People

Jamshyd N. Godrej is the Chairman of the Board of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the 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 the 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, aluminum; 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 April 3, 2003.

Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu is a renowned chartered accountant, educationist, social worker, senior politician and parliamentarian, banker and cooperator in India.

In 26 years, Shri Suresh Prabhu had held important cabinet portfolios at the federal level including Industry, Power, Environment and Forest, Railways, Civil Aviation, Commerce and Industry, Fertilisers and Chemicals. He served as the Prime Minister’s Sherpa to the G7 and G20 for many years and was involved in shaping the official agenda of the government on critical issues for G7 and G20 Summits. He chaired a high-level task force to frame integrated energy policy and the roadmap for its implementation in 2014.

He was Member of Parliament (MP) 1996 till 2022, first, as an MP in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) for four consecutive terms and later, as an MP in the Upper House (Rajya Sabha). He framed very important policies in several key sectors as pathbreaking initiatives. He was known for his “Out of Box” thinking during his tenure. He has scripted many reforms and effected organisational transformations.

Under the Modi government, Shri Suresh Prabhu was the Railways, Civil Aviation and Commerce and Industry Minister. He laid out a complete blueprint for modernising and revamping the railways. He also initiated a unique real-time customer grievance redressal mechanism, probably one of its kind, in the world. He initiated the development of India’s New Industrial Policy with a focus on boosting sustainable manufacturing in India and created an action-oriented plan to diversify the economy further and promote future sustainability. He laid out a plan for increasing India’s exports. The first-ever Global Aviation Summit was held under his leadership. He was the main contributor to the Nation’s UDAN initiative.

He held several portfolios under Prime Minister Vajpayee from 1998-2004 as Minister of Industry, Minister of Environment and Forests, Minister of Fertilisers and Chemicals, Minister of Power, Minister of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises. One of the most notable achievements of Shri Prabhu during this period was the reforms he brought to the Indian power sector. He is credited with championing and enacting the Electricity Act of 2003 and creating securitisation of dues from the provincial states of India.

He also served as the Chairperson of the Task Force for interlinking of rivers which envisioned physically linking the vast river network of India to provide year-long irrigation facilities to India’s dry regions. He was also an elected member of the World Bank Parliamentary Network and chaired the South Asia Water Regional Group of the World Bank. He was member of about 16 different global organisations with initiatives in strategic sectors.

His other experiences include being a Member of the United Nations Commission for Biodiversity and Land Use Change; the Global Advisory Council of the WEF; Chairman, the Maharashtra State Finance Commission and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water.

Shri Suresh Prabhu is known for his transparent, forward-looking and comprehensive reform-oriented governance. He was featured amongst the top three Indian leaders of the future in the cover story, “Giant on the Move” (Sept 2000 issue) of the Hong Kong-based Asia Week Magazine. He was declared “Best Member of Parliament in 13th Lok Sabha” in April 2004 by Aaj Tak, a leading TV Channel in India. He also ranked second best performing Minister in India Today’s report (dated August 27, 2001).

He has been awarded honorary doctorates by universities within and outside India.

He thus has the unique direction of working from the grassroots to a national-global level. He was the youngest ever Chairperson of the largest cooperative bank and was connected with all levels of cooperatives from the village, district, state to the national level cooperative. He has been tirelessly working on a holistic and replicable model of rural development in more than 2,000 villages.

On the international front, he has been a significant member of renowned global NGOs being Chairperson of Asia Energy Foundation, South Asia Chair of Global Water Partnership and President of the World Forum for Global Governance. He has also been a member of the United Nations Commission for Biodiversity and Land-use Change, and the Global Advisory Council of the World Economic Forum.

He is currently the Founding Chancellor of Rishihood University, Chairperson of the drafting committee for National Cooperation Policy, and an active visiting Professor at the National Institute of Advance Studies and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nitin Desai is a distinguished economist and a well-known voice in public policy, both nationally and internationally, in the area of sustainable development. He served in the Planning Commission (1973-88) and later served as the Chief Economic Adviser and Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, in the Ministry of Finance (1988-90). He also served as Senior Economic Adviser for the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission). He was the Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs in the UN, where his major contributions included the organisation of a series of global summits, notably the Rio Earth Summit (1992), the Copenhagen Social Development Summit (1995), the Monterrey Finance and Development Summit (2002) and the Johannesburg Sustainable Development Summit (2002).

Dr Rajiv Lall is Chairman, IDFC Bank. He was the Founder MD and CEO of IDFC Bank. A veteran economist and business leader, Dr Lall has been an active part of the finance and policy landscape both in India and internationally. His expertise spans international and macroeconomics, banking, capital markets, infrastructure finance, private equity, venture capital and social impact investing, with a particular focus on emerging markets including India and China. Dr Lall has served on numerous Government of India committees and the Reserve Bank of India including Raghuram Rajan Committee on Financial Sector Reforms, RBI Working Group on NBFCs; RBI Committee on Household Finance, and Expert Committee on Modernisation of Indian Railways. He has also served as India’s representative to the G20 Working Group on Infrastructure.

