Sustainability Conclave: Green Growth for a Viksit Bharat

Lt. Gen. Pawan Chadha

VSM, General Officer Commanding (Maharashtra, Gujarat & Goa Area)

Lieutenant General Pawan Chadha, VSM is General Officer Commanding, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area. The General is a Civil Engineer, a Project Management Qualified IPMA Level A Consultant, an M Sc in Operations Research, an M Phil in Project Management and an Executive MBA (Finance) from the prestigious IIM, Bangalore. The General is also the proud recipient of the ‘Eco Innovation Award’ from the World Environment Foundation for Bio-Phyllic Design. With his vast experience of 38 Years, the General has executed many Turn Key Projects of repute and has been awarded the Presidential Award from the Honourable President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Patil for completing a strategic project of national importance before schedule while accruing saving to the state of upto Rs 56 crore. Being a Civil, he has incorporated ‘Green & Sustainable Building’ norms into all Greenfield Projects executed by him thereby achieving GRIHA 4 rating and the Best Green Building Award for North India for a major
construction project in Panchkula, Haryana in Nov 2022.

His core competence lies is incorporating Bio-Phyllic Design in the architectural and structural aspects of Complexes, Campuses, Towns and Cities. He is doing pioneering work in ‘Net Zero Sustainable Habitats’ for organizations within and outside the Government. He is an empanelled Consultant to Government and Non-Government Think Tanks wherein he has evolved a new concept called the ‘Net Zero Balance Sheet for Sustainable Habitats’ which involves Al Extrapolation Modeling to arrive at the Desired End State in predictive Scenario Building Assessments He has currently finished his research on ‘India’s Strategic Transition to Net Zero Bharat 2070’ which promises to be a potential game changer in for this contemporary & important field. He has to his credit the hooking up of the Indian Army Electricity Grid with the National Solar Grid,wherein a pioneering PPA was signed with NTPC for the next 27 years.

Pinky Mehta

President, Bombay Chamber & CFO, Aditya Birla Capital Ltd

A qualified chartered accountant with over three decades of diversified experience, Pinky Mehta has been a part of the Aditya Birla Group since 1991, having joined the group as its first woman officer. In her current role as the Chief Financial Officer of Aditya Birla Capital Limited, Pinky is responsible for Finance, Accounts, Banking, Secretarial, Taxation, MIS, Mergers, Restructuring, Acquisitions and Fund Raising, as well as the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems and reporting of financial performance. Prior to joining Aditya Birla Capital, she was the Chief Financial Officer of Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd., where she was instrumental in the demerger of Madura Garments to Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Limited. She played a strong supporting role in the merger of Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd., with Grasim; followed by the subsequent listing of Aditya Birla Capital Limited.

Over the years, her contribution in the areas of demergers, mergers and acquisitions for the Aditya Birla Group companies has been significant. She was actively involved in the demerger of the cement business, the joint venture with the Sun Life Group for the life insurance business and acquisitions of Madura Garments, Transworks Information Services Limited, Minacs Worldwide Inc. and Apollo Sindhoori Capital Investments Limited.

Pinky is one of the distinguished Women Leaders in the Aditya Birla Group. She was conferred the ‘Chairman’s Award for Exceptional Contributor’ 2008 and ‘Chairman’s Award for Accomplished Leader’, 2016. She is also the recipient of the coveted Institute of Chartered Accountants of India CA CFO – Woman Award, 2016 and ET Prime’s Women Leadership Award, 2021

Sachin Jain

CEO India and Southeast Asia, Cleantech Renewable Assets

Sachin Jain: CEO – Cleantech Renewable Assets

As the CEO – India & Southeast Asia of Cleantech Renewable Assets, a Keppel and Shell platform, Sachin is driving the company’s growth toward a 3GW+ platform focused on investing in, developing, and operating renewable power assets across 7 countries including India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia.

Previously, at BCG, Sachin played a key role in scaling the firm’s energy transition, and climate & sustainability investment strategies. Prior to that, Sachin has led and served across the technology, management consulting, Industrials, EPC, B2B Enterprise and climate infrastructure space while working at Oriano, KPMG, Mahindra Susten and has leadership experience in establishing platforms, building businesses and leading P&L operations of AUM $600+ million.

