About Us
Our Team
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Vaibhav Chowdhary
Director, ACPET
Vaibhav brings over 19 years of experience across energy, climate, and sustainability, spanning leadership roles in government, consulting, philanthropy, and think tanks in India and abroad.
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He is Founding Chairman of 3C-SET, the secretariat on critical minerals, a Partner at GDi, Principal Investigator for NITI Aayog’s work on India’s Net Zero modelling, and was recently appointed Technical Advisor to TEXMiN at IIT, ISM, Dhanbad.
Vaibhav co-leads several research grants examining the public health impacts of climate mitigation strategies, the effects of the energy transition on the lives and livelihoods of coal-mining communities, the implications of the clean energy transition for critical minerals supply, and people-centric power sector reform,
Previously, Vaibhav served as a Professor of Practice, Visiting, at IIT Kanpur’s Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering. He also served as India Head for the Clean Air Fund, Director in India of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, EPIC, and National Energy Adviser to the UK Government - FCO/ DFID and worked as a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led low-carbon growth initiatives across Southeast Asia.
A Certified Energy Auditor, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, an MBA, with honours, in Power Management from NPTI, and an executive management qualification from UChicago Booth, along with several postgraduate diplomas in energy, sustainability, and related fields.
Dr. Anandajit Goswami
Research Lead, Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Anandajit Goswami is a Research Lead, Senior Research Fellow and has been a Director and Professor at School of Behavioural and Social Sciences (SBSS),
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Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS). He obtained his PhD in Energy Policy from TERI School of Advanced Studies and Masters from JNU. He was a faculty at the TERI SAS and has led projects supported by UNCTAD, UKAID, ADB, World Bank, UNCTAD, UNECA, Atomic Energy Commission, Government Ministries, NITI Aayog, UNIDO, Copenhagen Consensus Centre, WWF and has advised state governments in state-level energy policy-making and transition. He has published 44 peer reviewed Scopus and Web of Science International Publications,8 fiction books, 3 reference books, 2 award-winning books, and has successfully supervised one PhD thesis. He has been leading his Philanthropic Foundation – “TOHRI Foundation" which has been chosen as one of the 20 best start-ups of 2023. He has been an Ambassador of the Anti- Tobacco campaign of NADA Foundation across states and has been recognized by All India Human Rights Council, Child Rights and You, WWF India. He has also contributed to climate action movements through his music and has recently published an anthology on climate justice called –“A Green Day" by Hachette India in April 2024 along with an epic magnum opus called – “Siddharth”.
Ms Anjali Goyal
Consultant
Ms. Anjali Goyal is a civil servant (IRAS 1986 batch, Civil Services Exam), retired as Member Finance, Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to Government of India in December 2023
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Ms. Anjali Goyal has been a pioneer in promoting energy efficient, low carbon transport projects. In 2006, based on Nicholas Stern’s famous book ‘The Economics of Climate Change -The Stern Review’ and several other Climate Change literature, she prepared the first official presentation on the impact of climate in India and how India could design, develop and reshape large Transport Infrastructure Projects to be Ultra -Low Carbon. This was personally seen by the then World Bank Director Energy. This led to World Bank requesting her to make a presentation as invitee speaker at World Energy and Transport Forum, Washington 2009. This presentation enabled funding of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor by World Bank as a low carbon project and ultimate financial close for this critical energy efficient transformative project. She sustained the momentum through a series of publications including “Ultra Low Carbon Mega Rail Projects (in Seminar), ‘A Case for High-Speed Rail in India’ (in The Asian Journal), ‘High Speed Rail in India -The importance of National Policies’ (in Economic and Political Weekly) and ‘Strategies for Making Railways a Sustainable Transport in India’ (in Transportation Sector in India and EU- Problems, Prospects and Opportunities for Development). Over 37 years of service she has held several key positions in Government of India, giving her wide exposure and experience in public finance, policy and technology. As Executive Director Finance and Budget, Ministry of Railways, she worked on Dedicated Freight Corridor projects including incorporation of DFCCIL and framing the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association of India’s Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited in 2006. She was Government Director on Board of Indian Rail Finance Corporation and oversaw international and national borrowing decisions. She is an expert in Transport Planning, Financing and Capex monitoring & management of large projects. As Adviser (Project Appraisal)/NITI Aayog she has appraised more than 200 schemes and projects of the Government on a wide range of subjects including FAME, Agriculture, Electronics, Ultra Super Critical Power Projects, Hydel Projects etc. She also handled Aadhaar and prepared proof of concept report for using Aadhar in DBT schemes including LPG subsidy. As Divisional Railway Manager Jaipur Division of Indian Railways, besides rail operations she revived old wells and set up water recycling plants in a water scarce state of Rajasthan. As Principal Executive Director Accounts in Ministry of Railways she set up and implemented the Goods and Services Tax architecture for Railways in a record four months and digitized all financial transactions. As General Manager of India’s second largest locomotive manufacturing facility, Banaras Locomotive Works she oversaw end to end, the Govt of Mozambique contract with India, for export 7 locomotives to Mozambique Railways. The timely completion attracted a repeat order. As Member Finance, Railway Board, Ms Anjali Goyal spearheaded wide ranging transformation in project management using IT platforms to integrate physical progress and financial flow databases to create unique project monitoring tools. Railways finances turned around after several years under her leadership of the Finance and Accounts of Ministry of Railways. She conducted techno-financial appraisal of several key projects in rolling stock, signaling and mega rail corridors.
