FINILOOP PLASTIC LAB MENTORS
Mentors
Ranjit Singh
Founder – AspireLabs , Reimagine Plastic
Director & Mentor – Legistify,
Co-create Change, Creative Clutch
Mr. Ranjit, with over three decades of experience in corporate management across Indian, international, and multicultural business environments, excels in driving corporate growth and turnaround initiatives. He has held key positions such as Managing Director at Kalpataru Power Transmission (KPTL) and Global COO & Board member at Polyplex Corporation Limited, significantly contributing to their globalization and sustainable profitability. Mr. Ranjit’s expertise spans various industries including infrastructure, plastics, specialty chemicals, automotive, financial services, education, and strategy consulting. As a transformational leader, he focuses on sustainability and ESG strategies, actively consulting, mentoring, and investing in startups. Mr. Ranjit is the Founder of Aspirelabs, an accelerator with a focus on sustainability, and Reimagine Plastic, an initiative promoting circular economy models. His interests lie in circular economy and upcycling, and he serves as a mentor, investor, and advisor in diverse fields including sustainability, education, mental health, and rural development. Mr. Ranjit also contributes as a member of the Board of Governors at IIM Jammu.
Sophie van den Berg
International Solid Waste Expert and Plastic Recycling Business Adviser ✔Africa ✔Asia ✔LatinAmerica at WASTE (www.waste.nl), The Netherlands
Jeroen Ijgosse
Sustainability Expert - 25 Years experience, Global Impact, Waste Management
Jeroen IJgosse, MSc in International Development Technologies Sciences, brings 25 years of expertise in integrated sustainable waste management (ISWM) and sustainable sanitation across Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. His extensive experience spans diverse countries, including Belize, Brazil, India, and Tanzania. Jeroen excels in waste policy development, institutional capacity building, environmental fiscal reform, and financial waste management. As the Programme Director of FINILOOP, he currently leads a three-year initiative in India, collaborating with partners to enhance city-wide plastic waste management and uplift livelihoods in the plastic waste value chain. Jeroen is a seasoned expert, well-versed in the operational policies and guidelines of international funding agencies such as the World Bank, IADB, KfW, and GiZ.
Prof Anup K Ghosh
Technical Expert - Emeritus Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi
Ajay Batra
CEO, Uniqorn Growth Partners, Angel Investor and Startup Mentor
Ajay Batra is a seasoned entrepreneur, angel investor, and startup mentor who has helped numerous ventures grow and succeed. He is currently the CEO of Uniqorn Growth Partners, a global startup advisory firm. He has over 25 years of experience in starting and scaling up his own businesses and guiding other ventures in their journey of discovery and growth. Also, he has been a consultant to stellar corporations like Accenture, IBM, Sony, Wipro, and TCS; and has worked with highly respected organizations like the Azim Premji Foundation, Wadhwani Foundation, and the Times Group. His professional experience spans diverse work and social cultures across geographies – India, USA, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, the UK, and Sweden, to name a few countries.
Mohan Krishnan
Marketing Researcher, MD TPCKI, visiting faculty-IIT Bombay,TERI University & IIFT Delhi & Kolkata
Mohan has over twenty-five years of experience in the research and consulting industry. His experience spans diverse sectors in the area of technology and marketing issues. He has advised private and public sector companies, associations, and forums in sectors such as Consumer goods, ICT, Energy, Environment, Logistics, Steel, Automotive and financial services markets. Mohan has contributed several articles and research papers on a wide range of subjects. He is also a regular speaker and a visiting faculty at IIT Bombay, TERI University and IIFT Delhi & Kolkata. He started his career as an engineer in sustainable development sector at Development Alternatives, moved to consumer research area at IMRB International where he later specialized in technology research before moving to head a sister company, Henley Centre, a marketing consulting. He returned to IMRB to head BIRD, a B2B and Technology research unit at Mumbai before moving to Delhi to head Consumer quantitative and SRI between 2008-2010. He also headed the quality improvement function both as an employee and as consultant between 2011-present before starting his NGO in education sector. He’s also advisory boards of a few start-ups: The Peninsula Centre – a think tank in using Geo-located information ,The Peninsula Studios and Buysmaart.com/Enixta. In addition, he’s a director at Centre for Marketing in Emerging Economies, IIM Lucknow.He is an MBA in Marketing Management from FMS & B.Tech. from IIT Delhi.
