Key People
We are a team of dedicated professionals, facilitating businesses achieve its optimum sustainability and climate change performance.
Madhushree BN
PROJECT MANAGER – CLIMATE FINANCE
Madhushree BN
Project Manager – Climate Finance
Madhushree is the Program Manager for South Asia at VNV Advisory, she looks after the private sector financing related to climate action projects. Her work focuses on clean cooking, social forestry, energy access, water access and sustainable agriculture. Her responsibilities also include collaborating with the implementation partners and funding counterparties to deliver programs on the ground.
Madhushree has a total of five years of experience of advocating for climate change and social development solutions through think tank groups and supporting legislators for policy reforms. Prior to joining VNV Advisory, Madhushree worked with an organization called Climate Parliament in the area of political advocacy to address climate change. As the State Coordinator at Climate Parliament she worked with the network of Legislators to promote low carbon initiatives in Karnataka; supporting legislators for policy reforms and, creating network advisories to develop policy and community programs. Her work encompassed looking into low carbon development plans at village and district levels and coordinating with the various stakeholders to translate the plans into projects such as solar minigrids at the village level. She has coordinated with the Head of the State, the concerned Ministers and bureaucrats to necessitate positive impact in the renewable energy sector through legislative, programs and budgetary reforms. She has participated and organized high level political forums on renewable energy at the state, national and international level. Madhushree also briefly worked on engaging with CSR bodies interested to join a global renewable energy forum focusing on smart grids.
She holds a Master’s degree in Natural Resources Management from the Teri University, New Delhi where her thesis explored social accountability in environmental impact assessment projects, she developed a social accountability toolkit to facilitate greater public participation for EIA projects. With a keen interest to understand the involvement of community engagement in the approval of developmental projects, both her internships during her Master’s programme explored the extent to which community science is embedded in the existing regulations.
Manjari Chandra
PORTFOLIO MANAGER – CARBON OFFSET PROJECTS
Manjari Chandra
Portfolio Manager – Carbon Offset Projects
Manjari works as a technical expert and portfolio manager with VNV on carbon offset projects. Her work involves registration and issuance of CERs/ VERs under various standards. She has over 8 years’ experience in CDM, GS and VCS related activities. She has worked as a lead assessor for TUV NORD for CDM/VCS projects for 6 years before moving onto companies implementing carbon offset projects. She has extensive experience in assessment and validation of projects against modalities and procedures of the Kyoto Protocol, relevant UNFCCC and GS requirements including the sustainable development criteria.
Manjari has a Masters in Environmental Management from Griffith University, Australia as well as a Masters and Graduation in Environmental Science from Bangalore University, India.
Tanvi Agrawal
CONSULTANT – POLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS
Tanvi Agrawal
Consultant – Policy and Partnerships
Tanvi works on Climate Policy and Partnerships – she is involved in work around market mechanisms as a means of financing projects at the interface of climate mitigation and development under the evolving climate finance and policy infrastructure in the landscape of the Paris Agreement and NDCs. Her responsibilities also include working on funding and implementation partnerships.
She was previously associated with the Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Programme Unit of the United Nations World Food Programme, where she was mainly engaged in rolling out and mainstreaming the organisation’s Environmental Policy and contributing to developing proposals and reports for climate adaptation projects financed through the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund.
Her professional interests lie at the intersection of climate and development and she has also completed internships at Bioversity International, Indian Institute of Science, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development, and CDD Society.
She holds an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford where she was a scholar with the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development. Her MSc research analysed crop diversification practices of a Gond adivasi community in Madhya Pradesh under motivations of climate adaptation, nutrition and increasing household income and explored implications from crop diversity conservation strategy. Her undergraduate studies were in Environmental Science, Botany and Chemistry at St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore where she was a KVPY scholar.
Tara Sriram
CONSULTANT – LAND-USE CHANGE AND FORESTRY
Tara Sriram
Consultant – Land-Use Change and Forestry
Tara is involved with VNV’s Land Use Change and Forestry projects, working on Sustainable Agriculture, Agro-forestry and A/R projects. She has over four years of experience working on Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Projects with grassroots level organisations as a part of the Fair Climate Network, primarily working on Sustainable Agriculture across 5 states of southern and central India. She was involved with design, implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation of the projects, working closely with NGO field teams and technical experts at all stages.
Following this, as Project Lead in a Bangalore based NGO, she played a critical role in the conception and implementation of a first of its kind rural Waste Management programme in northern Karnataka. After the successful implementation of this project, she began work as an independent consultant, working on various Climate Change related projects.
