|
| Home > Corporate > Board of Directors |
|
Under the dynamic leadership of its Chairman, Pramod Chaudhari, Praj has achieved many breakthroughs in technology, engineering and management. The Board of Directors at Praj represents experience in various facets of business and industry.
Directors (Executive)
|
Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj Industries Limited, Chairman, Praj Group |
 |
Pramod Chaudhari did his engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT). His career spans over 40 years of professional and entrepreneurial endeavour. He established Praj in 1984. Since then he has built PRAJ into a global Company.
Today, Pramod is intensifying the Company's activities into the knowledge domain of biotech processes and systems in the global arena. The focus is on clean technologies coupled with alternate feedstocks for renewable energy sources.
To strengthen his corporate expertise, he attended Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School in 1995. He has contributed to the National Biofuels Policy as a member of the Committee on Development of Biofuels - Planning Commission, Government of India, for introduction of renewable fuels to India.
He has been profiled in a recently published book called 'Thought Leaders' by a leading Indian Author, which focuses on visionary entrepreneurs. He has co-authored a book titled 'As is what Is', a story of the journey of Praj recounting its trials, tribulations and achievements. He is also the recipient of the Jagatik Marathi Chamber of Commerce 'National Level Entrepreneurship' Award in the Year 2004 and the 'Distinguished Alumnus Award' of IIT, Bombay in the Year 2005 and 'Outstanding Contribution thru Innovation Award' of Chemtech Foundation for leading Praj into developing innovative technologies like Sweet Sorghum to Ethanol. He is actively involved with CII and MCCIA (Pune). He is currently Co-Chairman of CII’s (Confederation of Indian Industry) National Committee on Renewable Energy for 2011-12. Earlier, he spearheaded biofuels movement in India as Chairman of CII’s National Committee on Biofuels, continuously for four years since 2007.He is also the Vice President of Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), Pune for 2010-12. He is the member of Executive Council of Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) in India and also a Member of Governing Board of SINE (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), IIT Bombay.
In Sept 2009, Pramod was invited to attend and speak at UN Leadership Forum on Climate Change. He attended COP15 Conference on Climate Change at Copenhagen (Dec 2009) as one of the Business Leaders. In November 2010, he was invited at US-India Business & Enterpreneurship Summit which was addressed by Barak Obama, President, USA.
Pramod is the Founder Trustee of Pune International Center (PIC).
|
|
Gajanan Nabar, CEO & Managing Director, Praj Industries Limited |
 |
Gajanan Nabar has over 24 years of multi-functional management experience. Prior to joining Praj, he was the Managing Director of Praxair India Private limited, where he helped the company to ascertain its leading position in India. During his tenure with Praxair of over 8 years, he managed various roles in Operations, Projects and Business development. He also served at the Company's technical centre at Buffalo, New York as Director, Business Development for various capital projects in the United States.
During his career he has managed a variety of roles with growing responsibilities in Sales, Marketing and Business development with leading Indian and multinational corporations, viz. Monsanto, Asian Paints and BASF. Since joining Praj as CEO and Managing Director, he has steered the company on a growth trajectory by consolidating its existing businesses and accelerating development of the new businesses of Water & Waste water treatment systems and critical process equipment & systems. Currently he is focused on driving strategies for the next wave of profitable growth for Praj.
He holds Masters Degree in Organic Chemistry and Master in Management from Bombay University. He was conferred a diploma by Plastic and Rubber Institute, London and has successfully completed the Executive development program of Wharton Management School in the year 2000.
He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). |
|
Directors (Non-Executive)
|
Mr. Berjis Desai |
 |
Mr. Desai is a law graduate from the Mumbai University and a post-graduate in law from Cambridge University, U.K.
He is the Managing Partner of J. Sagar Associates, a national law firm having offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Mr. Desai specializes in mergers and acquisitions, derivatives, corporate and financial laws, International business laws and international commercial arbitration. Mr. Berjis Desai has been on the Board of Praj since 1993.