Brinda Sharma
Program Lead , TOP
Brinda Sharma is an experienced development professional with over two decades of expertise in program management and implementation across various sectors including healthcare, women’s education, and solid waste management. Currently serving as a Program Lead at Trust Of People, she demonstrates strong leadership in driving initiatives aimed at community development and sustainability in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Prabhat Pani
Executive Director of ‘Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Development’, S.P. Jain Institute of Management
Since 2019, Prabhat Pani is associated with the top Management institute, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai – currently, as the Executive Director of ‘Centre for Innovation in Sustainable Development’ and as a teaching Faculty, and earlier as Chairperson of the Post Graduate Program in Development Management. During 2016-2022, Prabhat Pani was associated with the premier philanthropic organization, Tata Trusts. His last role was as Senior Advisor for Partnerships, and earlier in operationally managing diverse portfolios including as Head of Partnerships, and as Head of Programmatic Technology. During the previous 30+ years, Prabhat has managed leadership roles in for-profit entities in FMCG, Telecom and Hospitality spaces, much of it in various entities in the Tata Group. He is a member of the Board of Governors of IIM-Sambalpur, a Trustee in Tata Power Community Development Trust and in Everest Foundation, and on the Governing Council of YES Foundation.
Gautam Biswas
Dy.General Manager ( R & D ) at Polyplex Corporation Ltd
Gautam Biswas is a seasoned professional with over three decades of experience in the packaging industry, currently serving as the Deputy General Manager (R&D) at Polyplex Corporation Ltd. With a career spanning various roles in innovation, development, quality management, and sustainability, Gautam has a proven track record of driving profitability and fostering innovation in packaging solutions. His expertise lies in re-engineering processes, interfacing with brand owners, and spearheading new development initiatives. Prior to his current role, Gautam held key positions at leading companies such as Paharpur (Flexible Packaging), Kavin Care Group, Orient Press Ltd, and JM Patel Group, accumulating a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field.
Krishna Reddy
Vice President, Head R&D, New Product Development, Polyplex
With over 35 years in the industry, Krishna leads R&D, New Products, Technical Services, Sustainability, and New Application Developments. His contributions have earned Polyplex recognition as a top global film supplier, marked by over 30 worldwide patents. Krishna’s focus on innovation has led to pioneering sustainable packaging solutions, including ultra-high barrier films and transparent barrier films. His impact extends beyond industry norms, positioning Polyplex as a standout provider of specialty products.
Saurabh Agnihotri
Chief of Operations, FINISH
Sourav Aghnotri is a dedicated professional with over a decade of experience in project management and leadership roles within the development sector. Currently serving as the Chief of Operations at Finish Society – India, he plays a pivotal role in managing initiatives related to sanitation, waste management, and water recycling across multiple states in India. With a proven track record of effectively liaising with donors, CSR partners, and government agencies, Sourav oversees a team of 200 executive functionaries, ensuring the successful execution of projects aimed at societal betterment. His previous positions as National Head of Projects and Regional Project Manager highlight his expertise in driving impactful initiatives and contributing to the governance of organizations dedicated to social and environmental causes. Sourav’s background in both project management and relationship management, gained from his tenure at TATA AIG General Insurance Company Limited, underscores his versatility and commitment to driving positive change.
Dr Ishwer Singh
Retd. Director, CIPET, Amritsar
Dr. Ishwer Singh, is a highly qualified professional with a Ph.D. in Industrial Management on Plastics Technology. With extensive experience, he served as Deputy Manager and Research Associate before holding a prominent position as Chief Manager/Director at the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Government of India. Notably, he is currently a technical consultant for Plastics Waste Management at Khanna Paper Mills, Asia’s largest paper mill specializing in waste paper recycling. Dr. Singh has undertaken various international programs and initiatives, contributing significantly to the field of Plastics Technology.
