solar startups in the developing world who could generate nationally relevant projects. Till date, the challenge has identified 20 startups in Africa, 30 in Asia-Pacific region, and will identify 20 startup in the Latin America & Caribbean region in 2025. These startups are then put through accelerator workshops on raising finance, enhancing technological capabilities, and in brand building so that some of them become the Amazons of tomorrow.

In addition, Dr. Mathur has led the ISA to bring solar into peoples' lives through events such as the International Solar Festival, and the private sector CEO Caucus. These activities have served to build ISA's credibility in enabling solar energy as the energy source of choice.

Earlier, as DG of TERI, he led the Institution's activities into the energy transition area and on air quality improvement initiatives, and strengthened its work in the energy and environment policy area, the industrial energy efficiency area, and the development of biotechnological innovations, especially in agricultural applications. These activities resulted in the national (and global) recognition that a transition to carbon free energy was possible in India, while meeting the growing energy needs of its people.

As DG of BEE, he brought energy efficiency into our lives. Through the star labelling programme, both consumers and producers of energy-consuming equipment were able to signal the energy efficiency of their equipment. The periodic increases in the energy efficiency of labels helped in bringing in a culture of innovation amongst producers, and of expectation of enhanced energy efficiency amongst consumers and policy makers. Through the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) programme. BEE targeted large industrial consumers of energy, and enabled the progressive decline of specific energy consumption amongst the industrial sectors who were large users of energy. The PAT programme enabled the large industrial sector in India to grow by more than one-third in a little ever 10 years, while its energy consumption grow by less than one-quarter over the same period. BEE also spearheaded the creation of a public sector company, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), as a market maker for energy efficiency services. The innovative business model adopted by EESL enabled the India market to switch over to energy efficient LED bulbs in less than 4 years.

He was also an Indian climate change negotiator during 2006 - 2011, and lead negotiator for technology which led to the creation of the Technology Mechanism and the Clean Technology Centre and Network in 2011. He was the spokesperson for India at the Paris Climate Change Negotiations in 2015.

Apart from bringing public policy to positively influence the renewable energy and energy efficiency markets, Dr. Mathur has also been a great institution builder, and a pioneering thought leader who has helped bring the clean energy market to life.

Through his actions in helping build up the credibility of institutions such as the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency, as well as the Green Climate Fund and the International Solar Alliance, he has enabled public policy changes (favoring clean energy) to be adopted by countless consumers and the corporate sector through market-based mechanisms. These have helped in their adoption and long-term sustainability. A key concept in the development of market-based mechanisms has been that they enable convergence of public and private interests on the demand side, and so can be upscaled easily and quickly.

Dr. Mathur was a member of The India Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, and also was co-chair of the Global Energy Transition Commission and the Cooling Initiative of the One Earth Summit.

He was appointed a Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Merite by the President of France in recognition of his outstanding commitment to preserve the environment and coping with energy-related challenges. He was also a member of the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. Mathur received a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from the (then) University of Roorkee in 1979, and subsequently the Masters and PhD. Degrees from the University of Illinois. He has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from both his alma maters.

He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, of the National Academy of Engineering, and of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Mr. Derek Michael Shah

Special Invitee Member, Energy Environment Water National Committee, BCC&I and Chief Executing Officer & Managing Director, L&T Energy GreenTech.

Mr. Derek Michael Shah, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, L&T Energy GreenTech, is spearheading the Green Energy vertical of L&T Energy, which focuses on the entire value chain of Green including that of manufacturing, EPC, and development work. Presently the Green Energy vertical is undertaking the manufacturing of Alkaline Electrolysers at Hazira Gujarat under a technology license agreement from a European OEM - McPhy Energy and also pursuing opportunities for EPC and development of Green Hydrogen & Green Ammonia assets with some reputed partners. Under his leadership, L&T Energy GreenTech is developing Green Hydrogen / Green Ammonia facilities on both the east & west coasts of India for exporting to various geographies including Europe, Southeast Asia & Japan.