Sachin holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge, UK, as a Tata Scholar, a Master of Science in Industrial Systems Engineering from Ohio University, USA, and a Bachelor of Engineering from KJSCE, University of Mumbai, India.

Anjali Bansal

Founder, Avaana Capital

Anjali Bansal is the Founding Partner of Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund – investing in technology and innovation-led start ups catalysing climate solutions and sustainability. Previously, Anjali was the Non-Executive Chairperson of Dena Bank, appointed by the Government of India to steer the stressed bank’s resolution and merger with Bank of Baroda. Prior to that, Anjali was a Global Partner and Managing Director with TPG Growth PE, responsible for India, SE Asia, Africa and Middle East and strategy consultant
with McKinsey in New York.

Anjali has invested in various successful start-ups including Nykaa, Delhivery, Urban Company, Darwinbox, Farmart, and climate tech leaders like Turno, Terra.do and Eeki. She serves as an independent director on leading boards including Tata Power, Nestle, and Maruti Suzuki India Limited. She has been appointed on the Board of ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and GIFT City, and chairs the Climate Council within IVCA. She is a Member of the Evolution Review Committee for Niti Aayog, India’s premier policy
think tank chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Anjali has previously chaired the India board of Women’s World Banking, and served on the boards of GSK Pharma, Siemens, and Bata. She has co-founded and chaired the FICCI program for Women on Corporate Boards. Anjali is a member of the YPO and a charter member of TiE. She has been listed as one of the “Most Powerful Women” by India’s leading publications, Business Today, Fortune India and Forbes India. She has a bachelors in Computer Engineering from Gujarat University and a Masters from Columbia
University.

Amit Kumar Sinha

MD & CEO, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd

Amit Kumar Sinha- the Managing Director & CEO of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. joined Mahindra Group in November 2020 as President – Group Strategy. He became a member of the Group Executive Board from April 2021. Amit is also a Director on the Board of Mahindra Finance, Mahindra Susten, and Mahindra First Choice.

Amit brings a unique combination of leadership experiences, value creation skills, customer-first approach, people centricity and ESG commitments, which align well with the Mahindra Group’s Rise philosophy. Over the past 2+ years, Amit led several high-impact projects covering growth, transformation, and capital allocation across Group companies. Time Magazine recognized him as one of 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business in 2023, globally. He is one of only nine Indian leaders to be featured in the Time100 Climate List.

Prior to joining the Mahindra Group, Amit was a Senior Partner and Director with Bain & Company. Over 18 years at Bain across US and India, he managed large-scale strategy, organization, and performance improvement projects covering numerous industries including infrastructure, real-estate, construction, energy, and technology. Amit started his career with Tata Motors and worked with IGate Patni (now Capgemini) in technology leadership roles in India, Singapore, and US.

Amit holds dual MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, specializing in Finance and Strategy, where he received coveted Palmer scholar award and Siebel scholarship for academic performance. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronics) from the Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi. Amit is also an Ananta Aspen Fellow as part of their India leadership fellowship program.

Vineet Rai

Founder, Aavishkaar Group

Vineet Rai is the Founder & Vice Chairman of Aavishkaar Group and chairs its Board and Group Executive Council. Aavishkaar Group is an Impact Investment Platform impacting millions of people in Asia and Africa using an entrepreneurship based development approach. Vineet believes in building impact ecosystems to deliver real Impact as enshrined in the vision of Aavishkaar Group “We exist to bridge the Opportunity gap for the Emerging 3 Billion”. Vineet believes that Impact Investing has the potential to change the world of finance irreversibly. The Group’s ecosystems include Aavishkaar Capital – the Impact fund manager focused on Global South, Arohan – One of India’s largest & most digitally advanced microfinance institution (MFI) targeting low income households, Ashv Finance – a Fin Tech NBFC, offering unique cash flow based business loans to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and IntelleCap  building Impact Ecosystems globally.

