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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)
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Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj Industries Limited, Chairman, Praj Group |
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Pramod Chaudhari did his engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT). His career spans over 35 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 has been elected the Chairman of the Maharashtra State Council of CII for 2009-10 and is the Chairman, CII National Committee on Biofuels. He has also been elected as the member of Executive Council of Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) in India. |
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Gajanan Nabar, CEO & Managing Director, Praj Industries Limited |
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Gajanan Nabar has over 22 years of multi-functional management experience. His last assignment was as the Managing Director of Praxair India Private limited. During his tenure with Praxair of over 8 years, he has managed various roles in Operations, Projects and Business development. He has also served at the Company’s technical centre at Buffalo, New York as Business Development Director for leading capital projects in the United States. Shortly upon his return to India, he took over as the Managing Director of the company.
During his tenure at Praxair, the company has consolidated its position as the number one Industrial Gases Company in India.
Prior to joining Praxair, he managed a variety of roles of growing responsibilities in Sales, Marketing and Business development with national and multinational corporations in India, including Monsanto, Asian Paints and BASF.
He is an active member of the American Chamber of Commerce, CII and BCIC and a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
He holds Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry and Master in Management from Bombay University. He was conferred a diploma by Plastic and Rubber Institute, London and has completed the Executive development program of Wharton Management School in the year 2000. |
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Directors (Non-Executive)
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Mr. Berjis Desai |
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Mr. Desai specializes in Financial & Securities Law, Structured Finance, Securitization and OTC (over the counter) Derivatives. In addition, he has extensive experience as an Aritrator and Counsel, in the international and domestic commercial arbitrations. He is on the Panel of Arbitrators of the Indian Council of Arbitration and the London Court of International Arbitration. Mr. Desai has been practising law since 1980.
He is a graduate of Elphinstone College Mumbai with First Class Honours in LLB. He studied law at Cambridge University, England followed by articleship with M/s. Crawford Bayley Co. Mr. Desai is on the Board of several public limited Companies. He is Managing Partner of M/s J. Sagar Associates. |
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Mr. Kishor Chaukar |
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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. |
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Mr. Prakash Kulkarni |
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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. |
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Mr. Rajiv Maliwal |
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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. |
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Mr. Utpal Sheth |
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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. |
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Mr. Sivaramakrishnan S. Iyer |
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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.
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Mrs. Parimal Chaudhari |
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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. |
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