ISUW 2022 Speaker

Mr. Pankaj Batra is currently working as the Project Director, USAID funded Project on SouthAsiaRegionalInitiativeforEnergyIntegration(SARI/EI)atIntegratedResearchandActionforDevelopment(IRADe)fromMarch2019.Mr.Batrahasmorethan35yearsofexperienceandisresponsibleforspearheadingtheSARI/EIprogramandensuringattainmentofitsobjectivesofpromotingregionalenergyintegrationinSouthAsia,movingSouthAsiancountriestowardsincreased regional energy security and Cross-Border Electricity Trade (CBET) and regionalenergymarketdevelopment.Mr.BatrahasdonehisB.tech(Electrical)fromIITVaranasiandhasaDiplomainSystemsManagementfromNarseeMonjeeInstituteofManagementStudies, Mumbai and a diploma in Financial Management from Indira Gandhi National OpenUniversity, New Delhi. Mr. Batra is also currently the Chairperson of Working Group 4 on“Policy, Regulation, and Business Models” in the India Smart Grid Forum, Chairperson of theBIS Committee of LITD 10 – “Power System Control and Associated Communication “andChairperson of the BIS Committee ETD-52, for making technical Standards on Grid-ScaleStorage.HeisalsoaninvitedexpertbyNITIAayogforpreparationofworkingpaperonEnergySector-2035 as a part of Vision Document 2047. He is also an invited Member of the CoreGroupofIndiaEnergyTransformationPlatform. Prior to joining IRADe, Mr. Pankaj Batra served as the Chairperson and CEO of the CentralElectricity Authority and was responsible for the overall development of the Indian powersystemincludingHydro,ThermalandRenewablePoweraswellastheTransmission&Distribution System of the country. He was also Member (Planning) and ex-officio AdditionalSecretarytotheGovernmentofIndia.HehasearlieralsoworkedasChief(Engineering)intheCentral Electricity Regulatory Commission and as Executive Engineer in Chukha Hydro PowerCorporation,Bhutan,ondeputationfromtheGovernmentofIndia,inoperationandmaintenanceofthepowerstationandlaterinoperationandmaintenanceofthetransmissionanddistributionsystem