In addition to his leadership in Green Energy, Mr. Shah is also heading the Gas to Power Business Unit of L&T. In this role, he is responsible for the execution of Gas-Based Power Plants on a turnkey basis, with a primary market focus on the Middle East. This strategic initiative marks L&T's continued commitment to advancing clean and efficient energy solutions globally.

Mr. Shah, a Mechanical engineer from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, joined L&T in 1986 as a Graduate Engineer Trainee. In the last three and half decades, he has worked in various functions in the company addressing the Industrial Project Space, and as IC Head of both MMH (Metallurgical and Material Handling) and Power divisions. He has been instrumental in partnering with Global Technology Leaders to secure and execute large orders, both domestic and international, in the fields of Metallurgical, Bulk Material Handling as well as Thermal Power Projects. He is also an alumnus of London Business School.

Mr Shah is a board member of L&T Energy Green Tech Ltd, L&T Electrolysers Ltd, L&T Green Energy Kandla Pvt. Ltd. and Panipat Green Hydrogen Pvt. Ltd. He is also on the board of GH4India Private Limited- a joint venture between L&T, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

He presently chairs the JV firm of L&T and Sargent & Lundy and has served as a Board Member for the joint ventures between L&T and Mitsubishi Power, Japan, as well as L&T and Howden, UK.

Mr. Abhishek Ranjan

CEO, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited.

Abhishek Ranjan has joined BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With a track record of exemplary leadership and over two decades of diverse industry experience, Mr. Ranjan is spearheading BRPL's journey toward innovation and sustainable growth.

Mr. Ranjan's academic credentials set a strong foundation for his professional success. He holds a PGDM from XLRI (2008) and an Engineering degree from NIT Bhopal (1998). Further enriching his profile, he completed a Business Excellence certification from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, and earned specialized certifications in Data and Decision Science Consulting from IIT Delhi and as a Certified Energy Manager by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

In his earlier stint with BRPL, Mr. Ranjan played a pivotal role in driving initiatives in renewables, demand-side management, power management and sustainability, which significantly enhanced service delivery and stakeholder engagement.

Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions with prominent organizations, including Renew Power, Reliance Power, NHPC, and Infosys. Most recently, he served as a Partner at Ernst & Young - Parthenon, where he specialized in Energy Transition and Decarbonization, focusing on sectors such as Renewable Electricity, Energy Storage, and Power Markets.

Mr. Deb A Mukherjee

Former President, BCC&I and Managing Director, Cenergist Energy Private Limited.

An entrepreneur, professionally qualified as a lawyer, with over 38 years work experience in diverse business domains, engineering systems, information technology solutions and later in energy services for the last 15 years.

He was Executive Chairman of Eaga Energy India Pvt Ltd (subsidiary of Eaga plc UK FTSE250 company) until 2012. Currently he is an Investor and Country Representative for Power Roll Ltd, UK and also Managing Director of Cenergist Energy Private Limited which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eneraqua Technologies plc, a UK listed company.

He has served on various Trade Committees in India and the UK and spoken at several international seminars on Sustainability Issues, Energy Efficiency, Renewables, Water Management and on Business Strategies.

Mr. Asim Prasad

Executive Director (Corporate Strategy, Planning Advocacy and Corporate Affairs), GAIL (India) Ltd,

Asim Prasad heads the Corporate Strategy, Planning, Advocacy, and Corporate Affairs departments as Executive Director (Corporate Strategy, Planning, Advocacy, and Corporate Affairs) at GAIL (India) Limited Corporate Office, New Delhi. During his 31-year professional career at GAIL, he held various positions at different installations across diverse business verticals, including operations and maintenance, pipeline project management, natural gas transmission, and gas marketing. He has been involved in the execution of several prestigious projects on Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution and LPG Transmission Pipelines. Also, as Zonal Chief General Manager & OIC at GAIL Kolkata Zonal Office, he established the natural gas market in eastern states, promoting sustainable socio-economic development in Jharkhand and West Bengal. One of his initiatives involved conceptualizing and successfully implementing a pilot project to run two 100-ton BEML BH100 dumper trucks in dual fuel LNG mode.

