Ashish Fernandes

CEO & Lead Analyst

Ashish has over two decades of international experience in the ESG sphere. He believes that the financial sector is not prepared to mitigate the value destruction that will accompany rapid climate change and associated environmental & social upheaval. Ashish is an alumnus of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, where he studied Economics.

Vinuta Gopal

Director

Vinuta is a founder and Chief Executive Officer of Asar Social Impact Advisors. She has more than 20 years of experience in environmental and justice issues in India. Before joining Asar, Vinuta was Interim Executive Director and Program Director of Greenpeace India. She is a Chartered Accountant by qualification.

Brikesh Singh

Director

Brikesh is a mobilisation strategist at Asar. His expertise includes conceptualising, planning and implementing innovative and engaging mobilisation strategies. He is a networker and skilled communicator with two decades of experience in the field.

Harshit Sharma

Lead Researcher

Harshit has research experience on air pollution and the power sector, particularly on coal and related environmental issues. He strives to use his research and analytical skills to bring regulatory and policy changes favourable for a smoother and faster energy transition. Harshit holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Management and Development and is based in Delhi.

Abhishek Raj

Sustainable Finance

Abhishek is a business undergraduate and has cleared all three levels of CFA. He holds the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR™) certificate, issued by Global Association of Risk Professionals and has a background in financial planning & analysis at Societe Generale. He believes that overcoming information asymmetries in the finance sector is key to build resilience towards climate risks and facilitate the transition to net zero carbon.

Sagar Asapur

Sustainable Finance

Sagar is a post-graduate in Carbon Finance from University of Edinburgh Business School, UK, with over a decade of experience in the environmental sector. He believes that the financial industry can have a positive impact in the societies and economies for a sustainable future.

Vishnu Teja

Energy Researcher

Vishnu has 6+ years of experience in the field of data analytics and holds a Master's degree in Environmental and Resource Management, from TU Freiberg, Germany. He seeks to use the power of data to understand how India can develop a sustainable and economically viable climate change mitigation plan.

Divya Chirayath

Communications

Divya has research and communications experience in the think tank sector and has worked at prestigious institutes such as TERI and the Barefoot College.

Anusha Das

Analyst, Sustainable Finance

Anusha did her undergraduate studies in economics from Presidency University, Kolkata and worked as a Statistical Officer for the Government of India where she analyzed India's energy sector. This ignited her passion for climate action, leading her to study Public Policy at NLSIU, Bangalore. With her experience with economic frameworks, Anusha aims to explore innovative metrics that incorporate climate realities and help drive greener decision making.

Arundhati Muthu

Analyst, Sustainable Finance

Arundhati has over a decade of experience working on environmental issues with a focus on climate change and India’s energy transition. Her current focus is to produce research and analysis that supports financial actors in India in moving towards sustainability at the pace and scale required to address the climate crisis. She has an undergraduate degree in Physics and a Masters degree in Computer Science.

Ritaj Kalaskar

Research analyst

Ritaj has an interdisciplinary background in urban studies, international affairs, world history, economics and literature. He has worked in a range of projects from affordable housing, low-carbon construction, ecological restoration and environmental planning at Auroville. He completed his postgraduate studies from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements where he focused on energy transitions, urban infrastructure and climate policy.

Rakesh Ranjan

Consultant

Dr. Rakesh Ranjan Kumar is an Economist with a PhD in Development Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He also has an MPhil in Development Economics. He has taught undergraduate courses at a number of Universities across India and has extensive research experience in the development sector. His current research focus is on the Green Transition and Public Policy.