Aavishkaar Group has 10000 employees, manages assets in excess of US $ 1.5 Billion while trying to serve needs of entrepreneurs from debt of US $ 150 (INR 10 thousands) to equity of US $ 15 Million (INR 100 Crore) while aligning the group to 13 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals or SDG’s. Vineet has received numerous awards including the 2021 Access-HSBC Inclusive Finance India Award for personal contribution to Financial Inclusion in India, TIE Hall of Fame 2018, the Impact Investor of the Year by News Corp for 2016, Porter Prize for Strategic Leadership in Social Space, 2016, CNBC TV 18 Award for being the Catalyst Fund for India 2016, G 20 – SME Innovation in Finance Award 2010 in Seoul South Korea, UNDP-IBLF –ICC World Business Award in 2005 and Lemelson Award for Social Venture Investing. In 2021 Vineet Rai and Swati Rai (Co-Founder) was awarded the Faces of Vibrant Bharat 2021 by Grant Thorton Bharat. He is an Ashoka Fellow and Honorary Member of XLRI Alumni Association. In 2023, Vineet Rai was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his Excellence in Impact Investment by India Startup Foundation. In 2022, Vineet has been appointed on the G20 Start up 20 Engagement Group Task Force on Sustainability and Securities and Exchange Board of India has appointed him on Advisory Committee of the Social Stock Exchange. Vineet was invited by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for his “Roundtable interaction with Venture Capital and Private Equity Funds”.

In 2021. Vineet was also invited by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for consultations on doubling the income of the farmers in September 2017 as part of his champions of change program. Vineet has also served on the advisory committee of SEBI for the formation of Social Stock Exchange, as Commissioner at the Business Commission for Sustainable Development, as Senior Advisor to Blended Finance Working Group at OECD and as an Advisor to United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Science Technology and Innovation Advisory Board Vineet featured on the cover of Forbes India, January 2018 issue. Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever endorsed Aavishkaar Intellecap Group for its efforts in furthering inclusive development.

Driving on Indian roads is one of his passions and he tries to cover 50,000 KM every year.

Deepesh Nanda

President of Renewables at Tata Power and Managing Director & CEO at Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL)

Deepesh Nanda is an eminent figure with a remarkable career spanning 28 years in the energy industry. Currently, he serves as the President of Renewables at Tata Power and Managing Director & CEO at Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL). Mr. Nanda plays a pivotal role in leading Tata Power’s Renewables Business and guiding the growth of TPREL, a significant player in India’s renewable energy sector. The company has an extensive portfolio of Solar and Wind power plants and possesses a strong infrastructure, including large-scale manufacturing facilities for Solar cell and module production, along with expertise in EPC, Roof Top Solar, and EV Charging solutions.
Before his engagement with the Tata Group, Deepesh led General Electric’s (GE) Gas Power business for South Asia, where he played a crucial role in implementing strategic initiatives to provide efficient and reliable power solutions. During his tenure at GE, Deepesh held leadership responsibilities for the Gas Power business in South Asia and oversaw the Aero Derivative business in Asia. In these capacities, he led teams specializing in open cycle and combined cycle power plants, managing various tasks, from equipment supply to turnkey solutions and comprehensive servicing of gas turbines and associated power plant equipment. Additionally, he actively participated in project development as an equity participant and facilitated debt financing.
Deepesh Nanda’s extensive experience extends beyond GE, as he has made significant contributions to companies like Flowserve, Tyco, and GE. Throughout his career, he has held pivotal positions, including those in General Management as a P&L leader, CEO, and President for South Asia and Asia, respectively.
Educationally, Nanda’s credentials are impressive. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The Open University Business School in the UK, with a focus on Strategy, Marketing, Organization, Finance, and Creativity. He also completed an Executive MBA sponsored by the Sanmar Group. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical & Production Engineering with Distinction from Annamalai University, which laid the foundation for his career. His schooling at St. Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in India.
Notably, Nanda’s contributions to his alma mater, Annamalai University, were recognized with the ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ in January 2012. His exceptional achievements and contributions to the field of energy have established him as a standout leader in the energy sector.

Anirban Ghosh

Chairperson, Sustainability Committee, Bombay Chamber & Head – Centre for Sustainability, Mahindra University

Anirban has worked with the USD 20 billion Mahindra Group since 1999 where he is currently the Head- Centre for Sustainability, at Mahindra University. During his work at Mahindra as a Chief Sustainability Officer, Anirban has developed an award-winning sustainability framework, been the first in the world to commit to doubling energy efficiency, the first in the country to join the World Bank’s Carbon Pricing Leadership Consortium, commit to a carbon price and to Science Based Targets. He has helped harness more water than is consumed in the Mahindra Group and is currently striving to make Mahindra a zero waste to landfill, carbon neutral organization.