Mr. Prasad holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur, a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management, and a Master's in Business Administration. He has several publications in conference proceedings and indexed journals of international repute. He is a Fellow at the Institute of Engineers India, Kolkata, a member of the Project Management Institute, New York, a member of the Engineering Council of India, and a Life member of ASCI, Hyderabad, NIPM, Kolkata, and IIM, Mumbai, erstwhile NITIE, Mumbai.

Mr. Manish Ranjan

Co-Chairperson, Energy Environment Water National Committee, BCC&I and ESG and Sustainability Practice Lead India Geo, Hewlett Packard Enterprise India Pvt. Ltd.

Manish, an ESG Practitioner, leading consultant and Business Practice Head for ESG and Sustainability at HPE India and acts as a strategic partner to enterprise customers. He collaborates with his team to provide advisory-led engagements and leads outcome-focused sustainable digital transformation journeys.

Manish also serves as an ESG advisor to Govt of West Bengal. Manish has been appointed as National expert by APO, an intergovernmental organization, in consultation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt of India.

Manish's enthusiasm extends to Green AI Technologies, Computer Vision, FOSS, IIoT products and organizational change management, particularly in the sustainability domain. He has successfully led multiple teams in bringing about ROI-driven solutions in the domains of Sustainable Digital Transformation and On-Prem Pay-per-use Greenlake cloud.

As a thought leader, Manish has an impressive track record of driving unique initiatives across business units. He consistently exceeds assigned KPIs and has earned several certifications (BSI-Expedite NetZero | CFI-Climate Risk | GRI | NGFS scenarios | CDP | CSRD | Wharton ESG Materiality etc) and accolades including multiple Winner's Summit awards for creating profitable and innovative projects.

Remaining abreast of the most recent advancements, he diligently keeps his knowledge and skills up-to-date regarding fast changing sustainability trends and legislation. Additionally, he takes an active role in engaging with sustainability-focused industry groups, panels, committees, and initiatives.

Beyond his professional life, Manish pursues personal growth through his pursuit of a Ph.D. focused on How Digital Transformation and the Triple Bottom Line contribute to sustainable business practices and mitigate ESG risks (physical/transition). Additionally, he actively volunteers in social activities (United Nations Projects and other NGO projects) and enjoys delving into articles related to Climate Tech and Sustainable Agriculture.

Manish holds a Bachelor of Technology degree and MBA in Finance from National Institute of Technology. His passion and interests are traveling, coaching, playing and watching cricket.

Mr. Subhajit Sarkar

Executive Director (Operations), RHQ, Indian Oil Corporation Limited/

Engineering Graduate from BIT Sindri and Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from MDI, Gurgaon. Joined IOCL in Feb 1993, Presently, Executive Director (Operations), Refineries Head Quarter of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

Worked in Production Department for 16 years in Haldia and Panipat Refinery as Shift Incharge and Plant Incharge. Was in the commissioning team of Panipat Refinery which commissioned the Refinery in 1998. Worked in various units like AVU, OHCU, HGU, DHDS, CCRU, FCCU etc and executed capacity revamp of AVU, OHCU, CCRU and FCCU.

Thereafter, worked for 10 years in Gujarat Refinery in various capacities from Chief Manager to Chief General Manager, looking after Process Monitoring, Planning & Coordination, Energy Conservation (ENCON), Process-Project, Operations & Maintenance and Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) etc. Commissioned new unit and revamped units under BS-IV and BS-VI projects and was instrumental in launch of new products like LS-HVFO, XP-100 MS, Avgas 100 LL etc.

Presently posted as Executive Director(Operations) at IOCL, Refineries HQ (since Feb'22), Looking after operations of the 9 refineries of IOCL and Panipat Naphtha Cracker Complex. Contact No. 9586022722. Mail ID: sarkars5@indian.in

Dr. Ajay Mathur

Professor of Practice in the School of Public Policy at IIT, Delhi and Former DG, ISA.

Ajay Mathur is Professor of Practice in the School of Public Policy at IIT, Delhi. He was the Director General of the International Solar Alliance, a treaty-based organization from 14 March 2021 to 14th March 2025. As of 1st March 2025, 123 countries had signed the Treaty.

