For his achievements in the area of entrepreneurship and clean energy, Sumant has won several awards including the “EY Entrepreneur of the Year, 2017” in the Energy, Real Estate and Infrastructure category, “Champion of Tomorrow” by CEO Awards, and the “Outstanding Start-up of the Year”- Forbes India Leadership Awards for ReNew Power 2017. Most recently he received the coveted “Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2018”, and the “IIT Delhi Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2018”.

Sumant is a member of the Stewardship Board on Shaping the Future of Energy at the World Economic Forum, and serves as the Chair of the Climate Group’s India Advisory Board. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). He chairs the CII’s Renewable Energy Council, is Co-chair of CII’s Climate Change Council, and has been the CII Northern region head as well. He is on the Board of Governors of prestigious institutions such as IIM Calcutta, IIT Delhi and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Sumant is also an alumnus of the same three institutions – IIT Delhi (B. Tech), IIM Calcutta (PGDBM) and SIPA at Columbia (Masters).

Starting his career as an investment banker in the US and UK with leading global banks such as Citibank and ING Barings, Sumant returned to India in 2002 and has held senior leadership positions in large companies, such as the Group Chief Financial Officer of the Aditya Birla Group, one of India’s largest business groups; Founder & CEO of Aditya Birla Retail; and Chief Operating Officer of Suzlon, India’s leading wind turbine company.