IESA Expert Panel

Dr Milind V. Kulkarni is presently working as a senior Scientist’ and ‘Group Head’ at the Nanocomposite Laboratory, Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), Pune, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Govt. Of India.  

He obtained his M.Sc. Degree in ‘Polymer Chemistry from Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India in 1996, with first rank. He received his Ph.D. On “Conducting Polymer Based Sensors”, in 2002 from University of Pune, Pune, India. 

 In 2001, he started his career as ‘Scientist-B’ at C-MET, Pune. He is actively working on the development of Active materials (Cathode and Anode) for Li-ion & Na –ion batteries with the fabrication of prototype cells/batteries and all solid-state, flexible, thin batteries. Recently, he has been developing ‘Li-S’ batteries and ‘Li-air’ batteries for Automobile applications (Hybrid Electrical Vehicles). He has also developed and demonstrated polyaniline-based thin, flexible, lightweight, and ultra-low-cost batteries.  

His main field of current scientific interest is Nanomaterials and Polymer nanocomposites for multifunctional applications, such as ‘Development of conducting/electroactive polymers and their nanocomposites’, ‘Flexible and Wearable’ electronics devices, Nanomaterials for ‘inkjet printers’, ‘flexible electronics devices’. Recently, He has developed polyaniline-CNTs nanocomposite coated ‘E-fabric/smart fabric’. He is also actively working on the development of nanomaterials and glass/polymer nanocomposites for lead-free, X-ray absorption/attenuation application and successfully developed a prototype lightweight, lead-free apron for biomedical applications. Presently, he is also engaged in the development of polymer nanocomposites for biological applications and the development of an ‘Electronic Nose’ (E-Nose) and ‘Electronic Tongue’ (E-Tongue) for chemical and biomedical applications. 

Dr Kulkarni has designed & developed the ‘First Indigenous & Low Cost’ “Polymer Swab” for the sample collection and testing of COVID-19 and other viral diseases 

Dr. Abhik Banerjee received a BSc and MSc in chemistry from University of Calcutta. He completed PhD in chemistry from National Chemical Laboratory, Pune (2015), where his thesis work focused on novel nanostructured materials for energy, environmental application under the direction of Professor Satishchandra Ogale. He then joined as postdoctoral researcher with Professor Yoon Seok Jung in the Chemical Engineering Department at Ulsan national Institute Science and technology (UNIST), South Korea where he focused on the synthesis of novel solid Na superionic conductor and solution processed coating of such conductor on cathode for better electrochemical performance. Later he joined postdoc at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) with Professor Shirley Meng where his research focused on fundamental interfacial charge transfer limitation of solid-state battery technology. 

Abhik currently holds the position of team leader of Research Institute of Sustainable Energy (RISE) under TCG CREST. The RISE will work on underlying causes that are currently hindering solid state battery, Silicon and Li metal anode, while providing practical approaches towards enabling safety, higher energy density and fast charging batteries. Dr Abhik Banerjee has more than 10 years of experience in the design, novel chemical synthesis, characterization, and structure-property-performance relationships of a variety of materials, especially materials for solid state electrochemical energy storage. With a profound fundamental understanding of the relevant scientific and technological issues, Abhik has contributed significantly to the development of new materials for rechargeable batteries, development of novel synthesis/processing approaches, and a fundamental understanding of their structure-composition-performance relationships. His contributions are attested by 40 articles in archival journals and 5 patents.

Shilpi has more than 9 years of experience across multiple domains ranging from Electric Vehicle mobility transition, biofuels, solar rooftop, renewable energy feasibility at rural sectors, project management and engagement under corporate and government climate action programs.   

She is currently leading the Electric Mobility track at OMI. Her work revolves around bringing in thought leadership on sustainable mobility. She and her team help in influencing policy decisions through research. Previously, she has worked with The Climate Group and Indian Institute of Science. Shilpi holds a master’s degree from TERI University in Renewable Energy, Engineering & Management. She is also a Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellow. She aims to channelize her rich experience to create meaningful impact in the lives of people through sustainable development and building consciousness around climate change.