Prior to his election as the Director General of ISA, Dr. Mathur was the Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) 2016 - 2021, and earlier of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) 2006 - 2016. He has also been a Dean at TERI, President of the wind-energy company, Suzlon, and Team Leader for Climate Change in the World Bank. He was also the Director of the Green Climate Fund in its foundational phase.

As DG of ISA, Dr. Mathur built up it's advocacy, capacity building and project preparation activities. He has led the preparation of reports that are prepared on an annual basis, the creation of national centers for capacity building, and enabling countries to make institutional changes encompassing both regulatory and policy change and project development. He has created a Global Solar Facility with a Payment Guarantee window to attract investment in small solar in Africa (This facility will later be expanded to Asia and Latin America). A Solar X Startup challenge has also been initiated to identify solar startups in the developing world who could generate nationally relevant projects. Till date, the challenge has identified 20 startups in Africa, 30 in Asia-Pacific region, and will identify 20 startup in the Latin America & Caribbean region in 2025. These startups are then put through accelerator workshops on raising finance, enhancing technological capabilities, and in brand building so that some of them become the Amazons of tomorrow.

In addition, Dr. Mathur has led the ISA to bring solar into peoples' lives through events such as the International Solar Festival, and the private sector CEO Caucus. These activities have served to build ISA's credibility in enabling solar energy as the energy source of choice.

Earlier, as DG of TERI, he led the Institution's activities into the energy transition area and on air quality improvement initiatives, and strengthened its work in the energy and environment policy area, the industrial energy efficiency area, and the development of biotechnological innovations, especially in agricultural applications. These activities resulted in the national (and global) recognition that a transition to carbon free energy was possible in India, while meeting the growing energy needs of its people.

As DG of BEE, he brought energy efficiency into our lives. Through the star labelling programme, both consumers and producers of energy-consuming equipment were able to signal the energy efficiency of their equipment. The periodic increases in the energy efficiency of labels helped in bringing in a culture of innovation amongst producers, and of expectation of enhanced energy efficiency amongst consumers and policy makers. Through the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) programme. BEE targeted large industrial consumers of energy, and enabled the progressive decline of specific energy consumption amongst the industrial sectors who were large users of energy. The PAT programme enabled the large industrial sector in India to grow by more than one-third in a little ever 10 years, while its energy consumption grow by less than one-quarter over the same period. BEE also spearheaded the creation of a public sector company, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), as a market maker for energy efficiency services. The innovative business model adopted by EESL enabled the India market to switch over to energy efficient LED bulbs in less than 4 years.

He was also an Indian climate change negotiator during 2006 - 2011, and lead negotiator for technology which led to the creation of the Technology Mechanism and the Clean Technology Centre and Network in 2011. He was the spokesperson for India at the Paris Climate Change Negotiations in 2015.

Apart from bringing public policy to positively influence the renewable energy and energy efficiency markets, Dr. Mathur has also been a great institution builder, and a pioneering thought leader who has helped bring the clean energy market to life.

Through his actions in helping build up the credibility of institutions such as the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency, as well as the Green Climate Fund and the International Solar Alliance, he has enabled public policy changes (favoring clean energy) to be adopted by countless consumers and the corporate sector through market-based mechanisms. These have helped in their adoption and long-term sustainability. A key concept in the development of market-based mechanisms has been that they enable convergence of public and private interests on the demand side, and so can be upscaled easily and quickly.

Dr. Mathur was a member of The India Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, and also was co-chair of the Global Energy Transition Commission and the Cooling Initiative of the One Earth Summit.

He was appointed a Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Merite by the President of France in recognition of his outstanding commitment to preserve the environment and coping with energy-related challenges. He was also a member of the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. Mathur received a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from the (then) University of Roorkee in 1979, and subsequently the Masters and PhD. Degrees from the University of Illinois. He has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from both his alma maters.

He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, of the National Academy of Engineering, and of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Mr. Ajay Kumar

General Manager - Production, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).