Harish Hande, the founder and Chief Executive of SELCO Foundation, is a renewable energy entrepreneur with over three decades of grassroots experience in meeting the energy needs of underserved populations. Since 2010, he has expanded the SELCO umbrella to include the SELCO Foundation and Incubation Centre for Energy Entrepreneurs in an effort to strengthen the energy access ecosystem. In 2011, Harish was conferred the Ramon Magsaysay Award in recognition of his vision to catalyse development outcomes via sustainable energy. He works closely with Government of India’s clean energy initiatives and international bodies like UN Sustainable Energy for All as a practitioner representative besides authoring articles, talks and representation on key bodies in the energy access space. His extensive experience is widely recognised as a pragmatic voice in delivering sustainable energy solutions for the poor.

Vatsala Joseph is currently appointed as Interim CEO of Shakti. Vatsala joined Shakti in 2012 as Chief Financial Officer and lead Shakti’s financial strategy and managed all financial activities ranging from budgeting, internal controls, compliance, legal, reporting, monitoring and audits including grant and contract management. Prior to joining Shakti, 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.

Sreyamsa Bairiganjan, the Chief of Programmes at Shakti, is a strategic leader with nearly two decades of expertise in sustainable development and clean energy. His leadership has been instrumental in shaping global discourse and driving impactful initiatives in the sector. As a thought leader, Sreyamsa has contributed to influential reports and shared insights at high-level forums, including the G20, Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF), TEDx, and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). His approach to scaling projects emphasises a triple-bottom-line approach, ensuring the streamlining of economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Before joining the Shakti Foundation, Sreyamsa was a Senior Energy Expert with the World Bank's Energy and Extractives team, leading engagements across projects in India, Maldives, Bangladesh, and Nepal. He successfully implemented a structured risk mitigation strategy to support renewable energy and storage enterprises scaling up globally. He was also a part of the innovative technology and finance work at the World Bank. His career also includes significant roles at Arc Finance and the World Resources Institute, where he led transformative projects that align investment goals with sustainability imperatives. He is a multiple-time recipient of the World Bank VP awards and "Above and Beyond" recognitions, underscoring his commitment to driving positive change in the global sustainable development landscape. His efforts in building partnerships across governments, private sectors, and civil society organisations have resulted in scalable and sustainable energy solutions.

Amit leads Shakti’s Clean Power Programme.  An energy and environment professional, Amit has over 12 years of experience in climate change and sustainable development.  He holds a Ph.D. and M.Tech degree from IIT Bombay and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from RGPV, Bhopal. Prior to joining Shakti in November 2022, Amit worked with Institute for Sustainable Communities, cKinetics Consulting Services Private Ltd, InsPIRE Network for Environment and Siemens, Corporate Research & Technology. He brings a deep understanding of energy and environment incorporating interventions related to research, policy, implementation and development of innovative business models.  

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 worked with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as Senior Fellow & Area Convenor (Industrial Energy Efficiency). Sachin has a Ph.D. from TERI University, MA in Environmental Engineering from Punjab Engineering College and a B.Tech degree in Civil Engineering from REC Hamirpur.

Ramanshu has over ten 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. 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.

Nidhi manages Shakti's Climate Policy programme. A climate change and sustainability professional, Nidhi has over ten years of 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 a Technical Expert, Two Oceans Strategy as Senior Associate and International Resource Group Systems as a Consultant. Nidhi hold an M.Tech in Energy and Environment Management degree from IIT Delhi and a B. Tech degree in Environment from IP University.

Archana Gandhi manages the CEO’s office and handles administrative tasks including logistics, procurements, event management, housekeeping and office maintenance and vendor management. Before joining Shakti, she worked with the Population Foundation of India, Institute of Human Development and WaterAid. She has over 18 years of experience working in the non-profit sector and is accustomed to working in a multi-cultural organisation environment. Archana has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Delhi University with a Diploma in Secretarial Practice from Y.W.C.A, Delhi.

Parul manages financial matters at Shakti including handling payments and deposits and preparing financial statements and monthly management reports. She manages the audit process and reviews transactions considering FCRA provisions and compliance. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant, holds a PGDBA degree from Symbiosis (SCDL) with a specialisation in finance and a B.A degree in Commerce from Jesus & Mary College, University of Delhi. Prior to joining Shakti in February 2015, Parul  worked with NEC Energy Private Limited and CARE India.

Manoj manages financial operations at Shakti in order to ensure compliance with donor requirements and internal organisational 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.

Trupti comes with seven years of 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 published articles on electric mobility and urban transportation.  Trupti has an M.Tech degree in Town and Country Planning from College of Engineering, Pune, and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from B.K.P.S. College of Architecture, Pune.

Balaji Raparthi plays a vital role in Shakti's Electric Mobility division, contributing a substantial wealth of knowledge honed over more than a decade of professional experience in E-mobility, Renewable Energy and Power sectors. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Power Management from National Power Training Institute and a Bachelor of Technology in Instrumentation from the Faculty of Engineering at Andhra University, where he was recognised as the University Gold Medalist. Prior to his tenure at Shakti, Balaji held positions at organisations such as S&P Global, TERI, Infraline Energy, PwC, KPMG, and Wipro, further enriching his expertise and skills.

