Conference Speakers 2025

I am Phoolvi Agarwal, an energy consultant and sustainability leader committed to helping companies achieve their sustainability goals. My expertise lies in ESG integration, carbon footprint analysis, and designing innovative solutions for decarbonization. I am also actively involved in advancing solar PV agrivoltaics and waste-to-energy initiatives to promote sustainable practices. I hold a master's degree in Energy and Environmental Sciences from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from BITS Pilani, Dubai. As the founder of Hyon Energy, I am driven by the ethos of "people, planet, profit," focusing on enhancing land-use efficiency, driving sustainability efforts, and contributing to India's ambition of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. Beyond leading Hyon Energy, I serve as the Head of the South Asia Chapter for the Women in Green Hydrogen, a non profit organization, where I champion gender inclusion and leadership in the renewable energy sector. I also work closely with global sustainability networks and organizations like the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, fostering impactful dialogue and innovation to shape a sustainable future.

Alessandro Anderlini completed his MA/BA in Economics at the University of Bologna, Italy and has over 25 years experience in international Sales and Marketing, working abroad in the US and UK for international corporations covering different sectors. In 2008 Alessandro joined Coveme, a world leading converter of engineered polyester films for the PV solar, automotive, biomedical and textile industry, covering senior leadership roles and managing business unit divisions in Europe and China. Alessandro is currently the Head of Photovoltaic Division with global responsibility, counting on two production plants and the 3 R&D hubs located in Italy, Germany and China.

'97 Batch MBA with 26 years of experience in in multifarious industry spectrum in all regions of the country, presently working as National Head - SALES AND MARKETING IN ADANI SOLAR Repeatedly produced sustained revenue and growth in dynamic and changing markets that reflects pioneering experience and year-on-year success in achieving business growth objectives among flagship MNCs like PHILIPS, TATA & SHELL HE has been instrumental in conceiving and rolling out retail model in Adani in the country over 1000 cities.

Mr. Braeunlich has many years of experience in sales, in leading sales teams and supporting VON ARDENNE's representative network. He is always keen to maintain relationships with industry influencers and key strategic partners. Since Summer 2021 he got assigned as Director Sales + Business Development Asia at VON ARDENNE GmbH, Germany. Before of that, he was General Manager at VON ARDENNE Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. As General Manager of VON ARDENNE China in Shanghai, he was responsible for the development of the subsidiary from a service and sales branch of the German VON ARDENNE GmbH to a fully functional production site for vacuum glass coaters for the architectural and automotive glazing industries as well as wafer coaters for the high efficiency crystalline photovoltaic industries. Within these three years, several glass coaters and wafer coater systems were produced, delivered on schedule, and passed their final acceptance test at VON ARDENNE's customers in China.

Dr. Puzant Baliozian is the VDMA PV Equipment Group's project manager since September of this year. He is involved in techno-economic studies for manufacturing capacity of PV along the value chain and represents the interests of European PV equipment manufacturers internationally. The PV Sector Group at VDMA also publishes the yearly international technology roadmap for photovoltaics (ITRPV) showing highly relevant technology projections and trends. Dr. Baliozian studied physics at the American University of Beirut (BSc., 2014) and has a specialization in renewable energy (MSc. 2016) from the university of Freiburg. From 2016 until recently, he worked at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg in the field of photovoltaic production technologies where he also did his PhD. He is best known for developing the passivated edge technology for separated industrial solar cell concepts, to boost cell and module efficiencies.

Ms. Pooja Bose is the Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communication and Sustainability at WERT International, a globally recognised, mid-sized business consulting company with its headquarters in India. Prior to her role at WERT International, Pooja has worked as a Communications Specialist with the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF-SO), GIZ and extensively supported the Indo-German Green Hydrogen Task Force, agreed upon by the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and of the Republic of India. As part of her role at IGEF-SO, she has created a vast network of government stakeholders and private players in the sector. Previously, she has worked as an Editor with Times of India, Bennett Coleman and Company and daily news reporter with Daily News & Analysis (DNA). During her Master's in International Communications and Media Studies from Monash University in Melbourne, Pooja has also worked as a researcher and communications assistant with the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub and organised 'Are We There Yet?' - a TEDxMonashUniversity event on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.