Ajay Kumar is currently serving as General Manager (Production) at ONGC Ltd, New Delhi, where he is actively involved in strategic planning and corporate affairs. He is a highly accomplished Production Engineering professional with over 25 years of experience in the Oil and Natural Gas sector.

He holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Project Management, and currently pursuing Ph.D. from IIT Ropar.

Ajay Kumar's expertise spans the entire spectrum of Oil & Gas production engineering, from pore to custody transfer, with a strong focus on emerging energy domains such as LNG, Green Hydrogen, and Renewable Energy. Apart from ONGC, he has worked extensively with several leading international companies, including Petronas, CNPC, ExxonMobil, Total, and Sudapet, across multiple geographies such as South Sudan, Africa, Russia, and Venezuela.

He has authored and presented over 20 technical papers at various national and international conferences on production technology and holds a patent for developing a high-pressure, high-temperature fracturing fluid for production enhancement.

Mr. Bikram Singh

Executive Director, PTC India Limited.

Mr. Bikram Singh is a seasoned energy professional with over 23 years of extensive experience in the power sector, spanning power trading, market development, power exchanges, policy and regulatory advocacy, and strategic advisory. He currently serves as Executive Director at PTC India Limited, where he leads the Marketing Team and oversees long, medium and short-term transactions, cross-border electricity trade across South Asian countries, and initiatives related to energy transition and renewable energy. He is also driving strategic initiatives and newer areas of business.

He has executed a wide range of transactions on power exchanges and has played a significant role in market development in close collaboration with key stakeholders. Bikram was instrumental in launching India's first Power Exchange, the Term Ahead Market, and Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) trading. His leadership has been pivotal in policy formulation, expanding the power market, regulatory engagement, membership framework design, and capacity building.

He brings deep expertise in strategic bid management, commercial operations, and market readiness, along with valuable international exposure in power markets across Nepal, Bhutan, Turkey, and Norway.

Previously, he held senior marketing and leadership roles at Tata Power Trading Company Limited, Indian Energy Exchange Ltd., and JSW Power Trading Company Ltd., where he contributed significantly to business growth and market innovation.

Bikram holds an MBA in Finance from IMT Ghaziabad, with a specialization in Investment Management and Risk Assessment.

Mr. Pramod Singh

Member, Energy, Environment and Water National Committee, BCC&I and Chief Business Officer, India Power Corporation Limited.

Mr. Pramod Singh, is presently the Chief Business Officer of the Company. With post-qualification experience of more than 3 decades of extensive experience in power & infrastructure sector across the breadth of responsibilities in corporate strategy, business development, policy & regulatory affairs, power sales and techno-commercial management.

He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from NIT Rourkela and a Full time Post Graduate Program in Management from IMI, Delhi.

In the past, he has worked in two of the largest private sector power companies in India (i.e. Tata Power & BSES (now Reliance Infrastructure)) and has been extensively involved with the Power sector reforms and Private sector participation covering various segments of the sector including Power Generation and Distribution. He was associated with various opportunities for development of new generation projects and working in power distribution businesses. He was associated with the privatization scheme of Delhi Distribution (DVB) right from its inception including the bidding and transactional management in his earlier assignment with BSES.

Mr. Sambitosh Mohapatra

Partner, iBT - Resource Transformation/ Sustainability Transformation, PwC India.

Sambitosh is PwC India's Leader for Sustainability; Climate and Energy practice spanning across strategy to execution. With over two decades of advisory experience across geographies in South Asia, India, Africa and Middle East.

What keeps him busy - a) Evangelizing and designing sustainability and climate strategies; b) managing Energy transition, Net Zero and Decarbonisation transformational programs; c) structural policy and market reforms; and d) private sector participation and market entry strategies.