Anirban has enabled Mahindra World City, a 1500-acre integrated township, to become a food waste free city, a model that is being replicated in other parts of India. He has, in partnership with the World Bank, helped create the Sustainable Housing Leadership Coalition to enable the spread of green buildings in India. Anirban has spread sustainability in communities by leading the implementation of a national award-winning watershed development project that tripled per capita income for 20,000 Indians. He has helped create an EHS+ centre, in partnership with the Institute for Sustainable Communities, to spread sustainability in the supply chain.

Anirban has been an invited speaker at international events, including the COPs, the Global Climate Action Summit, The Climate Week, World Circular Economy Forum and GRI Global and featured in Al Gore’s “Climate Reality Project” He has written opinion pieces for publications like Financial Times, Huffington Post, Green Biz and Eco-business, conducted sustainability sessions for students at INSEAD, Nalanda University, Indian School of Business and Indian Institutes of Management. He has been acknowledged as a “Thought Leader”, a Distinguished Sustainability Officer and is the first Chief Sustainability Officer to be featured in the list of “C-Suite Sustainability Champions” published by GreenBiz.

Dr. Rambabu Paravastu

Advisor & CSO, Greenko Group & Chairman, Forum for Sustainable Enterprises

• Accelerating the transition to NetZero and Circular Economy
• Climate Finance and Carbon Markets
• Specialties: Idea Development and Nurturing New Ventures

Smitha Hari

President (India) – auctusESG

Smitha Hari is a finance professional with 18 years of experience across corporate banking, investment banking, sustainable finance, ESG, & impact investing. She holds certification in Sustainability and Climate Risks from GARP. Her last role was with the corporate banking vertical of a large private sector bank as part of the Impact Investing team. She specialises in product structuring, financial analysis and research. She currently leads the India operations at auctusESG.

S Lakshminarayanan

Executive Director (Sustainable Development), Indian Oil Corporation

Mechanical Engineer from Madurai University. Joined Indianoil Corporation in 1987. Experience of over 36 years in Indianoil Corporation mainly in Operation of LPG Plant, Project management and LPG Sales. Played a key role in Development of software for Distributor Management software for Indianoil Corporation, which is used by more than 40000 channel partners and covers more than 15 Crore customers.

Was a Board member of Ujjwala plus foundation and BEXIMCO. Currently working as Executive Director Sustainability Development at Indianoil Corporation (Marketing Division) Co-Oridnator for BRSR related activities of Indianoil Corporation (MarketingDivision).
Leading the journey to net-zero path for Indianoil Corporation (Marketing Division) by improving energy efficiency and Solarisation.

Hemant Gupta

MD & CEO, EQUIPP DESI Investment

Hemant Gupta is the MD & CEO of EQUIPPP DESI Investments, a platform with the mandate to invest in local infrastructure projects in PPP mode with local and state Governments.

After 26 years at Citi, one of the largest Global Financial Powerhouses, where he worked in a wide variety of functions including Product Management, Technology and Operations, in India and North America, Hemant decided to swap a large Corporate role for a more socially impactful role. His journey led him to head BSE Sammaan, which helps Companies do more effective CSR. It was a logical next step in that journey to promote Social enterprises and other tech enabled startups as the MD of Zone Startups India, BSE’s technology incubator.

From there, he went on to establish the Social Stock Exchange in India. He was a member of the Working committee and Technical Group constituted by SEBI for setting up the Social Stock Exchange in India. He was also heading the SSE at BSE. Hemant holds a Management degree from IIM Calcutta and an Engineering degree from IIT Madras.

Santosh Kumar Singh

Chief Sustainability Officer, Larsen & Toubro

Sustainability professional with 31 years of experience in Corporate Sector & Consulting. Involved in developing and executing strategies to address material ESG issues, Operations, Statutory Clearances & Compliance Management, Risk Management and CSR. Graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology and Post-graduate from the Indian Institute of Forest Management