Amit Kumar

Sustainability powered by renewable energy,

forging a future where every watt illuminates
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Amit Kumar is our advisor at the habitat emprise and also a Senior Fellow at WRI India and a former Senior Director of Social Transformation and Knowledge Management at TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). He also served as the Dean of Distance & Short-Term Education at TERI School of Advanced Studies from 2014 to 2016.

With a background in Mechanical Engineering and specialization in Thermal Engineering from IIT Roorkee, where he was awarded the University Gold Medal, Kumar has nearly four decades of experience in the renewable energy sector.

During his tenure at TERI, Kumar led initiatives focusing on energy access, holistic rural development, and community engagement as the Senior Director of Social Transformation. He was also responsible for research activities in renewable energy and resource-efficient process technology applications.

Kumar’s expertise lies in the development and diffusion of cleaner and renewable energy technologies in India. His experience spans policy and program formulation, project implementation, design and development of renewable energy technologies, and manufacturing of solar energy devices.

Some of his notable contributions include:

1. Involvement in the development of Sri Lanka’s policy framework for renewable resource-based electricity generation and the integrated energy management master plan for Bhutan.

2. Coordinating part of a multi-country GEF-supported study to assess solar and wind resources in developing countries.

3. Managing the design, construction, and commissioning of one of the largest solar ponds in the world at Bhuj, western India, from 1987 to 1996.

4. Leading the initiative to develop solar-biomass based cold storage-cum-power generation systems for decentralized, rural applications.

5. Working on a program for accelerated usage of biomass-based clean energy solutions in rural villages and micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Kumar has played an active role in promoting South-South cooperation in Africa and the Pacific Island countries. He served as the Regional Program Advisor for the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) South Asia Secretariat, overseeing REEEP activities in the region.

Additionally, Kumar coordinated the SE4All Capacity Building Hub, one of the global hubs of the UN-supported Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4All).

As the Dean (Distance & Short-Term Education) at TERI University, he was responsible for developing and promoting the university’s online courses, management and faculty development programs, and other skill enhancement initiatives.

Beyond his professional achievements, Kumar indulges in reading, painting, and writing as his hobbies.

We are a team of highly skilled industry professionals committed to advancing sustainability in the built environment through research, education, industry engagement and policy reform.