Leadership

Rajiv Ranjan Mishra
Managing Director

Rajiv has over 25 years of experience in the power industry and was instrumental in setting up Apraava Energy in 2002. Under Rajiv’s leadership, Apraava Energy has grown from a single-asset company to a diversified forward-looking organisation with a presence in power generation (conventional and renewables), transmission and Advanced Metering Infrastructure. In 2018, the company made a commitment to only invest in low-carbon growth areas going forward, including renewable energy, power transmission and distribution, as well as other customer-focused energy businesses. In 2021, Apraava signed up to India’s Electric Vehicle Ambition statement, initiated by WBCSD, that will enable energy transition in mobility. This initiative is expected to reduce India’s road transport emissions by 15% by 2030 and put the sector on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050. Under Rajiv’s direction, Apraava Energy became the second Indian power business to receive SBTi validation.

Rajiv's experience has been in project financing, investment appraisal, finance and accounting, and general management. Before joining Apraava Energy, he held many global leadership positions in the power industry viz. the Deputy Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of BLCP Power in Thailand; the Finance Director of PowerGen India; and the Finance Director of LG Energy in Seoul, South Korea.

He is also the Chairman of Association of Power Producers (APP), an industry representative to address issues of the power sector. Additionally, Rajiv Co-Chairs CII National Committee on Power, and CII National Council on Climate Change, a council formed to strategize on implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. In 2022, Rajiv was named among the ‘Top 50 Powerful Wind Leaders in India’ by Wind Insider magazine.

As a recognized knowledge expert, Rajiv participates in various national and international industry speaker platforms, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), World Sustainable Development Summit, Energy Transition Forum, G20, CDP India, and CII summits, among others.

Rajiv is an Advanced Management Program Graduate from the Harvard Business School, Boston. He is an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow and completed his Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from BIT, Sindri.

Samir Ashta
Director - Finance & CFO

Samir is responsible for overseeing the company’s financial operations and controls while driving ESG-focused initiatives at Apraava Energy. With over 36 years of experience in Project Finance, Treasury, Investment Risk Analysis, Accounting, Taxation, and Policy Compliance, Samir has held several leadership roles at major engineering, chemical, and paint companies in India, including Escorts, Max Group, ICI, and Demag Cranes.

Under Samir’s leadership, Apraava achieved several groundbreaking financial milestones. The company issued India’s first Asset-Specific Bonds in the power sector for the Jhajjar Power Plant (JPL) and launched the first Corporate Green Bond Issuance in the South Asian and Southeast Asian power sectors for its wind farms in 2008.

He played a pivotal role in securing financing and successfully listing JPL, while also restructuring Apraava’s group assets under a unified umbrella— leading to ease in operations and tax efficiency. Additionally, he spearheaded the consolidation of independent wind farm assets into an innovative corporate finance structure, ensuring long-term financial sustainability. Further strengthening Apraava’s financial strategy, Samir also led the company’s first successful Aluminium hedging on the London Metal Exchange (LME).

Beyond financing initiatives, Samir has been instrumental in shaping Apraava’s ESG vision. He has led the company to become the only second Indian power business to receive SBTi validation for its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and commit to the India Business and Biodiversity Initiative (IBBI). He has also initiated the company’s external ESG evaluation and rating process, helping establish benchmarks for continuous improvement.

In line with Apraava’s commitment to transparency and sustainability, he spearheaded the publication of the company’s first-ever Annual Integrated Report for the financial year 2021–22, providing a comprehensive view of its ESG actions, outcomes, and impact.

Beyond business-driven interventions, he actively collaborates with local communities around Apraava’s operations, leading sustainable and social initiatives.

His contributions to the industry have been widely recognized, including being honored as CA-CFO in the Power Industry by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, winning the Leading CFO of the Year award at the CII CFO Excellence Awards 2023-24, and receiving a Recognition of Excellence from CFO 100.

Samir is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has completed his MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. He has also completed the Senior Executive Leadership Program from Harvard Business School, Boston, and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law and Policy from WWF-India and National Law University.

Naveen Munjal
Director - BD & Commercial

Naveen Munjal is responsible for Business Development and Commercial matters of all greenfield businesses at Apraava Energy.

With more than 35 years of post-qualification experience, a large part of which has been in the power sector, Naveen has been associated with Apraava Energy for close to 24 years. Naveen initially served as the CFO of the business for about 6 years. Before joining Apraava, he held leadership roles at Powergen, Lucent Technologies, AT&T India, and SB Billimoria & Co. (part of Deloitte India).

Naveen is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He graduated in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University.

Deepa Sebastian
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)

Deepa brings over two decades of experience and has been with Apraava for more than 16 years. In her previous role as the Senior Vice President - Human Resources, she played a key role in shaping and strengthening a people-first culture. She has led key initiatives in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), talent management, significantly contributing to the overall employee experience.

In her current role as Chief Human Resources Officer, Deepa also oversees Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Her strategic priorities include building a strong corporate and employer brand and leveraging the collective strength of people and communities in alignment with Apraava’s values.

In 2023, Deepa was named among the ‘Top Women in Renewable Energy’ by EQ International magazine. She also serves as an assessor for the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National HR Excellence Awards.

Deepa holds a master’s degree in Human Resource management from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Prior to joining Apraava, she worked with i-Flex Processing Solutions Limited.

Nabeel Saleem
General Counsel

Nabeel leads the legal function at Apraava Energy, steering the organization through the evolving legal and regulatory landscape. With over 25 years of experience spanning the agriculture, power, oil & gas, and telecommunications industries, he brings deep expertise in strategic legal advisory, regulatory compliance, high-stakes litigation, complex transactions, and managing critical license-to-operate issues.

This marks Nabeel’s second tenure with Apraava Energy, having previously served the company for a decade (2007–2017). During that time, he played a pivotal role in the Apraava’s growth journey, advising on key legal and regulatory matters and shaping strategic decisions.

He has successfully led acquisitions, divestments, and large-scale project financing agreements, while also engaging with regulatory authorities on competition law, intellectual property, and energy sector regulations. Known for his business-oriented approach, he has built and mentored high-performing legal teams and driven impactful solutions.

Beyond Apraava, Nabeel has held leadership roles in legal and compliance at Bayer CropScience, Monsanto India, Lucent Technologies, and Schlumberger.

He holds a law degree from Mahatma Gandhi University and has completed an executive program in Business Administration and Management at Harvard Business School.

Durga Dath
Senior Vice President- M&A

Rajiv Kumar
Head – AMI

Ramesh Kumar S.
Director - Projects

Mathew Oommen
Director – Operations

Mathew Oommen brings over three decades of deep expertise in the renewable energy sector, with a strong focus on operations and maintenance (O&M) excellence. At Apraava Energy, he is responsible for leading O&M strategy and performance across the company’s renewable and transmission portfolio.

Mathew has successfully led O&M initiatives that improve asset performance, elevate safety standards, and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks. His extensive experience spans senior leadership roles at prominent organisations such as Nordex India, ReGen Powertech, and Enercon India Ltd. He has also overseen large-scale plant maintenance operations in the Middle East, reflecting his global perspective and strong operational acumen.

Mathew holds a B.Tech in Electronics & Communication from the University of Kerala.