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).

Meher Pudumjee is the Chairperson of Thermax Ltd., a company focused on providing sustainable energy and environment solutions. She managed Thermax’s subsidiary company in the UK before joining the Board of Directors at Thermax Ltd in 1996 and worked closely with the company’s treasury and working capital management functions. In January 2001, Meher 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. She took over as Chairperson of Thermax Limited in 2004 after the retirement of her mother Anu Aga. She was selected CEO of the Year, 2009 by Business Standard.

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.

Moutushi Sengupta leads Co-Impact’s programme strategy and grant making in Asia. Prior to joining Co-Impact, Moutushi led the India programme for the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation.  In her role as the Country Director, Moutushi oversaw strategic grant making efforts to civil society organisations, research agencies, policy think tanks working across the country on adolescence, sexual and reproductive health of young women and girls, and later, on climate change mitigation. Between 2009-2013, Moutushi worked with the first southern Oxfam, Oxfam India, as its Director of Programmes and Advocacy. She brings over twenty-five years of experience in development and grant making, systems change initiatives, public policy and governance, strategy building and execution, program design, advocacy and campaigns, capacity building, networking and coalition building.

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.

Koyel Kumar Mandal provides strategic leadership and guidance to Shakti across 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 decentralised 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 an M.SC 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 B.SC degree in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta.

Surendra Singh 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 worked with the British High Commission, ActionAid and the Population Foundation of India. Surendra holds a Post Graduate degree in Business Management with a specialisation in Human Resources Management from the Institute of Management Technology and a Diploma in Training and Development from the Indian Society for Training and Development. He is a certified Coach from the Neuro-Leadership Institute.

Manu Maudgal leads Shakti’s Corporate Engagement and Fundraising function. With over two decades of experience in climate change mitigation interventions across key sectors including lighting, smart meters, solar rooftop PV and cooling, Manu has in depth knowledge of environment and renewable energy from the perspectives of policy, consulting and auditing.  Prior to joining Shakti in March 2021, Manu worked with GIZ as a Programme Advisor from 2008 to 2020.  Manu holds a degree in Business Administration from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, a Post Graduate Diploma in Environment Management from Indian Institute of Environment Management and and a B.Tech degree in Chemical & Bio Engineering from REC, Jalandhar.  

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 and a Diploma in Journalism from The British Institute. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Communication on Gender-based Employment Inequity in India from IILM University, Gurugram.

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.  

Shubhashis Dey provides strategic planning, leadership and guidance to Shakti’s Climate Policy and Climate Finance Programmes. Shubhashis is a climate change and energy efficiency professional with twenty years of experience in advising government, multilateral, bilateral organisations 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. Shubhashis hold a Post Graduate degree in Energy Management from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management (IISWBM) and BE in Electronics Engineering from RCOEM, Nagpur University.

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.

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.

Siddharth Arora is part of Shakti Clean Power programme. Siddharth joined Shakti  in October 2021 with over ten years of  experience in the domain of renewable energy, energy transition, electricity regulation and sustainable development,  Prior to this, he worked with the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission as a Senior Regulatory Officer. Healso worked with CERC, World Institute of Sustainable Energy and Ecoren Energy India Pvt Ltd. Siddharth holds an MBA in Power Management from the National Power Training Institute and a B.Tech degree in Marine Engineering from BITS Pilani.

With over ten years of professional experience, Narayankumar has worked extensively on electric utilities, electric mobility and renewable energy integration. Prior to joining Shakti, he worked with The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) as Fellow and Associate Director (Electricity and Fuel), where he contributed to programmes in energy transitions, integrated resource planning, electric mobility and renewable energy. Narayan has a Master’s degree in Energy Engineering from Anna University, and a B.Tech degree in Electricals and Electronics Engineering from the University of Kerala.

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.

Parshant Kumar is part of the Finance team at Shakti and leads activities on budget management. Parshant has over 20 years of experience 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 specialisation in Finance from Symbiosis, Pune.

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.

Anurag is part of Shakti’s Climate Insight team. In addition to managing related projects, Anurag also provides specific support to individual donors. He has over nine years of experience in policy design, stakeholder management, strategy development, communications for energy, climate change and mobility sectors across think-tanks and governments bodies. Anurag is a recipient of various academic and professional accolades. Prior to joining Shakti in October 2022, Anurag was associated with the office of the Minister of Transport, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. He has also worked with Center for Clean Energy, Plaksha University, CUTS International, NITI Aayog, and Schlumberger Asia Services Limited in the past. Anurag has completed his M. Tech. in Earth Sciences from IIT Roorkee, and B.Sc. in Physics, Math, Geology from University of Allahabad.