Prof. Chetan Chitre
Assistant Professor (Economics), Indian Institute of Management Amritsar
Chetan Chitre is an experienced academic and professional with a diverse background in economics and management. With over a decade of experience in teaching and academic roles, combined with several years of corporate experience in managerial positions, he brings a wealth of knowledge to his current role as Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Management Amritsar.
Prof. Mahima Gupta
Associate Professor at Indian Institute of Management Amritsar
Mahima Gupta is an accomplished academic professional with over a decade of experience in teaching and research. Currently serving as the Dean of Academics and Programs at the Indian Institute of Management Amritsar, she has previously held positions as an Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at esteemed institutions like IMT Ghaziabad and Great Lakes Institute of Management. With expertise in Operations Research, her career spans both academia and industry, including a research internship at IBM Research.
Our Team
Abhinav Ramaria
Head - Programs and Operations
Abhinav is a Management Professional with over 16 years of experience in corporate and startup space. He has expertise in Business Management, Innovation Programs, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies and Plastic Waste management related Policy research. He has rich onsite and corporate experience at JSW Steels and Polyplex Corporation Limited where he led teams and initiatives with special focus on Sustainability. Currently he is heading Programs and Operations at Aspirelabs where he is responsible for Startup Acceleration/Incubation, Sustainability related studies like LCA, Plastic Recycling related Policy Research & Advocacy and Investment Deal Flow and Evaluation. He has been a speaker at number of national and international level seminars in Plastic Waste Management and Sustainability. He is a mentor at startup incubators like Startup Oasis,CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad, FLCTD (Facility for Low Carbon Technology Deployment), AIM Smart City Accelerator etc and at ATL, Niti Aayog. He has done B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur and MBA from IIM Lucknow. |
Kapil Agarwal
Manager - Incubations program
Currently, Kapil is associated with AspireLabs as an Incubation Manager. Previously, he has worked with AIC-BIMTECH as a deputy manager responsible for the Canadian Technology Accelerator program and other National & International programs.
Kapil comes with a cumulative experience of 4.5 years in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and has been on both sides of the table, i.e., as an entrepreneur for 2.5 years and as an ecosystem enabler for 2 years.
He is a graduate of AKTU with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Aadarsh Kumar
Buisness Development Manager
Aadarsh Kumar is a versatile professional with a strong background in business development and sustainability. He has experience in cultivating relationships, devising sales strategies, and driving revenue growth. Currently, he is focused on creating environmentally friendly business strategies and advancing sustainability efforts at FINILOOP, showcasing his commitment to making a positive impact on the environment.
Namita
Senior Marketing Associate
Namita is a seasoned Marketing and Communications professional specializing in driving growth through innovative strategies. With an MBA in Marketing she brings nine months of experience contributing significantly to the startup community.
Currently serving as a Senior Marketing Associate at AspireLabs, Namita has been instrumental in developing compelling brand narratives and fostering growth.
Himanshu Kumar
Sustainability Executive
Himanshu Kumar is a dedicated Sustainability Executive, equipped with a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Polymer Science from the University of Delhi. With a profound interest in polymer science and engineering, he has contributed as a Project Research Assistant for 1.5 years in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi. Currently thriving in the role of Sustainability Executive, Himanshu is passionate about leveraging his academic background and research experience to drive impactful sustainability initiatives.
Pooja Aggarwal
Accounts Executive
“Accounts Executive pursuing Chartered Accountancy (CA Final) course and completed her Masters in Commerce. She has 4+ years of experience in multiple fields including her internship. She has experience in the maintaining accounting records & preparing accounts, Analyze & disseminate information regarding financial records, with particular emphasis on financial reporting, Direct Tax Compliances, ROC Compliances, Audit Reports, Tax Audit Reports, Project Management and Budget Analysis.”