Dr. Pramod Chaudhari is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT, Bombay. (Distinguished Alumnus of 1971) and an alumnus of Harvard Business School (AMP 1995). Dr. Pramod Chaudhari’s career spans over 53 years of processional and entrepreneurial endeavour.

As a first generation techno-entrepreneur, Dr. Pramod Chaudhari founded Praj in 1983. He dreamt and developed Praj into a world-class engineering company specialized in Agri-processing opportunities.

He is Promoter and founder of Praj Industries Ltd.

In the recent past, he had held many leadership positions, some of which are:

• President of Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries & Agriculture (MCCIA) Pune for 2016-18 (till Sept 2018)
• President of Science & Technology Innovation Park Pune during 2016-17;
• Chairman of CII National Committee on Bio-Energy / Biofuels / Renewable Energy from 2007-08 till 2016-17

Dr Pramod Chaudhari’s recent recognitions include:

• Prestigious ‘George Washington Carver Award 2020’ by BIO-Impact, Washington DC, USA – he is the first Indian to receive this global honour.
• ‘D.Litt.’ by Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth (TMV). This is in recognition of his exemplary contribution to the Biofuel Industry worldwide, and for establishing & institutionalizing quality benchmark of Indian products & services at global level.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

Bachelor of engineering (Mechanical) 1977 Master of.Technology. from Indian Institute of Technology. , Mumbai 1979

INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE

1. Walchandnagar Industries, Walchandnagar. 1979- 1987 (Dy. Chief Project engineer) 8 years experience in project management division dealing with specialized products. 2. Thyssen Krupp India Ltd., Pune 1987 – 1992 As Project manager got valuable five years experience project management function for high value capital goods 3. Bukaka Kujang Prima, Jakarta – Indonesia Worked as Proect Manager handling international projects and set up manufacturing facility 4. Praj Industries Ltd., Pune 411 021 (1994 – Till date) Working for the last 25 years in various capacities as head of Plant Engineering division, Head of project management and construction division , head of effluent treatment division, head of Projects in Colombia and Praj representative in subsidiary in Brazil as resident representative distillery, mainly handling International assignments involving - Preparation of project definition statement, Project feasibility study, Execution of turnkey projects. Has wide experience in all facets of projects around the world from CONCEPT to COMMISSIONING. Had lead transformation team as leader of POET (Praj Operational excellence team) which was responsible to institutionalize excellence concept in Praj operations. Worked as Head of operations as member of Chairman’s office. Now working as Director PHS

Mr. Shishir Joshipura is a Mechanical Engineer from the prestigious Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) Pilani with an Advanced Management Program (AMP) from Harvard Business School.

He joined Praj Industries in 2018 after serving as CEO of SKF India and contributing over two decades to Thermax. Recognized among India’s ‘Most Valuable CEOs’ and ‘Top 100 CEOs’ in 2013, Shishir has chaired industry councils, spoken at global forums like Harvard Business School India Forum, and serves on several advisory boards. A founding director of the Alliance for Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), he actively contributes to bioenergy and sustainability advocacy through roles in CII and ISMA.

He is the CEO & Managing Director of Praj Industries Ltd., Holding Company.

He is a Cost Accountant and Chartered Accountant with 27 years of experience in varied fields of finance and accounts. He has worked in the areas of divestment, mergers & acquisitions, financial restructuring, treasury, accounts and taxation. He has very rich experience in the wide spectrum of finance across industries; manufacturing, project, financial services and pharmaceutical. Additionally, he also has an experience in heading Human Resources, materials, IT, legal & secretarial.

Other Directorships:

• Praj Industries Ltd.
• Praj Engineering & Infra Ltd.
• Praj GenX Ltd.
• Praj Americas Inc.
• Praj Far East Company Ltd. (Thailand)

Mihir Mehta is a Mechanical Engineer. Post his Mechanical Engineering from Bharti Vidyapeeth College of Engineering in 1999, Mihir has also completed Fulbright fellowship program at Tepper school of management at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA in 2014. Mihir had joined Neela Systems Ltd, (now Praj HiPurity Systems Ltd) in April 2002. Mihir has total versatile experience of 22 years in the field of engineering. Before his appointment as a Whole Time Director, Mihir was heading Water Systems (WS) and Modular Process Systems (MPS) divisions of the Company.

Sandeep specializes in foreign investments, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, collaborations, technology transfers, inbound and outbound investments, takeovers, business transfers, corporate restructuring, reconstruction and infrastructure projects. He has been advising Indian and foreign clients on corporate, commercial, employment and real estate laws and related legislations. He has been practising law since 1994 and has been a partner with JSA since 2008. He was a partner for over six years with Little & Co., Solicitors before joining JSA.

Dr Shridhar Shukla holds B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay, MS in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, USA and Doctorate from North Carolina State University, USA. He brings with him over 23 years of versatile experience in the areas of building and running software companies, infrastructure software products, services and R&D. He was associated with Persistent Systems Ltd as Director and COO between 1995-2003. Presently Dr Shukla is the Managing Director of kPoint Technologies – a Pune headquartered organization with the motto Videofy Enterprises. He is also the Co-founder and Chairman of the Board at GS Lab.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

Bachelor of Commerce (Completed in 2000)
MBA in International Business (SYMBIOSIS, 2000-2002)

INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE

Joined SAJ TEST PLANT PVT LTD, (SAJ) (on 6th May,2006). Currently holding the position as an Executive Director in SAJ TEST PLANT PVT LTD. (as Second-Generation Entrepreneur). Served in TATA STEEL MUMBAI from 2002 to 2006 for about 4.5yrs handling their International Sales and Marketing for all Global Markets and Domestic Sales and Marketing for Institutional Business in Maharashtra.