Dr. Rahul Walawalkar is the President & MD of Customized Energy Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. He leads the Emerging Technologies domain for Customized Energy Solutions globally, which, under his leadership has emerged as a thought leader in   the   areas   of   energy   storage, renewables, demand response, electric vehicles, and smart grid technologies.  

A strong votary of improving energy storage and e-mobility in India, Dr. Rahul founded the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) in 2012 and continues to serve as its President.  

He served as board member for Energy Storage Association, USA during 2009-15 and as the Chair for Global Energy Storage Alliance during 2018-20. In 2021, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) of India inducted Dr. Rahul to be part of the Central Advisory Committee of the power regulator. He played an instrumental role in shaping up the Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Manufacturing Program for NITI Aayog during 2019-20. 

During 2018-19 he worked on drafting the National Energy Storage Mission for MNRE. He served as member of standing committee on energy storage for MNRE during 2014-17 and National Taskforce for Renewable Integration by Central Electricity Authority & Ministry of Power between 2013-14.  

Under Dr. Rahul’s leadership, Customized Energy Solutions has received numerous awards including ‘IPPAI Power Innovation Award’ for creation of India Energy Storage Alliance in 2016-17, ‘Brad Roberts Award’ for outstanding industry contribution by Energy Storage Association (USA) in 2016, USAID’s ‘Pacesetter Fund Award’ for MICRO initiative in 2016 & 2019 and ‘CII Innovative Energy Services Award’ for Tata Power Demand Response program in 2012.

Avanthika has over 15 years of experience in the energy sector, having worked in substation designs, market research, and consulting services in India, Asia Pacific, and Africa.

Her research expertise is on emerging technologies such as energy storage, renewable energy, battery manufacturing, EV charging, and green hydrogen. She is presently the Industry Research Manager at Customized Energy Solution, leading the research on the emerging technologies market in India.

Dr. Judy Jeevarajan is the Vice President and Executive Director for the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at UL Research Institutes (ULRI) with more than 26 years of experience in the area of battery safety research. She was inducted into UL’s Henry Merrill Society as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in 2016 and as a Corporate Fellow in 2020. 

Dr. Jeevarajan serves in the Technical Working Group for standards organizations such as UL, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Society of Aerospace Engineers (SAE), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and additionally serves as a member of the UN Informal working group that is working on the re-categorization of the hazards associated with lithium-based cells and batteries.   

From 1998 to 2003, Dr. Jeevarajan worked for Lockheed Martin Space Operations at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, until 2003. In 2003, she started her work as a NASA civil servant where she was the Group Lead for Battery Safety and Advanced Technology. Dr. Jeevarajan represented the battery group on all NASA safety panels and was responsible for approving all batteries flown for human-rated space missions.   

Dr. Jeevarajan has several NASA awards to her credit with the NASA Engineering and Safety Center’s (NESC) Engineering Excellence Award and the Exceptional Service Award being noteworthy. She also won the Power Systems Award from AIAA in 2019 for her contributions to the safety of the human space flight and the ‘Woman Leader of the Year’ Award from the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) in 2020 for her active contribution in the area of energy storage safety. Dr. Jeevarajan is a published contributor on battery safety with more than 150 presentations at conferences and several journal publications. She has three book chapters to her credit.  

Dr. Jeevarajan earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry (Electrochemistry) from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa (1995) and holds a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame (1991). 

Bindu currently associated with India Energy Storage Alliance – Customised Energy Solutions, she has more than 10 years of experience in policy and regulatory framework of the power sector along with equally good understanding of the entire power sector value chain.  

