Shrashtant Patara

Shrashtant Patara is an architect by training. He has been with the Development Alternatives Group since 1988, providing research expertise, management capability and strategic direction to teams working in the areas of Habitat, Renewable Energy, Water and Sanitation, Waste Recycling and Livelihood Support Systems. His work is at the forefront of designing multi-stakeholder based approaches to the resolution of complex development challenges; establishing sustainable service delivery models that are directed towards local economic development, regeneration of the environment and greater social equity.

Currently, Patara is responsible for the management of programmes aimed at creating community benefits through the promotion of entrepreneurship and sustainable technology solutions, including the use of decentralized renewable energy systems; the foremost amongst these being the La Caixa Banking Foundation supported “Work 4 Progress” project aimed at innovation in entrepreneurship driven job creation; National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Promotion Board, Govt. Of India supported “Innovative Green Entrepreneur” initiative and The Rockefeller Foundation supported “Smart Power for Rural Development” program.

Patara is a Fellow of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Global Program on Social Innovation, has been a member of the Indo-German Expert Group on Green and Inclusive Economy, served as a jury member for the international SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development and has been involved in an initiative of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction on “Re-materializing Construction”.

He has been instrumental in the establishment of several social businesses within the Development Alternatives Group and currently leads the team that is incubating “TARAurja”, a renewable energy based micro-utility business and the Indian Micro Enterprises Development Foundation, a platform to deliver enterprise support services at scale.