Executive Council

A prolific business leader with 25 years of experience in running and managing businesses across domains & customer segments, is currently working with Schneider Electric as "Vice President – S&A, EE, A2E & CSR International Operations Venkat has a proven track record in leading and turning around businesses to consistently drive revenue and profitable growth through General Management, Strategy, Sales, Marketing, Business development, etc. A versatile leader blending strategic & tactical thinking, dexterity to manage change and care for customers & employees alike. He has also played an instrumental role in launching ‘Innovation at the Edge’ Program in India wherein new ideas are incubated, piloted & scaled up. He is winner of several prestigious awards like CII-ITC Sustainability Award, Golden Peacock award for Energy Efficiency & Sustainability, Frost & Sullivan Best practices award for Emerging Energy Management Solutions Provider, etc. Venkat was also awarded as India’s most influential Sustainability leaders of India in 2018 by world CSR & Sustainability organization Venkat is passionate about Social impact initiatives like Skill development, Rural Electrification, Education, etc., currently the board member of Schneider Electric India Foundation (SEIF), committed towards social-economic inclusion of communities by providing universal access to electricity combining Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Skill Development. An Electrical Engineer with a Masters in Business Management specializing in Marketing. Having worked with start-ups, Venkat is very excited about the potential of the tech start-ups & spends his free time supporting & mentoring them. Venkat likes long distance running, music & leadership coaching.

Sanjiv is the president of the Governing Council of STENUM Asia and a founder Director of SUSTENT Consulting Private Limited. Both entities help enterprises embed sustainability in their strategy and operations with a special emphasis on resource efficiency and transitioning to circular business models and facilitating net zero GHG emissions. Prior to leading STENUM Asia and SUSTENT Consulting, Sanjiv has two decades of International business experience servicing a customer base of leading international brands, retailers and factories across the apparel, footwear and luggage value chains spanning several markets in Europe and Asia. He has held senior leadership roles with a British MNC including a global role based at London in marketing and strategy formulation for a US$ 600m business segment and a General Management role based at Hong Kong. Sanjiv holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, a MBA from XLRI, is a Chevening Scholar and has completed the General Management Program from Harvard Business School.

Mahesh Patankar has over 35 years of extensive experience in the energy and environmental fields, along with resource conservation projects spanning the energy, water, and transportation sectors. He is the Founder and Managing Director at MP Ensystems Advisory Pvt Ltd and an international energy policy expert with direct experience with The World Bank, USAID, USDoE, ADB, and others. He has worked in more than 25 emerging and developed economies. Mahesh holds a PhD from IIT Bombay, a master’s in financial management from Mumbai University, and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from Shivaji University. He is also a Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP).

Abhishek Ranjan has joined BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With a track record of exemplary leadership and over two decades of diverse industry experience, he is expected to spearhead BRPL’s journey towards innovation and sustainable growth. He holds a PGDM from XLRI (2008) and an engineering degree from NIT Bhopal (1998). Further enriching his profile, he completed a Business Excellence certification from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, along with specialised certifications in Data and Decision Science Consulting from IIT Delhi, and as a Certified Energy Manager by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). In his earlier stint with BRPL, Abhishek played a pivotal role in advancing initiatives in renewables, demand-side management, power management, and sustainability, significantly enhancing service delivery and stakeholder engagement. Throughout his career, he has held leadership positions with organisations including ReNew Power, Reliance Power, NHPC, and Infosys. Most recently, he served as a Partner at Ernst & Young-Parthenon, where he specialised in energy transition and decarbonisation, with a focus on renewable electricity, energy storage, and power markets.

Anju Mary K serves as Director, Industry and Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability for all Danfoss group companies in India and select Asia Pacific countries in the region. In this capacity, she advises the company’s top leadership and actively engages with industry bodies, government entities, academic institutions, media stakeholders, and the community on policy advocacy, development projects, and sustainability initiatives. With over 23 years of experience, she holds academic credentials in commerce, communication, and management studies from Madras University, IIM Lucknow, and SHRM. She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in International Business, with a special focus on sustainability. Prior to joining Danfoss in 2012, she held leadership roles at Standard Chartered, Star Group, RBS, UNHCR, and the Manipal Group. Under her strategic leadership, Danfoss India has been recognised as one of The Economic Times Most Sustainable Organisations in India (2023), the Most Preferred Workplace in India in back-to-back years, and has received the Golden Peacock Award for Environment Excellence, the CSR Abroad Award from the Ministry of Denmark, and CSR accolades from the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Telangana. She has also been a featured speaker at B20/G20 forums, the EHP Congress 2025 in Prague, and several national platforms on green transition, sustainable manufacturing, and DEI. She contributes extensively to India–Denmark and EU business relations, industry decarbonisation, and policy advocacy through her active participation in CII, ISHRAE, FEBI, MMA, RAMA, AEEE, IDBA, MCCI, and other forums. She is an elected member of the CII TN State Council and Co-Chair of the TN Sustainable Manufacturing Taskforce. She also serves on the CII National Council on Sustainability & Climate Change, Water Management & Energy Efficiency, and the CII SR ESG & Sustainability Taskforce.