Dr Gaurav Bhatiani
Senior Fellow
Dr Gaurav Bhatiani is a senior leader, with three decades of experience in research, development, advisory and corporate roles in energy and environmental sectors
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His is currently a Senior Fellow at the Ashoka Centre for a People Centric Energy Transition, Ashoka University and a Visiting Professor at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. He is also mentoring three clean energy companies as a Senior Advisor. His work enables and empowers organizations to succeed through strategic business transformation, innovative strategies and technical advisory. Previously, he has worked at leading organizations, such as serving as the Director of Energy and Environment at the Research Triangle Institute and as Chief Operating Officer at IL&FS. Dr. Bhatiani has an extensive track record of managing large and interdisciplinary teams across energy, infrastructure and environmental sectors. His expertise includes energy policy, reform, and regulation; clean energy transitions – renewables, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles; infrastructure financing, investment analysis and climate change issues. His work includes a large number of research and technical assignments, advising governments, public utilities, and regulatory bodies on policy, regulation, and reform strategies. As a senior corporate executive in large private companies, he led economic and investment analysis, and financing of multi billion-dollar energy and infrastructure projects. He has contributed to over 100 articles, reports, papers, and books. He has also served various industry bodies and is a featured speaker at conferences and seminars. Dr. Bhatiani holds a Ph.D. with a specialization in energy economics and regulation from the University of Delhi. He was awarded the Gold Medal for securing top rank in the master’s program in business and economics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Roorkee).
Mr. Rakesh Kacker
Senior Consultant
Mr. Rakesh Kacker is a senior civil servant (IAS, Retd.) with over four decades of experience in governance, public administration, and regulatory policy. He retired as Secretary, Ministry of Food
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Processing Industries, Government of India in 2013, and has since held key leadership roles including Director of the India Habitat Centre and Independent Director on the Boards of PTC India, PTC Financial Services, Planetcast Media Services and ONGC Videsh. His expertise in regulatory frameworks is evidenced by his chairmanship and membership on high-level government committees for standard bidding in renewable energy, power and coal, as well as dispute resolution in the renewable energy sector.
Dr. Animesh Ghosh
Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Animesh Ghosh is a Senior Research Fellow at the Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition (ACPET), IFRE, Ashoka University, where he leads the Critical Minerals & Circular Economy vertical.
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He also serves as a Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) Expert with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, at UN Women. He holds a PhD in Circular Economy from IIT Kharagpur, a master’s degree in Development Practice from TISS Mumbai, and a B.Tech from WBUT, Kolkata. His research focuses on energy transition financing, just transition, resource efficiency, behavioural nudging, and social tipping points. A former Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellow (2012–2015) and Officer on Special Duty at NIRDPR, Dr. Ghosh has worked with UN Women, UNICEF, the World Bank, and multiple governmental and non-governmental organisations on sustainable development projects. His expertise spans energy transition, climate change mitigation, rural development, gender-responsive budget analysis, and innovation management, and he has published in international journals and contributed to book chapters. This diverse experience across academia, government, and international organisations positions him as a key contributor to research on clean energy transitions and sustainable development.