30+ years of experience in areas of Strategy, Business Planning, Operations, Sales, Marketing and Product Planning in Asia and Middle East with leading Japanese and Korean automotive OEM's like Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Hyundai. Leads Customised Energy Services, e Mobility practice, for various technical and commercial aspects related to e Mobility. Focusses on mega trends, Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric mobility with focus on Powertrain, E Components, Vehicle Integration, Battery, Charging, Battery Swapping and emerging technologies. He has graduated in Mechanical Engineering and has a MBA in Sales & Marketing

Rohit Gadre leads BNEF's solar sector research for India. His focus is on analyzing market trends, policy dynamics, companies' strategies and building forecasts to provide strategic insights on the development in the sector. Rohit previously worked as a consultant with DNV GL Singapore advising regulators, government agencies, utilities, developers and credit ratings agencies on regional electricity markets, energy policies and energy efficiency standards. Rohit holds an MSc in the Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment from University College London and B.E. in Environmental Engineering from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Sishir Garemella is the head of international business development at Kiwa PVEL, the leading independent lab of the downstream solar market. Sishir leads Kiwa PVEL's international expansion in strategic markets outside the United States. Sishir has over 10 years of experience as a downstream solar player, both as a financier and as an operator. Prior to solar, he has worked in investment banking in the UK and the automotive industry in Canada. He holds a Masters in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics in the UK and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the University of Windsor in Canada.

o Was a Partner with The Boston Consulting Group working across Energy and Industrials o Has worked with 25+ top energy & industrial sector clients across India and US, APAC and UK (across Maharatna PSUs, largest conglomerates in India and MNCs) o Worked with several leading battery manufacturers and advised battery operators o Part of the Energy Transition Advisory Committee, Government of India o Developed draft frameworks for Carbon trading and Green Financing in India o Has contributed to the development of key Energy & Industrials policies such as 'Energy Import Reduction Roadmap for India 2030'; 'National Steel Policy 2030' at national level and advised several Cabinet Ministers in Government of India o Ex- Advisor to CII's apex- National Manufacturing Council o Studied Energy & Climate at Cambridge University; rank holder at IIM Ahmedabad; Bachelors in Engineering from BITS Pilani o Topic leader in Energy Markets, Storage, Renewables, Power Markets, Policy Design, Decarbonization o Thought leader: Shared perspective with several media including The Financial Times

Inventor of a green hydrogen technology A well-recognized scientist, academician, and entrepreneur Recipient of Larry Norwood Faculty Fellow (USA), Presidential Faculty Fellow (USA), National Research Council Fellow (USA), Selected for a renowned 100 Talent program (China), Overseas Research Student award (UK) Co-founder of a Li-ion battery technology startup in the USA 18+ years of working experience in the USA, 22+ years in R&D, 6+ years in industry Developed various technologies including DAC (CO2 capture) and Environment friendly lubricant and coolant for machining of Rafael jet engine materials Served on NSF (USA), SBIR-STTR (USA), SNSF (Switzerland), QNRF (Qatar), and Skolkovo Foundation (Russia)

An alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow Mr. Nimish Jain has more than 14 years of experience in solar PV industry. In his current role as CEO of Airtouch solar India, he oversees firm operations across all business units as well as strategic planning and growth initiatives. Prior to this he worked as Managing Director India with a Spanish company, Solarig which is one of the global leaders in Solar Asset Management and Project Development. His area of expertise includes P&L Management, Business Development and Strategy, New Geography Expansion and Board Representation. Prior to Solarig he led Business Development at Vikram Solar Limited and established Jinko Solar in India and SE Asia as a market leader. He has also worked with SMA Solar and Reliance Industries Limited in Sales and Business Development roles. He has received various awards like Global Solar Energy Leadership Award, Outstanding Achievement award by world HRD congress and Special Recognition for Contribution for solar PV by Solarcon India.