In current profile she takes lead in Policy advocacy, planning, monitoring implementation, & interventions at the Center & State level related to Energy Storage, Electric Vehicle and Manufacturing (ACC) sectors. Currently chairing Policy Working Group Committee, an initiative of IESA with Member companies, set out the priorities needed for the Sector growth and working towards achieving these targets, developing regulatory plans and Industrial positioning in collaboration with the member companies etc. She is also acting as a mentor in the “Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition” Mentorship Program by GWNET: Global Women's Network for the Energy Transition; 

Before joining CES, she was associated with leading Transmission companies and Super Critical Thermal Power Projects. Her experience also includes research and analysis on different power sector issues, markets and trends, etc. 

She has done her Master’s in Electrical Power Engineering with Business from University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom. 

With his vast experience in industry since 1966, Mr. R. P. Deshpande is among the most experienced and respected specialists in Indian capacitor sector. Some of the capacitor brands nurtured by him continue to retain their market-pole position. Throughout his career, Mr. Deshpande has pioneered the development of many capacitor products, technologies, processes, and related applications. His first book, “Capacitors- Technology and Trends”, published by McGraw Hills in 2012 filled up a crucial knowledge gap and has received wide appreciation and response in industry and academic fields.  

His interest in Ultracapacitors first manifested as a paper at an international seminar (CAPACIT - Mumbai, Jan 2010) and his work on the use of capacitors for energy storage appears as articles, papers, and lectures on several platforms. His second book “Ultracapacitors- Future of Energy Storage”, published in Feb. 2014, and has been widely acknowledged. 

He has been working in diverse renewable energies and energy storage technologies for the past 15 years and has been giving training and delivering lectures in these subjects at different platforms. He is currently associated with M.I.T., Aurangabad as an adjunct faculty member. He also continues to guide industries in his capacity as industrial consultant 

Mr. Deshpande, a Fellow of The Institution of Engineers (India) and an electrical engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, continues to work in alternative renewable energies and energy storage technologies. He is often invited as an expert speaker to various forums and in a visiting faculty role, loves to share his experience with faculty and students.

Dhamodaran Santhanagopalan is an Associate Professor at Centre for Nanosciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi Campus (Kerala). He completed his PhD in Physics from University of Hyderabad in 2007. After a brief Institute Postdoctoral Fellow term, he was Physics Faculty at IIT Kanpur for a total of about four years. Subsequent to that he joined the Department of NanoEngineering, University of California San Diego as a Postdoctoral Fellow.
He was part of Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC) headed by Professor Ying Shirley Meng and his major research activity at UCSD was on focused ion beam fabrication of electrochemically active nano-scale solid-state Li-ion batteries for in situ STEM observation of interfacial phenomena.
During this period he was part of the US-DOE funded EFRC Centre for batteries headed by 2019 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Prof. Stanley M. Whittingham. Upon joining at Amrita, initially, he served as an Assistant Professor and
Ramanujan Fellow (for 5 years) and currently he is an Associate Professor at the centre. Major focus of his research group at Amrita is on energy storage technologies from lab-scale to translation (with both liquid and solid state electrolytes). His research group is also interested in second-life Li-ion batteries and active materials recycling/regeneration from end-of-life Li-ion batteries.

Anjan Kumar Merkap is an Instrumentation & Control Engineer (I&C) from MIT, Manipal and MBA (Finance) from IMT, Nagpur with rich experience across industrial automation, financial services, and renewable energy sectors. 

He started his professional career by working on DCS, PLC, and SCADA systems at sites for companies like Schneider Electric, Grasim Industries, and Yokogawa India. Post-MBA, he worked with CRISIL supporting S&P Global Ratings EMEA region for cash flow analysis and credit rating of mortgage-backed securities. 

He jumped from finance into the renewable energy sector in 2019. Over the past 5+ years, Anjan has been working across energy storage, e-mobility, hydrogen, and smart grid projects.

At CES, he is a project delivery lead for consulting projects. He supports Indian and international clients with evaluating new business opportunities in the emerging technology domain through financial modeling, competition assessment, business planning, investment analysis, market research, and more.