Mr. Rijit Sengupta

Member, Energy, Environment and Water National Committee, BCC&I and CEO, Centre for Responsible Business (CRB)

Rijit Sengupta is CEO of the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) - and has over twenty years of experience in various areas of sustainable development policy and practice across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

His interest lies in the interface of business and society - particularly environmental protection/management, consumer welfare, community welfare, livelihoods/SMEs, business regulation, responsible business and SDGs. He has designed and implemented various projects/programmes on these areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia. Currently, while much of his work on sustainable business/SDGs is focused on India, he has been also advocating for greater North-South dialogue on sustainable business/SDGs at various international platforms, while researching and writing on these issues. He has a Master degree in Agriculture and in Environment Management. He is an Alumnus of the University of Calcutta and the United Nations University (Tokyo). He is Member, Advisory Board of the Trade for Sustainable Development programme, International Trade Centre, Geneva and of the Consumer Information Programme of the One Planet Network.

Mr. Joseph George

Research Associate, South and South-West Asia Office, United Nations ESCAP.

Joseph George is a development researcher working at United Nations ESCAP Subregional Office for South and South-West Asia, where he provides research support for implementation of UNESCAP's projects and programmes on regional trade, transport and energy connectivity in Southern Asia. He has more than 15 years of work experience on development issues of South Asia. He has served as the lead coordinator for the ESCAP project on 'Strengthening connectivity of countries in South and Central Asia' (2014-2018). Before joining the United Nations in 2014, Joseph worked as a Policy Analyst at CUTS International, where he led multi-country regional economic integration projects. He was selected for the U.S. International Visitors Leadership Programme in 2016 in recognition of his contribution to regional trade policy reform initiatives in South Asia. His recent published works include Unlocking the Potential of Regional Economic Cooperation and integration in South Asia (2017), Integrating South Asia's Power Grid for a Sustainable and Low Carbon Future (2018), Strengthening Connectivity for Trade and Development: An Assessment of the Southern Asian Container Rail Corridor (2019), Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Food Security in South Asia (2020), and Regional Cooperation for Achieving the SDGs in South Asia (2021).

Mr. Reji Kumar Pillai

President, India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF), Chairman, Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF)

Reji is the President of India Smart Grid Forum and is also the current Chairman of the Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF). He is an internationally renowned expert with over four decades of experience in the electricity sector in diverse functions covering the entire value chain and across continents. He is spearheading a mission to leverage technology to transform the electric grids and provide clean and reliable electricity to every citizen 24x7 at affordable cost. For decades he has been actively advocating for the "Right to Electricity" that would ensure lifeline supply of electricity to all citizen which is now becoming a reality in India and several other developing countries. He is also advocating for the "Right to Sleep" to provide climate-controlled sleeping pods in low-income communities to ensure minimum hours of comfortable sleep for the economically downtrodden.

Reji has played pivotal role in several groundbreaking initiatives related to renewable energy, electric grid modernization, electric mobility, energy storage and digitalization of utilities across continents. His current areas of research and work spans: Grid Integrated Vehicles; District Cooling Systems (DCS); Distributed BESS and DERMS; Electrification of Agriculture Sector; Integration of Utilities - electricity + water + city gas distribution; Grid Interactive Buildings and Campuses; Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, Web 3.0 and Metaverse Applications for Utilities; Interconnection of Regional Grids in Asia - ASEAN, SAARC and GCC Grids; and Digital Energy Grids leveraging Unified Energy Interface (UEI) Architecture.

In November 2016, Reji was unanimously elected as Chairman of Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF), a global umbrella organization of smart energy associations and utilities from around the globe headquartered in Washington DC, USA that was established by the US Department of Energy in 2010. Reji is also an advisor to Arab Renewable Energy Commission (AREC); and works closely with the Association of Power Utilities in Africa (APUA), International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) and Latin American Smart Grid Forum.

As an entrepreneur, Reji has built successful enterprises in India and overseas and exited them. Presently he mentors several technology startups around the globe. He has studied Engineering, Finance, Management and Law; worked with NTPC and IBM and has been a senior consultant with ADB, World Bank and USAID. A recognized thought leader in the renewable energy, smart grid technologies, smart cities and electric mobility, Reji is a popular key-note speaker at international symposiums and conferences. He has also contributed to several articles, books, research reports and white papers on variety of topics.

www.indiasmartgrid.org / www.globalsmartenergy.org / www.rejikumar.com