Ibrahim Kadriinamdar has over 15 years of experience in new business development and market expansion, specifically in the Renewable Energy sector. He is a dynamic management professional with a proven track record of spearheading sales and business development initiatives across diverse industries. As Regional Sales Manager at Solplanet in Dubai, he played a pivotal role in driving business growth by identifying, evaluating, and securing new clients. His contributions have been recognised by industry bodies, including being named one of India's Top 100 Net Zero Leaders by NET ZERO Alliance, Solar Quarter, in 2023. Additionally, he was recognised as one of the "RE Leaders of Tomorrow in the top 40 under 40" by EQ International.

Dr. Ajinkya S. Kamat leads green hydrogen initiatives at India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), which is a leading industrial alliance, founded and managed by Customized Energy Solutions India and has 160+ member organizations across the energy storage, electricity mobility, and green hydrogen industries. Dr. Ajinkya has more than 8 years of experience in the energy sector, which includes consulting experience across North America & India and postdoctoral research experience at Harvard University (USA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. His research has addressed issues related to transnational industrial R&D and clean energy technologies including LED lighting, photovoltaics, networked geothermal, and green hydrogen. Dr. Ajinkya's policy advising efforts have contributed to shaping emerging energy technology policy initiatives in the USA and India. He has a PhD in Physics from the University of Virginia (USA), M.Sc. in Physics from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India), and B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Mumbai (India). He has authored several articles in peer-reviewed journals and public media, and his work has also been cited in reputed news media.

Dilip Kumar started his career as an automation engineer, due to his keen interest in developing new products. He joined Rockwell Automation Inc., global leader in industrial automation, as Application Engineer. At Rockwell Automation, he was assigned growing responsibilities, leading to manage customers contributing 12% of its revenue in India. During his tenure, he received multiple awards for his technical & sales leadership. Between 2012 and 2016, he spearheaded SMA India's South Region. Consistently achieved exceptional and measurable results in identifying new markets, setting up new business territories, and building and leading teams in a dynamic environment. In the year 2015, he, along with Mr. Vikram Shetty founded Inspire Clean Energy (ICE) - a pure play, technical asset, operations, and maintenance management company for solar PV plants. In the last 9+ years, ICE has grown and is regarded as a technical expert in managing solar PV assets. Many of its processes are now de facto standard operating procedures in the industry. In late 2018, he co-founded Reparar Works (RW), India's first Solar PV repairs, refurbishment, and recycling company, focusing on sustainable ways to handle the post warranty life of PV components. Today, ICE and RW together as Life Cycle Management companies, have made a positive impact on close to 3 GWp of solar PV assets. Regarded as the go-to person in the solar PV tech community, he was awarded "Dr. Solar" in 2022, "PV Guru" and "Solar Specialist of the Decade" in 2023. With a strong sense of socio-environmental responsibilities culminating in formation of 'The ReLIFE Programme,' which helped provide livelihoods to people displaced by COVID. The program helped close to 200 people restart their lives who were the sole breadwinners for their families.