Dr Shubham Jain
Research Associate
Dr. Shubham Jain is working as a Research Associate at ACPET. He is an accomplished researcher with expertise in thermal engineering, solar thermal technologies, and thermal batteries
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He holds a PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. His doctoral research focused on developing a versatile thermal battery tailored for multi-temperature-based community-scale solar cooking applications. He also holds a Master of Engineering in Thermal Engineering from TIET, Patiala, where he designed and developed an innovative solar water desalination system for his master’s thesis. He has extensive experience in both experimental and computational thermal engineering. His expertise includes designing solar thermal systems, developing prototype solutions, and implementing them at a large scale. Dr. Jain has a strong research background, with publications in prestigious international journals and conferences. He holds several patents for innovative solar thermal technologies and has contributed to books in the field of solar energy. Driven by a passion for translating research into real-world applications, he remains committed to advancing sustainable energy solutions and technological innovation.
Dr Piya Srinivasan
Manager, Communications
Dr. Piya Srinivasan works as Communications Manager at ACPET. She has over a decade of experience in news media, research communication, social science
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research and program management. Before joining ACPE she served as India Commissioning Editor at 360info, a Melbourne-based global academic newswire, and as Assistant Professor at Manav Rachna International Institute for Research and Studies. She specialised in commissioning and translating complex, often technical, research-based insights into accessible content for a global readership, addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges. She has also worked as a Research Consultant and Program Associate with the Calcutta Research Group, a Communication Officer with Save the Children India, and a Copy Editor with Mint Lounge and Mail Today. Piya holds a PhD in Law and Governance from Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she was a SYLFF Fellow, and an MPhil in Social Sciences from CSSSC, Kolkata. Her areas of research include disaster risk governance, climate migration, law and literature, history and memory, juvenile justice and sound ecology. She has presented her research in national and international workshops and conferences. She is the editor of Living with the Weather: Climate Change, Ecology and Displacement in South Asia (Yoda Press 2023). Her articles, book reviews and film critiques have appeared in Al Jazeera, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, The Diplomat, Tatler Asia, Frontline, Seminar, Mint, Times of India, Mumbai Mirror and India Today.
Dr Aishwarya Ramachandran
Research Manager
Aishwarya is a Research Manager at the Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition (ACPET) at Ashoka University. Her research at the centre focuses on the
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human health outcomes of net zero strategies, and she is interested in exploring issues around energy literacy. Aishwarya received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and primarily does research pertaining to the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, and science education. Aishwarya has led projects pertaining to inter- and transdisciplinary environmental education, and has also worked as a consultant in Canada to develop recommendations for sport and health promotion.
Dr. Amrapali Tiwari
Research Associate
Amrapali Tiwari is an Environmental GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist with over five years of experience in spatial analysis, ecological modeling, and
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sustainable development research. She has contributed to impactful projects with organizations such as the Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (ISRO).
Her expertise lies in applying geospatial techniques to address complex environmental and social challenges, such as landfill site suitability analysis, habitat suitability mapping, and ecological corridor modeling. She is passionate about integrating geospatial intelligence into evidence-based environmental and social decision-making frameworks. Amrapali holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, where her research focused on GIS-based habitat suitability and the development of a decision support system for ecological corridor modeling. She also holds an M.Sc. in Environment Management from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany from the University of Delhi. Beyond her professional pursuits, Amrapali enjoys dancing, exploring nature trails, and photography, activities that reflect her deep connection with nature and creativity.
Soumit Pandey
Junior Research Associate
Soumit Pandey is a Junior Research Associate at the Ashoka Centre for a People-Centric Energy Transition, Ashoka University. He has completed MSc. in Economic
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from TERI School of Advanced Studies. Soumit earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Economics from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, University of Calcutta. He brings a wealth of experience from his roles as a Research Intern at Aseries Envirotek India Pvt. Ltd. His expertise lies in economic analysis of quantitative and qualitative data (both, primary and secondary), with a strong technical skill set that includes proficiency in STATA, R programming, and advanced Excel.
C Surendran
Assistant Manager (Operations)
Surendran has more than 35 years’ experience of working as Secretary, Senior Secretary and Executive Secretary. Before joining ACPET, he has worked
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with CIMMCO Birla Limited for 10 years and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) for 25 years. He has pursued B. Com from University of Calicut, Kerala. He has also passed the Typewriting (English), and Shorthand (English) examinations conducted by the Kerala Government Technical Examinations (KGTE), Kerala.