Aditya joined CES in October of 2021 as a consultant for the Emerging Technologies team. He brings with him experience of working on projects related to policy advisory, techno-commercial analysis, strategy roadmaps, forecasting, capability development, and legal analysis. His technical skillsets include data analysis and visualization using PYTHON, RSTUDIO, EXCEL modelling, advanced automation using VBA, and financial modelling.  

Prior to joining CES, Aditya worked as a consultant for Ricardo Energy & Environment and as an engineer for Cummins India Technologies Ltd.  

Aditya holds a post-graduation diploma, with a specialization in sustainable management, bestowed by the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM L) and a Bachelor of Technology degree (Mechanical Engineering) bestowed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT G).

Dr R Gopalan is presently working as Regional Director at Chennai for the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India. He also holds an Adjunct Professor position at IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore, and is a Distinguished AICT-INAE Visiting Professor. He is heading the Project Centers of ARCI at IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai for Alternative Energy Materials and Systems.  

He obtained his PhD in Physics from IIT (Madras), Chennai. In 1985 he joined as a Scientist, at the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL, DRDO), Hyderabad, and worked on various levels for National Mission (DRDO & ISRO) Projects for more than 22 years prior to joining ARCI. He had a Research stay for nearly 5 years as Visiting Scientist at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan during 2003-2010. After returning from Japan in 2010, he joined ARCI (under DST) and established a new Research Centre for Automotive Energy Materials at IIT Madras-Research Park, Chennai India as part of the initiative from DST. He is spearheading major programs on energy materials at ARCI Chennai on Li-ion batteries for electric vehicle (EV) / stationary applications and beyond Li-ion batteries for the future, magnets for Automotive and EV applications, fuel cells for energy storage & conversion, and thermoelectric materials for waste heat management in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. These efforts have brought him to be uniquely placed in the country as an important resource person in critical National Mission Programmes.  

He has more than 35 years of research/ technology/academic experience has published more than 180 papers in refereed international/national journals and has 12 national/international patents / 4 book chapters to his professional credit. For his outstanding academic, research, and technology development contributions over the years, Dr Gopalan has received many Honours / Awards/ Academy fellowships.  He is an invitee Member in various National Committees (Niti Aayog, PSA office, Govt of India, MNRE, SERB, ICAT, TIFAC) for the EV Mission program and other Scientific / Technology Programmes in India. He is also a member of BoS / research at various universities in the country.

Dr Ajinkya S. Kamat joined Customized Energy Solutions (CES) in 2022. His work focuses on green hydrogen and supporting policymakers, R&D institutions, and industries in developing public-private partnerships in clean energy R&D and innovation. 

Before joining CES, Ajinkya gained seven years of postdoctoral research experience at Harvard University, USA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. During this time, he also consulted in the clean energy domain in the USA. Ajinkya’s postdoctoral work has analyzed technology innovation policy issues and techno-economic modeling related to transnational industrial R&D and clean energy technologies including LED lighting, photovoltaics, networked geothermal, and green hydrogen. 

He has authored several articles in peer-reviewed journals and public media, and his work has also been cited in reputed news media. Ajinkya obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Virginia, USA, M.Sc. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India, and B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Mumbai, India with the top rank in the University. 

Akshay Singhal is a young technopreneur and a Forbes Under30 Asia Listee who stands to empower young pioneers who will push the world forward through entrepreneurship and innovation. He graduated with honors in Materials Engineering from IIT Roorkee in 2015 and completed his Ph.D. In Graphene Nanotechnology from IIT Roorkee in 2020. He has worked in the field of Nanotechnology for the last 8 years and specifically in graphene for the last 7 years. He has research experience from the University of Alberta, Canada, has published over 8 scientific articles, and filed over 20 patents.  