Sagar Mitra is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India. Prior to joining IIT Bombay in 2009, he served as the Principal Electrochemist at Replisaurus Technologies in Stockholm, Sweden from 2006 to 2009. At present, Professor Mitra not only serves as a faculty member at IIT Bombay but also leads his own IITB start-up company, Voltrez Technologies. The company is dedicated to the manufacturing of patented dendrite-free technology for safe liquid electrolyte-based lithium-ion batteries, addressing critical safety concerns associated with battery technology. Beyond his academic and entrepreneurial endeavours, Professor Mitra holds significant roles in various national committees and advisory boards. He actively contributes to NitiAayog as part of the lithium circular economy subcommittee, assisting in the formulation of policies for lithium recycling. Additionally, he collaborates with the Government of India's PSA (Principal Scientific Adviser) office on the Battery Storage Roadmap for India. Recognized for his expertise, Professor Mitra served on the technical advisory boards of esteemed institutions such as the Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI) in Karaikudi, ARCI-Hyderabad, and RCI-DRDO Lab in Hyderabad. Furthermore, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Epsilon Carbon and Advanced Materials Industry in India and is a Technical Advisory Committee member for Thermax in Pune. Professor Mitra's current research interests revolve around the development of advanced materials and technologies for various energy storage applications, with a particular focus on lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and metal sulfur batteries. His contributions to the field are underscored by his impressive publication record, boasting more than 130 peer-reviewed articles, as well as the filing of 30 patents in the area of different metal-ion batteries. Professor Mitra's research group is deeply engaged in exploring the performance, understanding, and cell prototyping of lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and metal sulfur batteries.

P. Vinay Kumar, COO of Vibrant Energy, backed by the Macquarie Group, is a Renewable Energy industry veteran with a track record of having built and managed ~ 3000 MW of Solar and Wind Assets. o As a Former CEO & MD of Brookfield Asset Management - India Renewables he was instrumental in launching Brookfield in the Renewables sector in India. He has also been an Independent Director on the Board of KKR-backed Virescent India which is one of India's first white-label RE InVITs. o Prior to Brookfield, he worked as COO of Greenko Group leading the Project Development Group. He built 3 GW of solar and wind plants including the world's largest solar plant (817 MW DC) in Kurnool (India) while at Greenko. Also part of the core team that dilgienced multiple acquisitions - including that of SunEdison's assets in India. o During prior stints with EPC companies in Transmission and Distribution, he executed largeformat transmission and distribution projects in India/Africa. Has experience across the Power Value chain (Generation, Transmission and Distribution). o Began his career with the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) where he spearheaded transformational IT initiatives for Indian Customs, like the Risk Management Systems (RMS) which won him the PM's award for excellence in Public Administration. He is also a recipient of the Finance Minister's Medal for best Officer and was also awarded the Samman Patra recognition. o Adjudged Solar Person of the year 2017 - by EQMag, among Solar heroes of 2018, and more recently among 100 most powerful solar leaders in 2021. He is a recognized industry thought leader, influencer in the clean energy industry in India. o Has a Bachelor's degree in Engg. from IIT Madras, PGDBM from XLRI Jamshedpur, and is a CFA.

Priyamvada Pandit, holding a Master's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, has been a prominent figure in the renewable energy sector for over 12 years. Currently, at SMA, she leads the Commercial and Industrial portfolio across India, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Her expertise spans Hybrid, Solar, Battery, E-mobility Charging Solutions, as well as Apps Software and Monitoring and Controlling portfolios for these regions. In addition to her technical and strategic roles, Priyamvada is deeply committed to education and training. She heads the Solar Academy for the aforementioned regions, leveraging her strong communication skills to enhance knowledge dissemination and professional development within the industry. Priyamvada stays constantly abreast of the competitive landscape, playing a pivotal role in identifying customer needs and future technology requirements through thorough demand analysis. Her insights significantly support Sales and Marketing teams in their strategic planning efforts, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of innovation and customer satisfaction.