Anvesha S Adhikari
Research Associate
Anvesha Adhikari is a Research Associate at the Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition (ACPET), Ashoka University. She holds an MSc in Economics
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with a specialization in Environment and Resource Economics from the TERI School of Advanced Studies and a BSc in Physics from Wilson College, University of Mumbai. At ACPET, she works on research projects related to India’s coal phase-down, electricity demand modeling, and pathways toward a just energy transition. Her interdisciplinary academic background enables her to approach energy and environmental challenges with both technical and economic insight. Anvesha has strong skills in econometric analysis and data modeling, with proficiency in STATA, R, C++, and advanced Excel, and a working knowledge of Python. Prior to joining ACPET, she interned at the Raman Kant Munjal Foundation, where she strengthened her research and analytical capabilities. She is passionate about sustainability and aims to contribute to data-driven, inclusive policy making in the energy sector.
Navya
Research Associate
Navya is a Research Associate at the Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition at Ashoka University. Her work focuses on the intersection
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of energy, economy, and environment, with a particular emphasis on India's clean energy transition. She is involved in long-term energy system modelling and scenario analysis to support data-driven, people-centric policy design. She holds a B.Tech in Information Technology from Inderprastha Engineering College, Ghaziabad, and brings prior experience in web development, database management, and programming. Certified in cybersecurity and equipped with a strong technical foundation, Navya leverages her computational skills to develop integrated models that reflect the macro-level dynamics of India’s energy system. Her work aims to bridge technology and policy, contributing to inclusive, sustainable, and evidence-based energy transition planning.
Saptarshi Poddar
Junior Research Associate
Saptarshi Poddar is a Junior Research Associate at the Ashoka University Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition (ACPET). He works on modeling
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long-term decarbonization pathways for India using tools like LEAP to support data-driven and policy-relevant energy transition planning. He brings a multidisciplinary background in economics, and data science, with prior experience at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), where he contributed to national-level energy system modeling. Saptarshi specializes in time series forecasting and saturation modeling and is proficient in Python for data analysis, visualization, and machine learning. His skill set also includes geospatial analytics and certifications in cloud platforms like AWS and Microsoft Azure. In addition to his work in energy and data, Saptarshi is an independent filmmaker and cinematographer. He has worked with several brands and production houses, combining storytelling with a strong visual sensibility. This creative lens enhances his ability to communicate complex research in engaging and accessible ways, making data not just informative, but impactful.
Ms Bipashna Sharma
Communications Associate
Bipashna Sharma is Communications Associate at ACPET, where she drives the Centre’s work on just energy transitions and net-zero pathways across digital platforms, podcasts, CMS management, institutional newsletters, and public events.
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Passionate about green entrepreneurship and youth-led climate action, she blends technical sustainability frameworks with visual storytelling to drive people-centric engagement. Bipashna holds an MBA in Sustainability Management from TERI School of Advanced Studies and a BA (Hons) in Geography from the University of Delhi. Her practical background includes corporate ESG at TVS Motor Company, supply chain compliance evaluation at Vedanta Aluminium, and leveraging AI-assisted workflows for research synthesis.
A recognized innovator in the green transition space, she was a Finalist in Sikkim RISE, a flagship multi-stage startup talent hunt organized by the Commerce and Industries Department and SEED Cell, Government of Sikkim, to transform early-stage ideas into scalable, sustainable ventures. She also served as the Communications Lead for the World’s Youth for Climate Justice (Indian Front), co-founded SATVA (Sustainable Fashion Society at TERI SAS), and created Instagram’s 'SustainaBee' to bridge policy, practice, and community-driven action.
Upasna Ranjan
Co-Lead, Critical Mineral and Circular Economy vertical
Upasna Ranjan holds an Integrated M.Tech in Energy Engineering and brings over eight years of experience in the energy and climate change domain.
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Her professional journey spans reputed institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), and the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), where she has contributed extensively to projects on energy modeling, decarbonization pathways, and climate policy.
At CSTEP, she has led several strategic initiatives, including development of low-carbon roadmaps, net-zero pathways for different sectors, GHG inventory, Critical minerals for Clean energy transition and state-level climate action plans, employing models such as SAFARI (System Dynamics model).
Earlier, at NIAS and IISc, she worked on power sector modeling and environmental data analysis, evaluating optimal electricity mixes, solar performance under varied environmental conditions, and emissions impacts.
