SPEAKERS OF DUM 2025

AshutoshGoel

Ashutosh Goel,
Chairman & Managing Director,
Allied Engineering Works Limited

Ashutosh Goel, an IIT Delhi alumnus, is the Chairman and Managing Director of Allied Engineering Works Limited (AEWL). He has over 23 years of expertise in the Electrical and Electronics industry. Renowned for his technical acumen and strategic leadership, Mr. Goel has played a pivotal role in establishing AEWL as a market leader and forging many tie-ups and associations. His commitment to innovation and quality is evident in his continuous involvement in R&D projects, which drive AEW's advancements in the smart metering domain and other hi-tech sectors. He has been involved in many Industrial forums and mentored a few start-ups in the tech space.

AshutoshGoel

Alok Kumar,
Director General,
All India Discoms Association (AIDA)

He has completed 35 years long career in public policy and economic development in India's premier federal civil service (IAS) reaching up to distinguished position of Secretary in federal government with extensive experience in electricity, renewable energy, energy transition, infrastructure development and skill development domains. He has led several large commercial organisations as CEO and played a key role in formulation and implementation of several national/state level policies, programmes and regulatory interventions. During 2021 - 2023, he Successfully managed the operations of India's power system, one of the largest in the world, along with steering wide-ranging sectoral reforms. He has deep understanding of global energy transition aspects as chair of G20 Energy Transitions Working Group in 2022- 2023.

Presently he is Professor of Practice in Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy at IIT Roorkee, and chairs the Inter- Ministerial Working Group set up by NITI Aayog to develop power sector pathway to achieve Net Zero commitment by India. In 2025, he has been appointed as Independent Director on the Board of Power Exchange India Limited. He is also Partner with The Lantau Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

He obtained bachelor's degree in civil engineering from IIT Roorkee in 1983, and Master of Business Administration (Finance) from National Open University in 2009.

Authored the book 'Electricity Sector in India- Policy and Regulation' published by Oxford University Press in 2012, and has been writing regularly on energy related topics for business publications in India.

Gurpreet Oberoi
Chief Business Officer
Kimbal Private Limited

Gurpreet Singh Oberoi is the Chief Business Officer at Kimbal with over 30 years of experience in sales and marketing across India's utility and consumer markets. He has deep expertise in the electricity value chain, from retail supply to distribution and transmission. At Kimbal, he leads sales, marketing, cash flow management, and strategic partnerships, working closely with senior leadership to drive growth and optimize revenue streams.

Before joining Kimbal, Gurpreet held leadership roles at Landis+Gyr and Larsen & Toubro, successfully building business verticals and expanding market presence. He has a strong track record in identifying opportunities, addressing regulatory challenges, and ensuring seamless project execution.

Gurpreet holds an Executive MBA in Marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research and a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from MIET. A strong believer in collaboration and analytical thinking, he is passionate about driving impactful change and has a keen interest in luxury automobiles.

Manoj Muthyala
Senior Director, Sales
Impresa.ai

Manoj is a Global Sales Leader with over 15 years of experience across Project and Business Development teams. He has a great track record of driving sales and increasing client engagement at large Utilities like Tata, Adani and Essar. At Abjayon (Impresa.ai), Manoj is commercially focused and responsible for driving growth by pitching unique solutions to clients in the APAC and MEA regions.

Manoj firmly believes in selling solutions to problems, not products. He enjoys cycling & trekking and appreciates that the best views come after the long and hard climbs.

Manish Patel

Manish Patel
Business Development (International &Domestic) & Product Head for Covered Conductors,
APAR Industries Limited

Manish Patel is currently leading Business Development (International & Domestic) at Apar Industries Limited, with 25+ years of experience in EHV Power Cable & EHV Cable accessories (upto 220KV), LT/HT Cables, Covered Conductors upto 132KV, MV Switchgears (Reclosers & RMU) and Underground Distribution Substations in India and worldwide. He has extensively travelled across the globe and handled various positions in Global Sales, International Market, Business Development, P&L Head and Strategic roles. He also has experience in SCM and Operations. Throughout his career, he has various achievements and recognitions in developing the company's home market and the global market by signing strategic global contracts, significant improvement in bottom-line, forming joint ventures, policy, industry initiatives etc. He has successfully handled EHV Cable and Accessories turnkey projects in home and international markets. His expertise lies in dealing with private/corporate, government (central and state) and consultants in India/Global for both Power Cables and Switchgears.