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A Distinguished Scientist (DS), Dr. Chitra Rajagopal, held the post of Director General (Resources & Management) in the DRDO till Dec 2020. She concurrently held the post of the First Appellate Authority (FAA), DRDO as per RTI Act 2005. She was earlier Director General Systems Analysis and Modeling (SAM), during which period she also held additional charge of DG (Life Sciences). Before taking over this charge, she held the position of Outstanding Scientist & Director, Centre for Fire, Explosive & Environment Safety (CFEES), where she spent a substantial part of her career in R&D on Explosive, Fire and Environment Safety for MoD applications, and which she played a key role in setting up and nurturing. After her superannuation from Govt service, she held the post of Director, Centre of Excellence in Process Safety and Risk management, IIT Delhi till Jan 2024. She currently chairs GoI Expert Committee on Hydrogen Safety, Sub-Committee on Safety, Cross-cutting analysis and Integration, and is a member of the Advisory Group to advise Empowered Group on Science &Technology, under National Green Hydrogen Mission. She co-chairs the Indo-German working group on 'Safety, Quality, Infrastructure and Legal Framework' of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF), the Safety and Standards sub-committee of the US-India Hydrogen Task Force (H2TF) and is the Indian representative in RCS Task Force in Quad Global Green Hydrogen partnership She is a recipient of several National and DRDO awards and nominee for International awards, including Lifetime Achievement Award, Eminent Engineer award, Shakti Samman award, Suman Sharma award, DRDO Scientist of the year award. She is AICTE Distinguished Professional since 2024, INAE AICTE Distinguished Visiting Professor Anna University since 2019, Adjunct faculty at IIT Madras and IIT Delhi, since 2020. She is a Fellow of various International and national Professional bodies Dr. Chitra Rajagopal received her Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1982 from the Department of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Punjab University, Chandigarh, for which she was awarded University and Arun Modi Gold Medals for outstanding academic performance. She was awarded Ph.D from the Chemical Engineering Deptt, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 1989 in the field of Heat Transfer.

Dr Jyoti Roy is a prominent figure in the renewable energy sector, known for his work in technical due diligence, risk assessment, and solar asset performance optimisation. He serves as the Founder and CEO of GreenEnco, a consultancy firm that offers specialised services in the solar, battery energy storage and solar hydrogen projects. His expertise includes guiding solar projects from conception through implementation, ensuring they meet technical, financial, and environmental standards. Dr. Roy is an advisor, mentor, and a co-author of solar code of practices and committee member of BSI and IEC international standards. He is a recipient of the Glory of India award and a finalist of the Great British Entrepreneur Award. In 2009, he has supported the policy team of the National Solar Mission of India, created a successful consortium of academia and corporates between UK and India, and executed over 20 GW of utility scale and commercial rooftop PV and BESS systems. He has also published several papers and given invited talks in various journals, conferences, and seminars in Europe and Asia, including TEDx talk

More than 36 years professional experience (including last 29 years in International Photo Voltaic (PV) industries Solar PV Power Plant: Successfully installed more than 1500 MW module in ACME, Orange Renewable Power (Greenko Group) & Juniper Green Energy Core competency in Wafer, Solar Cell & Module: Technology, manufacturing, process, quality, product, reliability & R & D PV manufacturing: Successfully installed more than 800 MW cell & module manufacturing facilities in India Websol, Central Electronics Ltd (A Govt. of India Enterprise under DSIR) & Moser Baer-MBPV (Founder member of MBPV-Employee No 2) Audited more than 25 PV cell & module manufacturing facilities in India & China on behalf of Électricité de France (EDF) Auditor of Électricité de France (EDF) in South-east Asia Had in-depth training under guidance of Prof. Giuliano Martinelli, University of Ferara, Italy on crystal growth, ingot, wafer, cell & module manufacturing (at Helios Technology Srl, Padova, Italy) in 1994 Inter-University Microelectronics Centre (IMEC), Belgium: Worked with Dr. Jozef Szlufci & implemented Screen Printed Diffusion Technology at Central Electronics Ltd (Govt of India & Govt of Belgium project) in 1998 Sunpower Corporation, San Jose: Interacted with Prof Dr. Richard Swanson, CTO of Sunpower Corporation & also Dr. Charlie Gay, Board of Directors Sunpower Corporation, US for technical due-diligence on IBC (Inter-digitated Back Contact) Solar Cell Technology in 2004

Chetan Shah belongs to the Nemji family that has completed 100 years in business, building a legacy of trust and goodwill over the decades. He is the founder of Nemji Informatique, a well-known tech firm in Surat established three decades ago.

