Our Leadership

Visionary leadership shaping the future of ESG in India.

ERF is led by a distinguished team of Chartered Accountants, ESG specialists and governance experts with deep experience across India, UK and global institutions.

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Global Perspective

Leadership experience across India, UK and international institutions.

Governance Depth

Strong roots in regulation, compliance, institutional reform and public systems.

Sustainability Vision

Focused on responsible growth, ESG transformation and long-term value creation.

Industry Reach

Collective exposure to banking, energy, public policy, finance and advisory.

Honorary Directors & Founders

ESG Research Foundation

Honorary Director & FounderFeatured Leadership

CA Atul Kumar Gupta

Credentials: President, ICAI (2020–21) | IFAC Board | XBRL International | GASAB | SEBI PMAC

A staunch leader who rose to the highest echelon of the accounting profession as President of ICAI (2020–21) — the second largest accounting body in the world. With 2+ decades serving the accountancy profession, he has chaired the Digital Accounting & Assurance Board, and served on GASAB, IRDA, SEBI's Primary Market Advisory Committee, IFAC, and XBRL International. He led the accrual-based financial statements project for Indian Railways — the third largest railway network in the world.

ESG Research Foundation

Honorary Director & Founder

CA Deepak Batra

Credentials: Fellow ICAI | LLB | World Bank Project Director | 30+ Years | PSU & Government Advisory

CA Deepak Batra specializes in policy formulation, project finance, forensic audits, risk management and management consulting. With 30+ years of experience, he has served as Project Director in World Bank-aided projects and has worked with 200+ State and Local bodies including banks, Indian Railways and urban local bodies. He has international work experience across China, Europe, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Dubai and Qatar.

ESG Research Foundation

Honorary Director & Founder

CA Spandan Shah

Credentials: MBA, Imperial College London | Big-4 Alumni | Founder, GreenAlytics (UK) | GRI Accredited

ESG consultant with 10+ years of international experience at Big-4 firms in India, London and Dublin. MBA from Imperial College London (Strategy, Climate Change & Sustainability). Founder of GreenAlytics — a UK-based ESG analytics and reporting start-up. Recent work includes supporting a $500M UK company with ESG reporting and assessing GHG emissions (Scope 1 & 2) for an Indian mining company across six locations. Also serves as Trustee/Director at AIESEC UK.

Chief Executive Officer

ESG Research Foundation

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Rajesh Kumar Bhalla

Credentials: Former Additional Secretary, ICAI | 40+ Years | Governance & Institutional Leadership

A strong advocate of ESG-driven transformation, Mr. Bhalla brings over four decades of experience in governance, compliance, and institutional leadership. As Former Additional Secretary of ICAI — a statutory body under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs — he managed a network of over 1.1 million stakeholders, 167 branches, 5 regional offices, and 12 international chapters. He has led digital transformation and sustainability initiatives within ICAI, including the digital evaluation system for CA examinations.

Honorary Media Advisor

ESG Research Foundation

Honorary Media Advisor

Ms. Kiren Srivastav

Credentials: Entrepreneur & Philanthropist | Founder, Fempowerment Foundation | Chairperson, Council for Fair Business Practices

A passionate entrepreneur and philanthropist with over two decades of experience in marketing, branding and omni-channel strategy. Founder of Fempowerment Foundation & Awards, which empowers women across spheres of life. Chairperson of the Council for Fair Business Practices Creative Arts Festival — supported by stalwarts like Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra, Adi Godrej, Smt Rajashree Birla and Shekhar Bajaj.

Board of Advisors

Sh. Ajay Mittal, IAS (Retd.)

Former Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India | IAS (1982–2018) | LLB | PG in Rural Development

Sh. Ajay Mittal served in the IAS for over 33 years, holding roles as Secretary of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Secretary of Ministry of Personnel (DoPT), Principal Secretary in the Election Commission of India, and Chairman of HP State Electricity Board. He implemented the Hydro Power Policy of HP and drafted the "Atal Bijlee Bachat Yojana" for energy conservation. He also founded BVP Lab Society — two diagnostic healthcare facilities in Shimla on a no-profit basis — and "Shikshamitra" society promoting education for migrant workers' children in Himachal Pradesh.

Board of Advisors

Mr. Dinesh K Sarraf

Former CMD, ONGC | Former Chairman, PNGRB | ICWAI & ICSI Associate Member

Mr. Dinesh K Sarraf has over three and a half decades of experience in the oil and gas industry. He joined ONGC in 1991 and rose to become its CMD in 2014, leading the company's biggest-ever financial commitment — a $5 billion investment in east coast oil and gas assets. He transformed ONGC Videsh with high-value deals in Mozambique, Brazil and Azerbaijan. After retirement in 2017, he served as Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) until December 2020.