Tanay Tarany, who is part of the Clean Power team has a decade of experience in this field. Before joining Shakti, Tanay worked with Ernst & Young LLP and before that, held positions at Data Braiders & Dalixo, Bridge to India Energy Pvt Ltd, CERC, Infosys, and other reputable organisations. He has completed his MBA from the National Power Training Institute, a Master’s in Economics from IGNOU, and a B.Tech in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from College of Engineering, Roorkee.

Venkat brings nearly a decade of experience in climate action, environmental conservation, urban planning, and design. His extensive background includes working on urban development and climate action projects with the various State Governments. He earned his master’s degree in city design and social science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Anna University. Before joining Shakti, Venkat was associated with NIUA, The Quantum Hub, and Jana Urban Space Foundation.

Bringing a wealth of experience, Lavisha has spent over a decade specializing in climate change, sustainable development, and infrastructure. Her career includes significant roles within the Government of India and the private sector, focusing on policy advocacy, climate finance, and project management. Before joining us at Shakti, she held notable positions at UNDP, Ministry of Finance, EY, and HCL Infosystems. Lavisha is known for her strong analytical and communication skills. Lavisha earned her master’s degree in economics from Amity University and her Bachelor's degree in the same field from Hindu College, University of Delhi

Priyanka comes to Shakti with five years of 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 the University of Delhi and a Post Graduate degree in HR from Venkateshwara University.

Antara provides tactical support to Shakti's Corporate and Philanthropic function.  She holds a Masters in Law with specialisation in Corporate Social Responsibility from University College London, UK and Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Legislative Law from National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam.  Antara has in-depth understanding of corporate social responsibility laws in India. Prior to Shakti, Antara was associated with LetsLocalise as a CSR Manager.

Priti Shukla, who manages the Electric Mobility programme at Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, is instrumental in supporting the National Electric Bus Programme (NEBP) and e-FAST (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport – India) anchored at CESL and NITI Aayog respectively. She has also contributed to the National Transport Decarbonization Council. Priti has a Master’s degree in Planning with a specialisation 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, 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 the Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS).

As part of Shakti’s Electric Mobility team, Rishabh has keen interest in contributing towards sustainable development. Rishabh, who has been working in the energy sector for 5 years with experience in both research and consulting assignments, has expertise in strategy development, idea conceptualisation, and data visualisation. His recent areas of work include e-mobility, renewable energy, and energy efficiency, among others. Rishabh has completed his M. Tech in Renewable Energy Engineering & Management from TERI School of Advanced Studies and Bachelor of Technology in Material Science Engineering with specialisation in Nanotechnology from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies. Prior to joining Shakti in April 2023, Rishabh has worked with KPMG, TERI, and IBM India.

Anuradha Saigal,  a part of Shakti's Climate Policy team, has over three years of professional experience with Monitoring and Evaluation and formulation of impact strategies in sectors such as agriculture, livelihoods, climate change, and gender forming important part of her experience. Her role at Sambodhi Research and Communications, prior to joining Shakti, involved participation in several crucial projects as well as contribution towards business development. Anuradha holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Forestry Management (Environmental and Development Management) from the Indian Institute of Forest Management and a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from the Institute for Excellence in Higher Education.

Priyadarshini works in the Electric Mobility programme at Shakti. With a master’s degree in Transport Planning from the 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 the institution in December 2021.

Sakshi Nathani has worked with Tata Consulting Engineers and McCoy Architectural Systems. She has an M. Tech degree in Building Energy Performance  from CEPT University, Ahmedabad and  B. Arch degree from Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies, Mumbai University.

Natasha Kular is a distinguished member of the Climate Insights programme in Shakti, bringing a wealth of expertise to her role.  She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from IP College for Women, Delhi University. Additionally, she has earned dual Master's degrees: an M.A. in Intercultural Conflict Management from Alice Salomon Hochschule, Germany, and an M.A. in Public Policy Analysis from the prestigious Hertie School, Germany. Natasha has worked with the International Council on Clean Transportation and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GiZ) in the past.

Satvik brings a robust skill set in Research, Analysis, Data Analysis, and Visualization. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Planning from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Prior to joining as Assistant Programme Manager, Satvik completed his six-months Internship with Shakti.  Satvik gained experience as an intern at NASSCOM and Nagrika also in the past.

Meghana serves as an Intern within the Climate Insights team and is passionate about climate action and sustainability. Her educational qualification includes a B.Tech degree in Civil Engineering from M S Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, followed by a master’s degree in planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal. Previously, she has worked as a WIPRO Earthian Intern at Sensing Local in Bengaluru, where she later took on the role of an Urban Planner.

Sreelakshmi is currently interning with the Electric Mobility programme. She holds a Master's Degree in Urban Policy and Governance from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Miranda House, University of Delhi. She has also interned at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IHS) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), where she worked on urban governance solutions for resilient cities. Sreelakshmi is passionate about developing equitable and scalable solutions for climate resilience in Indian cities.