Poorva Ujwal Keskar is an ESG strategist, NABET-accredited environment impact assessment coordinator, and green building professional accredited for LEED, IGBC, GRIHA, and EDGE, as well as an ECBC master trainer certified by BEE. She has also been an educator and previously led the master’s programme in environment architecture at Pune University. She is a partner at VK:e Environmental, a consultancy firm specialising in ESG strategies, environment impact assessment, building energy efficiency, carbon footprinting, and green buildings. Under her leadership, VK:e received the Green Champion Award from the Indian Green Building Council at its International Conference in 2019. Poorva was honoured by the World Green Building Council with the Asia Pacific Network Award 2024 in the category of Women in Green Building Leadership, and by the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency in 2022 for her work in building energy efficiency. She also serves on various boards and committees at both national and local levels in the fields of ecological planning, energy-efficient buildings, and green buildings. She is the Chairperson of the IGBC Pune Chapter and has served as a member of the GRIHA Technical Advisory Committee.

Samit Jain, Managing Director of Pluss Advanced Technologies, has spent over three decades shaping the company’s journey from a niche technology venture into a respected player in thermal energy storage and advanced materials. Known for his focus on research-led growth and practical innovation, he has built Pluss on the belief that science and business can work together to address global challenges in cooling, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Outside his role at Pluss, Samit serves as a Trustee of the Advit Foundation, supporting initiatives in environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods. He holds dual degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Physics from BITS Pilani, and a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Hawaii.

Dr Satish Kumar, a pioneer in India's energy efficiency movement, co-founded the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) in 2008 and currently serves as its President and Executive Director. His expertise, developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Schneider Electric, drives impactful policies like the Energy Conservation Building Code, India Cooling Action Plan and State Energy Efficiency Index. As a trusted advisor to government bodies, including the Ministry of Environment, Bureau of Energy Efficiency and NITI Aayog, he has shaped national sustainability and net zero strategies. An ASHRAE and LEED Fellow, his visionary leadership has advanced measurement and verification, building performance, building decarbonisation and market transformation. With a PhD from Carnegie Mellon, Dr Kumar is a recognised thought leader, influencing India's path towards a sustainable energy future.

Usha Subramaniam is a business and HR leader with over two and a half decades of experience in varied functions, with core competence in Human Resources. Subramaniam holds experience in collaborating with professionals from diverse countries as Denmark, US, Sweden, Poland, Russia, United Kingdom, China, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Subramaniam joined Grundfos in 2013, and during her tenure there she has held several leadership positions. Currently, she is Country President at Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd. During her time here, she has made significant contributions to the organization's growth and success, while fostering a culture of employee empowerment and development.

I am an experienced business leader with a strong background in driving growth, and I have been working with Thermax Limited for the last 28 years across various locations. Over the years, I have developed deep expertise in energy, sustainability, and green solutions, which continues to shape my leadership journey. As the SBU Head – Cooling, I lead strategy, growth, and innovation in sustainable cooling solutions. With proven expertise in P&L management, product development, and market expansion, I focus on building high-performance teams and delivering eco-friendly solutions that create long-term customer value. Passionate about sustainability, operational excellence, and customer experience, I am committed to positioning the Cooling SBU as a leader in providing reliable and environmentally responsible solutions for diverse industries and customer needs.

Dr Vishal Garg is the University Chair Professor and Director of the Indorama Ventures Center for Clean Energy at Plaksha University. His research interests lie in the areas of Energy Informatics, Thermal Storage, and Cool Roofs. He holds a B.E. (Hons.) degree in Civil Engineering from MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur, and a Ph.D. from IIT Delhi. He was the founding President of the Indian chapter of the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA). Dr Garg is a Fellow of IBPSA and recipient of the inaugural Arthur H. Rosenfeld Urban Cooling Achievement Award.

Zubin Varghese is the Senior Director, Innovation and COE at Trane Technologies, a $20 billion global climate innovator with sustainability at its core purpose. His key role includes developing an ecosystem for accelerating innovation, R&D, technology-to-business development, IP management, and external collaborations. Prior to Trane Technologies, he was at Siemens in India and Lizotte Consultants in Canada. Zubin has a PhD from Penn State University, a master’s from the University of Massachusetts, and a B.Tech (Hons) from IIT Kharagpur. He has 8 granted patents (US, India, Germany) for his inventions and has co-authored numerous technical publications.