Akshay was awarded the Young Entrepreneur Award in 2020 by the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He was an Institute Silver medal recipient from IIT Roorkee for his extensive research during undergraduate studies.   

Currently, he is the Founder and CEO of Log 9 Materials, a company developing Aluminium Fuel Cells and Supercapacitors for an energy self-reliant India. 

Bhupesh Verma joined Customized Energy Solutions (CES) in December 2021. His research interests include energy storage, electric vehicles, renewable energy, green fuels, and emerging technologies. Before joining CES, he worked as a Senior research analyst at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Bangalore. He has over nine years of experience, working in solar PV, battery storage technologies, and electric vehicles. His expertise lies in supply-chain analysis, techno-economic analysis, and technology assessment for sustainability. He has conducted various studies that have provided actionable input to stakeholders across the public and private sectors. He has authored various research outputs including technical reports, journal articles, conference papers, policy briefs, book chapters, and more. He also publishes opinion articles to disseminate important research findings of public interest. 

Bhupesh holds an MBA from Shoolini University and has completed his bachelor’s in biotechnology from Himachal Pradesh University. 

Amit Bhatt is the ICCT’s Managing Director for India. He is based in New Delhi and has over 20 years of experience in transportation, urban development, and management. Before joining ICCT, Amit was Executive Director for Integrated Transport at WRI India for 12 years. Prior to the World Resources Institute, he worked with the Urban Mass Transit Company, India’s leading urban transport consultancy, and with Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi.  

Amit has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in transport planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. Amit also has a master’s degree in economics and a diploma in transport economics and management. 

Akash joined Customized Energy Solutions as a senior analyst in May 2021. He works in manufacturing consulting and supply chain research on emerging energy storage technologies, electric mobility markets, and technologies.  

Before joining CES, he worked as a product development engineer at the New Jersey Innovation Institute. He worked on developing new solar products, driving the product migration from the research and development phase to high-volume manufacturing, diagnosing, and resolving technical issues, and collaborating with a cross-geographical team of scientists and engineers from Germany (CTF Solar) and China (China Triumph International Engineering Co. Ltd.) to build an adaptive production line for solar modules. He has several publications in the photovoltaics research and development domain, which have been published in international journals and conferences.  

He has a master’s degree in power and energy systems engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, India.  

Akash leads manufacturing consulting projects and supply chain research for private companies from India and overseas, driving collaborations and negotiations with equipment and raw material suppliers to help support client project teams assess domestic and international markets and setting up Giga scale manufacturing of energy storage technologies (Li-ion batteries) and related components. 

Calvin Rohan Raj is the founder of Team Solarium, a solar-electric vehicle team that competes at national-level competitions. This was when he was pursuing his bachelor’s degree at PCCOE, Pune. This team has gone on to win many prestigious awards at the national stage. 

He joined CES as a research analyst in 2018 and currently is a team lead at their R&D lab, engaged in testing, development, due diligence, prototyping, system integration, and consulting for batteries and related areas. With experience in the renewables and environmental industry, he has established himself as an accomplished battery analyst. Calvin possesses a strong background in various technical disciplines, including project management, product development, thermal analysis, mechanics, structural engineering, and research and development. 

In his current role as a Technical Manager, Calvin continues to contribute to the field of battery research, further showcasing his dedication to advancing renewable energy solutions and environmental sustainability. 

Diviay Chadha is a partner at Singhania & Co. LLP, Solicitors & Advocates. His practice area focuses on advising corporates on various legal issues including compliance management, corporate policies, due diligence, public issues, private equity, and contract management.  

He is a member of the prestigious Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) since 2004 and a law graduate. He is also an associate member of the Insurance Institute of India (III). In the past, he was associated with conglomerates like Capgemini group, Hero MotoCorp, Great Eastern Energy etc.  

He has hands-on experience of handling Public Issues and entity management including foreign entities. His overall experience spans more than 19 years across various sectors like oil & gas, manufacturing, service industry etc.