Mr. Preetesh Singh works as a Specialist CASE and Alternate Powertrains for Nomura Research Institute Consulting and Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. He has been working on strategy and operational consulting projects for global automotive OEMs, suppliers, R&D organizations, and governments. He specializes in CASE and Alternate Powertrains and has spent over a decade on researching various topics related to Automotive Industry for the Indian and global markets. He has been instrumental in setting up the Policy Advocacy, ER&D and Alternate powertrain themes for NRI India Preetesh is a well-known thought leader in the Automotive industry, having written over 20 reports and articles in collaboration with associations and leading media outlets. He has also spoken at various webinars and conferences about Automotive industry, including Economic times, Assocham, PHD Chamber of Commerce, CVF, REI Expo, The Battery Show India, EV Reporter, Traffic Infra Expo, EMobility+, Battery India, The Smarter India, I-Tech Media, and others. Preetesh Singh has been actively spreading awareness of alternate fuel and powertrains and their role in future amongst the students by taking guest lectures on the alternate powertrains in different institutes such as NMIMS, Bits Pilani etc.

Highly Accomplished Technical Leader with 15+ Years of Expertise in Power Electronics, PV System Design, Solar Inverters, and Renewable Energy Solutions Results-oriented and dynamic professional with an exceptional track record spanning over 15 years in the fields of Power Electronics, PV System design and integration, Solar Inverters, Solar Solutions, Troubleshooting, Renewable Energy, and System Analysis. A visionary leader and strategic thinker, currently serving as the Technical Head India at Shenzhen Growatt New Energy Co Ltd, driving the forefront of innovative solar technologies and solutions.

Mr. Deepak Ushadevi is the Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Ciel & Terre India. With Ciel & Terre, Mr. Deepak is instrumental in developing the solar floating market and interacting with major Nodal agencies, and developers to provide floating solar guidelines, Knowledge Transfer, and know-how to ensure quality and bankable floating projects in India. Mr. Deepak is a well-seasoned professional with over 24 years of experience in the field of solar and semiconductors in various capacities as a subject matter expert, technologist, and business unit head. New commercial initiatives, the introduction of new technology, strategic alignment, and market development are his primary areas of expertise. A floating solar energy portfolio of 260+ MWp has been developed in India under his leadership for 6 years at Ciel & Terre India, with 10+ projects in service and 4 projects under various construction stages. He has been a part of the many new technologies being launched globally by various leading companies in the Solar /Semiconductor domain specifically, the IC Chip processor segment, Solar technology, and floating solar technology. Played a significant role in the initial team for the first 300MM wafer fab in Singapore in 2004, one of the top 3 semiconductor fabs worldwide. In 2008, he was core member for the development of the world's first single thin film junction solar production line for Applied Materials, a global semiconductor manufacturer. He was instrumental in completing FAT for the world's first thin-film Tandem Junction technology line at Sun Film in Germany in 2008. In 2019, he was involved in the first Hydrelio® patented floating technology commissioned in India at CIAL, Cochin for Ciel Terre India. Before joining Ciel Terre India, he worked with Waaree energies on new business initiatives and won the first KW project scale floating tender bid in India. During his stint at Tata Power Solar, he spearheaded the development of Asys screen printing technology and Manz Automation robots in the Solar cell line CSI technology segment & part of 120 MW cell line expansion. During his 7-year stint with Applied Materials, the global leader in Thin-film equipment, he focused on developing and commissioning new single Junction and Tandem Junction thin film lines in India, Italy, Germany, and China, Japan, US. He started his career as an engineer at Chartered Semiconductor Singapore (now Global Foundries).