Some of the other listed companies in which Mr. Berjis Desai is a Director are Sterlite Industries (India) Limited, The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited, NOCIL Limited, Edelweiss Capital Limited and Adani Power Limited.
|
|
Mr. Kishor Chaukar |
 |
Kishor Chaukar is Managing Director of Tata Industries Limited (TIL). He is a post-graduate in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Mr. Chaukar is a member of the Group Corporate Centre, which is engaged in strategy formulation at the House of Tata. He is on the Board of various companies like Tata Teleservices Limited, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, Tata Autocomp Systems Limited, Tata Investment Corporation Limited, among others. He also oversees the functions of the Department of Economics & Statistics (DES) and the Tata Credit Card.
He is also the Chairman of Tata Council for Community Initiatives (TCCI) - the nodal agency of the Group on all matters related to social development, environmental management, bio-diversity restoration and conservation of wild life. Apart from that, he is also a member of the Board of several national and international organizations in the Corporate Sustainability and Human Rights space including Shell Foundation.
Before joining TIL, he was Managing Director of ICICI Securities & Finance Company Ltd. He began his career with Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation, an NGO. |
|
Mr. Prakash Kulkarni |
 |
Prakash Kulkarni, Executive Chairman of Gabriel India. He is a Graduate Engineer from VJTI and an alumni of Harvard Business School.
Prakash Kulkarni was superannuated from Thermax Limited after a stint of 35 years. Prior to his retirement, he held the position of Managing Director for over 18 years. He also serves on the Board of Sulzer India.
He brings with him vast experience in capital goods industry. He has spearheaded turnaround and growth strategies, proven by his track record with Thermax where he grew the business from Rs. 500 crores to Rs. 2400 crores. He has extensive experience in the energy and environment sector. He combines technical knowledge with business acumen.
He is expected to provide guidance on various aspects of the Company’s operations and growth strategies. |
|
Mr. Rajiv Maliwal |
 |
Rajiv Maliwal is Co-founder and Manging Director of Sabre Capital. He is an IIM and BITS Pilani Alumni with vast experience in investing and managing large businesses in financial service industry. Mr. Maliwal is currently the Chairman of the Spring Healthcare Fund, a Sabre Capital initiative in the healthcare services industry and serves on the boards of several portfolio companies. He is actively associated with two charitable organizations in India. |
|
Mr. Utpal Sheth |
 |
A commerce graduate from Sydenham College, Utpal went on to become a Cost Accountant (Grad.CWA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from ICFAI. In CFA, he was a Gold Medalist at an All India level.
He started his professional career as an analyst at erstwhile ASK Financial Consultants and went on to be the Head of Research there. Following a career spanning Research to Portfolio Management and Investment Banking, he joined Rakesh Jhunjhunwala as CEO of Rare Enterprises. He is responsible for Investment Management, Risk Management and Institutionalisation. He is a partner at Rare Investments.
He has been a faculty member at the BSE Training Institute, UTI Institute of Capital Market, National Institute of Financial Management, IIS Institute of Management (a JV with ENPC, France) and other such organizations. |
|
Mr. Sivaramakrishnan S. Iyer |
 |
Mr.Sivaramakrishnan S Iyer is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is a partner of Patel Rajeev Siva & Associates which specializes in corporate finance and advises companies on debt / equity fund raising, mergers / amalgamations, capital structuring for new / expansion projects etc. The firm also carries out due diligence work for various companies.
|
|
Mrs. Parimal Chaudhari |
 |
A Director on the Board of Praj, Parimal Chaudhari is also the Managing Trustee of Praj Foundation. She steers the CSR wing of the company.
She is a communication consultant and a journalist by training. She has taught at the Department of Communications and Journalism at the Pune University for six years.
As a recipient of Fulbright Fellowship, she has acquired her MS at Syracuse University, New York, USA. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Arts with majoring in English, followed by a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism and Communications.
She was also awarded the Rotary fellowship for group study exchange program to study media institutions in Austria, Germany and erstwhile Czechoslovakia. She has completed core courses in creative writing at Cambridge University, at Cambridge, UK. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