He has had a rich experience in establishing G&W as a brand in India and APAC from scratch and has now taken up the role of Business Development for Apar Industries Ltd (Unit - Cable) for SAARC, Middle East, Latin America, North America and hopes to create an exciting story of growth, new business ventures and excellent sales figures for the company.

Rohit Pareek
Chief Product Officer
Impresa.ai

Rohit Pareek is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of expertise revolutionizing the utilities sector through data and AI innovation. As a trailblazer in digital transformation, he's spearheaded the development of cutting-edge SaaS platforms, harnessing AI to boost decision-making and operational efficiency by up to 35% for global utility giants. He's transformed AI roadmaps for large-scale utilities across continents, empowering them with strategic, future-ready solutions.

His knack for decoding industry trends and driving partner success has redefined how utilities operate worldwide. A dynamic speaker, Rohit blends deep insight with product strategy mastery, inspiring audiences to embrace intelligent tech. He's on a quest to fuel industries everywhere with bold, data-powered innovation.

Ravi Seethapathy

Ravi Seethapathy
Executive Chairman
Biosirus Inc.

Ravi Seethapathy, is Executive Chairman of Biosirus Inc., Canada. He serves as the “Ambassador for the Americas”, for the Global Smart Energy Federation, USA, and as an Advisor to the India Smart Grid Forum. He is an empanelled expert at the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), a 51-country member organization.

With over 42+ years of experience in the Energy and Power Systems area in Canada, he mentors several utilities and companies in their technology development. His is active in several IEC, CSA, GSEF, ISGF, CDRI technical committees, in the areas of sustainable energy, transportation, energy storage, microgrid and e-mobility. He is an invited speaker internationally and has co-authored over 50 technical papers and published 75 articles. His former Corporate Directorships include Larsen & Toubro’s - Power Transmission & Distribution (IC), India, Toronto Atmospheric Fund, Smart Grid Canada, Ryerson University, TV Ontario, Scarborough Hospital, and as Chairs of Engineers Without Borders Canada, Canadian Club of Toronto, and Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce.

He is a Life Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering; a Life Senior Member of the IEEE; and a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario. He has been honoured with several awards/citations including the Distinguished Alumnus Award, IIT Kharagpur (2025); ISGF President's Award (2023); Life Member Service Award; IEEE Toronto (2021); and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012). He/ his family has endowed an IEEE PES/IAS Award in "Rural Electrification Excellence". He holds a B. Tech (Hons) in Electrical Power from IIT Kharagpur, India, an M. Eng. in Electrical Power from University of Toronto and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada.

Reena Suri

Reena Suri
Executive Director
India Smart Grid Forum

Reena Suri, Executive Director of the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) since 2013, brings over 22 years of rich experience in the energy sector. She has played a key role in various ISGF projects, including the Electrification Plan for Public Transportation, Blockchain for Electric Utilities, Energy Storage Roadmap for India, Smart Grid Roadmap, and developing smart grid and EV infrastructure plans for the SAARC Region.

Reena also led the World Bank EV Project in Kolkata. As the founder-editor of the Smart Grid Bulletin, Reena has been a voice for smart grid advancements since 2013. She is passionate about increasing gender diversity in the energy sector, leading initiatives to improve networking and mentoring programs for women, raise awareness and technology skills among women, and attract women to technical education by showcasing inspiring role models.