Aishwarya is a climate and clean air 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.

Bansi Shukla is a part of the Industry, Buildings & Cooling Programme. With an extensive background spanning more than ten years across diverse domains such as cooling, residential lighting, industrial operations, solar energy, and rural micro-mobility, Bansi brings a remarkable wealth of knowledge and expertise to our group. Prior to joining Shakti, Bansi has contributed her skills at Energy Efficiency Services Limited, Reliance Communications Infrastructure Limited, and International Traceability System Ltd. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Information & Communication Technology from Gujarat Technical University.

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.

Suchitra works in the Electric Mobility programme at Shakti. 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 Limited. Suchitra holds an M. Tech. degree in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management from the TERI School of Advanced Studies and a 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 manages projects under Shakti’s Cities 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.

Kruthika manages Shakti’s Climate Finance Programme. A climate finance professional, Kruthika has over six years of experience in financial services and public policy. Prior to joining Shakti in October 2021, she worked with Goldman Sachs as Associate, where she partnered with stakeholders to revise financial models. She has also worked with Finance Ideas (Netherlands) as a Sustainable Investment Consultant. Kruthika has master’s in public policy from the Maastricht University and UNU Merit, and a B Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology.

Vidvatta supports the Chief of Programmes in coordinating programmatic efforts. With a BA and MA degree in English from Miranda House, University of Delhi, Vidvatta has worked on several aspects of communications for over two years. She seeks to be a well-rounded professional and has experience in advertising, social media marketing, public relations and public affairs. She is inspired to leverage her background for the effective coordination of programmatic activities at Shakti.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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 a BE in Electrical Engineering 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 her six-months internship with Shakti.

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 worked with TERI as a Research Associate on projects relating to energy efficient technologies for reduction of iron process, low-carbon pathways for the steel sector and the design the PAT scheme. She specialises in research, analysis, report writing and dissemination.  

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.

Palak works in the Electric Mobility programme at Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation. Prior to joining Shakti, she has worked with TERI where she was engaged with the Indian Railways, and has explored aspects related to electric mobility, air pollution and climate change. Palak holds a Master’s degree in Transport Planning, and a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. With her diverse experience and educational background, Palak brings relevant skills and knowledge to her role at Shakti. She completed her six-months internship at Shakti in May 2023 and has joined the organisation as Assistant Programme Manager.

Khushi Sharma is an integral member of our Communications team, showcasing a robust mastery of brand development and the management of communication-driven initiatives. Possessing a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, along with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from PGDAV, Delhi University, Khushi brings a well-rounded educational background to her role. Prior to her engagement with Shakti, Khushi has been associated with The Good Edge.

Dr Ashvini Kumar has over four decades of experience in the energy sector with a special focus on 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 Limited as Managing Director (Solar Energy) for five years. His last assignment was with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as a Senior Director leading their Renewable Energy Technology division. Dr. Kumar has a Ph. D from IIT Delhi. As an Advisor to Shakti, Dr Kumar extends technical advice and support to Shakti’s programme areas.

Amita Sharma served in the Indian Administrative Service with 33 years in the development sector as public policy maker and program manager. Some of the key posts she held include Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development heading the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program from its inception ; and Mission Director Elementary Education, Government of Madhya Pradesh for universalising elementary education and adult literacy programmes in the state.

She is the recipient of several national and international awards which include the India Today award for Woman in public Affairs 2010; South-South Cooperation Excellence Award 2010. UNDP-ILO; Best Government Website, Government of India 2010; President of India’s award for Highest Female Literacy Growth in the State of Madhya Pradesh, 2001; Common Wealth Gold Award for best Global Innovation in Public Service for Education Guarantee Scheme, Government of MP, 1998; and President of India’s award for census 1991.

Post retirement, she was a  Visiting Professor, IIT Bombay (IDC Design School) and Centre for Urban Science and Engineering; Consulting  Editor for Financial Chronicle and Senior Consultant, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education; and Technical Consultant with the IPE Centre for Knowledge and Development. She works on issues related to sustainable development with focus on equity and education and digital design technologies for knowledge and capacity development.