Nayan Jyoti Deka
TECHNICAL HEAD – CARBON PROJECTS
Nayan Jyoti Deka
Technical Head – Carbon Projects
Nayan Jyoti Deka, an environmental professional with more than 9 years of extensive experience in handling climate change projects (Biomass, wind, hydro, thermal, waste management, etc). In the past, he has worked with one of the leading inspection, testing & certification body in the world, as an active member of its climate change team based in Gurgaon, Haryana. He has been involved in the audit of more than 100 GHG projects (CDM/VCS/GS) across the world in Africa, South East Asia and Latin America while working for two DOEs.
Nayan did his Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Assam Engineering college and obtained his Master degree in Energy Tecnology from Tezpur Central University.
Ayushi Gupta
MANAGER (TECHNICAL) – CARBON PROJECTS
Ayushi Gupta
Manager (Technical) – Carbon Projects
Ayushi Gupta has been working in the field of climate change with special reference to Gold Standard, CDM and sustainable development and has experience of 9 years. Her technical expertise covers renewable energy like Wind, Hydro, Solar, Solar PV (lantern), Solid Waste Management, composting, cook stove, water filter, biodigesters projects etc. She has the
experience of dealing with Project proponent, DOE & UNFCCC, organizing Stakeholder consultation meeting, developing new methodologies and tools and successfully identifying several business development opportunities.
As a part of the technical team in the Gold Standard, she technically reviewed the projects submitted for Gold Standard certification and was also involved in the continuous improvement of the Gold Standard Rules and Procedures. She is interested in sharing the knowledge and experience accumulated so far and in developing abilities. She holds a Master Degree in Environment Management from Forest Research Institute University Dehradun Bachelor Degree in Botany from The University of Delhi.
Joseph Varun Francis
MANAGER – SUSTAINABILITY & CARBON
Joseph Varun Francis
Manager – Sustainability
Varun is responsible for data gathering & analysis which includes identifying environmental parameter for Sustainability Reporting and Life Cycle Assessments. He has worked with multi-sector data and has a strong understanding of sector specific environmental impacts. He is acquainted with the Environmental management – Life cycle assessment standards that encompasses the ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006. Varun has an understanding the functionality of LCA based software like GaBi and OpenLCA tools.
After graduating with an Environmental Engineering degree from Vishveshwaraiah Technological University, Varun worked with a carbon management firm where he had hands-on experience in Carbon Accounting and Management Software platforms as per GHG Protocol for organisations and events. Varun has been trained to conduct sustainability reporting as per Global Reporting Initiative.
Dhruvil Brahmbhatt
CONSULTANT – FORESTRY & BIODIVERSITY
Dhruvil Brahmbhatt
Consultant – Forestry & Biodiversity
Dhruvil is a forestry expert and responsible for the development and execution of Carbon Emission Reduction projects in Forestry, Sustainable Agriculture and LULUCF. He has varied experience in Climate Sciences models and Biodiversity Conservation. He has a sound technical know-how of mainstream Forestry Carbon Accounting and Forestry Carbon Standards, Social and Environmental standards. Prior to joining VNV, he had worked for Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune on Convective Uplifting of Methane and its effects in Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS). He was also part of a National Ambient Air Monitoring Project (NAMP) organized by Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Vadodara.
Dhruvil holds a Master Degree in Environment Management form Forest Research Institute Dehradun and Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science from The M.S University of Baroda, Vadodara.
Brinda Kulkarni
CONSULTANT – CORPORATE GOVERNANCE & SUSTAINABILITY
Brinda Kulkarni
Consultant- Corporate Governance & Sustainability
Brinda is involved in VNV’s Corporate Governance and Sustainability services.
Skilled in developing sustainability strategy, aligning corporate vision with corporate responsibility, ESG analysis and in developing social impact strategies, she has experience in non-financial reporting and frameworks such as GRI and Business Responsibility Reporting. Having worked in KPMG’s Audit services for 2 years, she is also skilled in analysing financial reports and is familiar with corporate governance policies.
She was also involved in research analysis on topics such as sustainability reporting trends in India and the environmental impacts of meat and dairy industries in India.
A recent graduate of HEC Paris, she holds a Masters degree in Sustainability and Social Innovation, where she studied strategy and sustainability, the economics of climate change, socially responsible investing and supply chain sustainability.
Well-informed on sustainable fashion, she worked on a consulting project with Shiseido, in Paris, where she helped integrate sustainability and consumer experience for one of Shiseido’s leading perfume brands.
With a keen interest in sustainable food systems, she completed her Master’s thesis on Sustainable Diets in India, with research on the environmental and social impacts and challenges to widespread adoption of sustainable diets in India.
She holds a Certificate from HEC Paris in Inclusive and Social Business strategies, and a Certificate in Sustainability from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which has equipped her with skills in social impact assessment, social return on investment analysis and in developing meaningful CSR strategies.