Board of Advisors

Mr. Y Viswanatha Gowd

Former MD & CEO, LIC Housing Finance | 35+ Years, LIC of India

Mr. Gowd served as MD and CEO of LIC Housing Finance Limited before retiring in July 2023. Joining LIC of India in 1988, he rose through the ranks over three decades excelling in Marketing, Finance, and Pension & Group schemes. Under his leadership, LIC HFL's South Eastern Region became the top-performing region with 63% loan book growth. He also served as Nominee Director on the boards of LIC Financial Services Ltd, LIC HFL Asset Management Company Ltd, and LICHFL Care Homes Ltd.

Board of Advisors

Prof. (Dr) Rajiv Kishore Dubey

Former CMD, Canara Bank | Former ED, Central Bank of India | MA, LLM, D.Lit, CAIIB, MBA (HR) | PG, Victoria University of Manchester & Cambridge

Prof. Dubey served as CMD of Canara Bank (2013–2014) and ED of Central Bank of India (2010–2013), beginning his banking career with Punjab National Bank in 1977. During his tenure at Canara Bank, he turned around the institution in under two years by focusing on retail banking, SME banking and technology. He has co-authored an e-book on data privacy and holds an Honorary Distinguished Professorship from Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management.

Board of Advisors

CA Sanjay Rikhy

FCA | Former CFO, Rajshree Cement Works (UltraTech) | 30+ Years | Mentor of Change, NITI Aayog

CA Sanjay Rikhy brings over three decades of leadership across Hero Group, Philips India, RP Goenka Group, and Aditya Birla Group. He served as CFO of Rajshree Cement Works (UltraTech), Circle Finance Head at Idea Cellular (now Vodafone Idea), and Regional Administrator at Philips India. He currently works as a Management Consultant specialising in financial planning, governance and risk compliance. He also serves as Mentor of Change under NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission.

Board of Advisors

CA Sanjay Guglani

FCA | CMA | CS | Sloan Fellow, London Business School | CEO, Silverdale Capital Pte Ltd, Singapore | Licensed by MAS

CA Sanjay Guglani is Founder & CIO of Silverdale Funds and CEO of Silverdale Capital Pte. Ltd, licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He manages the Silverdale Bond Fund, ranked among the Top-5 Asian Funds by Bloomberg. Earlier, he founded Silverdale UK with JV investments alongside Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley. He is a guest lecturer at IIM, IIFT, London Business School, NTU, NUS, and has presented at the United Nations in Switzerland.

Board of Advisors

CA Ankur Aggarwal

FCA | B.Com (Hons), Delhi University | Chairman & Founder, BNW Developments, Dubai | Managing Partner, AKGVG Group

CA Ankur Aggarwal is a dynamic entrepreneur and angel investor who began his career in 2003 as a practicing Chartered Accountant. As CEO & Founder of BnW Developments (alongside Bollywood entrepreneur Vivek Oberoi), his firm manages an AUM of 11.4 billion AED specialising in exclusive UAE properties. He co-founded Venture Catalysts Group in 2016 and serves as a dedicated trustee for Gurukulam School while supporting education and healthcare initiatives in Rajasthan.

Board of Advisors

Ms. Anupam Diwan

Global Vice President, Mitsubishi Financial Group USA | MBA, University of Cincinnati | Advanced Studies, Oxford University | Harvard Authentic Leadership Program | Gold Medalist

Ms. Anupam Diwan serves as Global Vice President at Mitsubishi Financial Group USA. She is Founder and President of Astitva Women Education & Empowerment Foundation in Chhattisgarh, and the visionary behind Astitva Grameen Hastshilp — a social enterprise empowering rural artisans. She served as advisor on gender, equality & disability at the G20 Summit in India and leads The Penjna Catalyst Council, a global think tank advancing rural women.

Board of Advisors

CA Anuj B Golecha

FCA | Co-Founder, Venture Catalysts Group | Angel Investor (100+ portfolio companies)

CA Anuj Golecha is a dynamic entrepreneur and avid angel investor who began his journey in 2003. By 2023 his personal investment portfolio spanned over 100 enterprises. In 2016 he co-founded Venture Catalysts Group to reshape investment and incubation. He is a dedicated trustee for Gurukulam School and supports education and healthcare initiatives in Rajasthan with a focus on underserved communities.

Partner with India's ESG leadership

Our team brings together regulatory expertise, international ESG consulting experience, and deep knowledge of India's corporate governance landscape.

Contact the Team Corporate Membership