Reji Kumar Pillai

Reji Kumar Pillai
President, India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF)
Chairman, Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF)

Reji is the President of India Smart Grid Forum (www.indiasmartgrid.org) since its inception in 2011 and is also the current Chairman of the Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF). He is an internationally renowned expert with over four decades of experience in the electricity sector in diverse functions covering the entire value chain and across continents. He is spearheading a mission to leverage technology to transform the electric grids and provide clean and reliable electricity to every citizen 24x7 at affordable cost. For decades he has been actively advocating for the “Right to Electricity” that would ensure lifeline supply of electricity to all which is now becoming a reality in India and several other developing countries; and also advocating for the “Right to Sleep” to provide climate-controlled sleeping pods in low-income communities. Reji has played pivotal role in several groundbreaking initiatives related to renewable energy, electric grid modernization, electric mobility, energy storage and digitalization of utilities across continents during the past two decades.

His current areas of research and work spans: Grid Integrated Vehicles, District Cooling Systems, Electric Cooking, Integration of Utilities - electricity + water + city gas distribution; Grid Interactive Buildings and Campuses; Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain, Web 3.0 and Metaverse Applications for Utilities; Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Systems and the Future of Transportation; and Interconnection of Regional Grids in Asia - ASEAN, SAARC and GCC grids.

In November 2016, Reji was unanimously elected as Chairman of Global Smart Grid Federation, now renamed as Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF), a global umbrella organization of smart energy associations and utilities from around the globe headquartered in Washington DC, USA that was established by the US Department of Energy in 2010. Reji is also an advisor to Arab Renewable Energy Commission (AREC) since 2017; and works closely with the Association of Power Utilities in Africa (APUA), International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) and LATAM Smart Grid Forum.

As an entrepreneur, Reji has built successful enterprises in India and overseas and exited them. Presently he mentors several technology startups around the globe. He has studied Engineering, Finance, Management and Law; worked with NTPC and IBM and has been a senior consultant with ADB, World Bank and USAID. A recognized thought leader in renewable energy, smart grid technologies, smart cities and electric mobility, Reji is a popular key-note speaker at international symposiums and conferences. He has also contributed to several articles, books, research reports and white papers on a variety of topics.

RS Selvam
Vice President of Research & Development
Stelmec

With over 40 years of extensive experience in the switchgear industry, RS Selvam is a seasoned expert in the design and development of medium-voltage (MV) switchgear products. His career began with a BE in Electrical & Electronics from Anna University, Chennai, followed by an MBA in Operations from Manipal University through distance education.

Throughout his career, RS Selvam has contributed to leading firms, including Southern Switchgear in Chennai, Eswaran & Sons Engineer Ltd., Chennai, Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd., and ECE Industries Ltd. in both Kolkata and Delhi. For the past 20 years, he has served as the Vice President of Research & Development at Stelmec Limited, where he leads innovative projects in MV switchgear design, transitioning from oil-based to vacuum circuit breaker technology.

His expertise in the switchgear industry is deeply rooted in in-house design and development, making him a valuable asset and a respected figure in his field.

Teppo Hemiä
CEO
Wirepas

Teppo is a technology and business executive with 30 years of experience from creating, developing and delivering innovative global wireless technology products and solutions. He has experience from several successful business creations and turnarounds, from a startup to an established business with half a billion top line.

Teppo Hemiä has been the founder and CEO of Wirepas since 2014. Wirepas offers a singular connectivity technology with unique licensing business model. The completely de-centralized device connectivity, also part of 5G standards, helps customers to lower the cost of data acquisition while keeping the reliability levels very high at any scale and networks private.

Before joining Wirepas he has held several demanding positions at Nokia, STMicroelectronics and ST-Ericsson.

Vishakha Chavan
Associate Product Manager
Impresa.ai

Vishakha Chavan is a seasoned AI/ML professional with deep expertise in machine learning, big data analytics, and cloud-based AI solutions. As a Product Manager, she leads the development of cutting-edge AI applications using state-of-the-art technologies to build scalable, production-ready models.

Her portfolio spans diverse projects, including energy disaggregation, load forecasting, AI-powered chatbots, energy theft detection, and transformer load monitoring, showcasing her ability to transform complex datasets into actionable intelligence. Passionate about real-world AI applications, Vishakha thrives on optimizing models for efficiency, ensuring seamless deployment, and driving AI-powered innovation to tackle industry challenges at scale.


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