Akshaya Ramachandran
CONSULTANT – SUSTAINABILITY & GHG SERVICES
Akshaya Ramachandran
Consultant – Sustainability & GHG Services
At VNV Advisory, Akshaya is responsible for service deliverables such as – sustainability reporting, carbon footprint assessment, and formulating sustainability frameworks and policies for businesses. She is a GRI certified sustainability reporting professional who has also been trained in Environmental Impact Assessment organized by the United Nations Environment Program. She further adds expertise in LEED- IGBC AP (Green Buildings) to the dynamic VNV team.
Akshaya was previously associated with Frost and Sullivan’s Environment and Sustainability team, where she was mainly engaged in environmental research, strategic consulting, and data analysis that involved forecasting market trends. Her core research projects revolved around the impact of IOT on waste management, circular economy, water and waste technologies assessment etc.
Her previous research experience also included working on life cycle assessment of batteries, identifying issues in production operations and formulating strategies to maintain a sustainable supply chain for a UK’s leading FMCG – 2 Sisters food group. At Veolia and Drax Group, UK, she acquired core industry knowledge on waste and energy management services. Akshaya is a Chemical Engineer who also holds a Masters in Environmental and Energy Engineering from the University of Sheffield, UK. Her post-graduation research paper focussed on creating clean burning, and environmentally friendly solid bioethanol fuel using cross-linked polyacrylic acid and ethanol.
Jaseer KK
CONSULTANT – SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING
Jaseer KK
Consultant – Sustainability Reporting
Jaseer is involved with VNV’s climate change and sustainability services & primarily in sustainability reporting services. He handles data analysis and valuation for our sustainability reporting service.
Jaseer had acquired experience in various industries in India and the Middle East in different domains.
Prior to VNV, he was associated with Cairn India and gained experience in sustainability reporting and sustainability strategy developments in the oil & gas sector. He started his career in an oil refinery as an electrical engineer and gained hands-on experience Energy Management and electrical utilities. He has also worked with the power distribution sector in UAE & Oman.
Jaseer hold an MBA in Energy and Sustainable Development from IPAG Business School, Paris, France & has a BTech in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Cochin University of Science and Technology.
Arun Francis
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER & CREATIVE COLLABORATOR
Arun Francis
Lead Graphic Designer & Creative Collaborator
Arun works with VNV Advisory as a Graphic Designer & Animator. He is primarily involved in content design. As a graphic designer, he works on a variety of products and activities, such as websites, advertising, banners, reports, posters and displays developing our diverse clientele corporate sustainability communications and marketing. His work demands creative flair, up-to-date knowledge of industry software such as the various creative tools. He uses a variety of design elements to achieve artistic & professional effects.
He has previously worked in MPS Pvt. Ltd., Chronicle Pictures & Urban Hermits as a Graphic Designer. Before joining VNV Advisory, he was an Animation Teacher with Christ School (ICSE) in collaboration with 3DI School New Zealand. He completed a B.Sc. Degree in Animation and Multimedia from Arena Animation, Bangalore.
Sandeep S.
MANAGER – FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS
Sandeep S.
Manager – Finance and Accounts
Sandeep is responsible for managing our financial portfolio and is involved with operations of the firm. He is handling accounting & taxation matters at the firm and is also involved in managing books of accounts, inward and outward remittance, indirect and direct taxes, maintaining of assets and providing financial advice.
Prior to this, he has had 1-year work experience in the field of accounting and finance and has worked as an Audit & Accounts Assistant at CA Suraj Singri & Co. And also he has done one year of internship in Indirect Taxes field at Swamy Associates, Bangalore.
He holds a Masters in Commerce (Finance and Accounting) from Bangalore University, Bangalore.
Sandeep Roy Choudhury
DIRECTOR
Sandeep Roy Choudhury
Director
Sandeep is a co-founder at VNV Advisory Services, a social enterprise working with communities & climate change. He heads VNV’s ownership on low carbon social development projects such as sustainable agriculture, social forestry, clean cooking, rural energy access and waste management. His work encompasses over 4 million rural households across the South Asia region (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal & Myanmar) and over 40 NGOs and implementation partners. He is recently involved in spearheading VNVs efforts towards rural water access, crop storage, agri-linkages and working with models of innovative financing through existing climate finance mechanisms to achieve scalability. He is on the board of numerous non – profits working on climate-related projects including Worldview International Foundation, Bangladesh Bondhu Foundation & Environment Protection Center Nepal.
Sandeep has over 16 years of industry experience and is a Salzburg global fellow. He is also a director at “Carbon Initiative forum “, a non-profit working on climate change awareness and co-chair of ICROA ( International Carbon Reduction & Offset Alliance).
Sandeep is a co-founder at VNV Advisory Services, a social enterprise working with communities & climate change. He heads VNV’s ownership on low carbon social development projects such as sustainable agriculture, social forestry, clean cooking, rural energy access and waste management.