Through her multidisciplinary expertise in energy systems analysis, stakeholder engagement, and climate mitigation planning, Upasna continues to contribute to evidence-based policymaking and the advancement of India’s transition toward a net-zero and sustainable future.
Jolinson Richi Antony Dass
Junior Research Associate
Jolinson Richie is a Junior Research Associate professional with experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud reliability, and data-driven application development.
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Prior to his work in AI and cloud engineering, he worked as a Data Science Intern at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, where he developed deep learning models for climate forecasting and environmental data analysis using CNN and LSTM architectures. He later worked at Searce as a Cloud Reliability Engineer, contributing to cloud operations, infrastructure optimisation, monitoring, and containerised deployments across AWS and GCP environments. His expertise includes Python, machine learning, deep learning, predictive analytics, semantic search systems, and data visualisation. Jolinson has also published an IEEE research paper on PCB Defect Detection using YOLOv5 and Image Subtraction, focusing on computer vision–based defect analysis and intelligent automation systems. Alongside his technical work, he is passionate about building impactful AI solutions that combine analytical thinking, innovation, and practical problem-solving.
Varusha Khare
Junior Research Associate
Varusha holds a BSc. (Hons) in Economics and Finance from Ashoka University.
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Her research interests lie at the intersection of energy transition, development economics, and spatial analysis. She particularly enjoys working on interdisciplinary research. Before joining ACPET, she worked on a multidisciplinary urban research project with the University of Toronto's School of Cities, examining the intersections of gender, nutrition, and climate vulnerability among indigenous communities in Maharashtra. She has also undertaken an independent research project on the impact of political instability on US-China trade, analyzing global trade patterns and theories of supply chain rerouting. Varusha has experience in tools like STATA, R, QGIS, Google Earth Engine, and Excel. She is passionate about using data driven research to inform inclusive public policy and sustainable development.
Katelyn Patta
Junior Research Associate
Katelyn holds a BA (Hons.) in Economics with a minor in International Relations from Ashoka University.
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Her research interests span development, urban and international economics, with a particular focus on using data-driven approaches to understand how public policy shapes people's lives and livelihoods. She previously worked as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at UMass Amherst, contributing to research on economic elites and transnational governance by applying network analysis. She has also published a policy brief on urban policy, exploring distribution companies (discoms) and rooftop solar adoption. Katelyn has experience in tools like STATA, R, LaTeX and Excel. Alongside her academic work, Katelyn was a photojournalist with The Edict, Ashoka University's student-run newspaper. Here she covered campus and political developments and developed a passion for connecting research with stories and experiences on the ground - a passion she brings directly into her work at ACPET.
Interns
Jahnavi Agarwal Intern
Jahnavi is an interdisciplinary student of Computer Science and Mathematics, with a minor in Economics at Ashoka University.
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At ACPET, she contributes to a Welfare Maximization Price Optimization Algorithm for the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), while applying data science to challenges in social impact and education.
She is passionate about environmental sustainability, focusing on waste reduction and minimizing ecological footprint through technology and human-centered research.
She enjoys travelling, exploring new cultures, and connecting with diverse communities.
Jeet Chahal Intern
Jeet is doing an M.A. in Sustainable Development Practice at TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI-SAS), New Delhi, with a background in Commerce. ...
At ACPET, she works with the Critical Minerals & Circular Economy vertical within the Mineral Intelligence and Decision System (MINDS), where she contributes to developing an evidence base on India’s critical mineral recycling ecosystem across technical, policy, environmental, social, and investment dimensions.
She was a Policy Research Fellow at Nitiverse Foundation, focusing on social security and green mobility.
She enjoys reading, music, exploring conspiracy theories, and playing badminton in her free time.
Shubhi Intern
Shubhi is pursuing an M.A. in Sustainable Development Practice at TERI-SAS, with a background in Sociology and focusing on inclusive, policy-driven development. ...
At ACPET, she contributes to research in the power reform sector, working
at the intersection of governance, policy, and social impact.
She has led large-scale community initiatives as President of the National Service Scheme and Vishalakshi Foundation, working with over 500 volunteers and multiple NGOs. She is the Outreach Coordinator for her batch and Editor of Vasundhara, a TERI-SAS magazine.
She loves films, finds comfort in music, cooking, and exploring new places and cuisines.