Ajai Nirula
Former Brookings Expert
Content from the Brookings Institution India Center is now archived. After seven years of an impactful partnership, as of September 11, 2020, Brookings India is now the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, an independent public policy institution based in India.
Ajai Nirula is a management consultant and mentor with over forty years of experience in the the power and fertiliser sectors.
Besides being a speaker at IIM, BIMTECH, and international & national seminars, he has represented the industry at CII and FICCI on various expert panels. Ajai is a Visiting Fellow at Brookings India.
Between 2013-17, he was Chief Operating Officer at ILFS Energy Development Co. Ltd (ILFS Group) responsible for technical and project management oversight, risk management and sustainability for the entire portfolio of thermal and renewable Power projects.
He served as Chief Operating Officer (2010-2013) and as Head Commercial, Head Operations (2006-2010) at Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd., formerly NDPL- a joint venture between Tata Power Company Ltd. and Government of Delhi for energy distribution in one third of Delhi with over 1.3 million consumers. This utility achieved global recognition for business turnaround and transformation, winning "Best Distribution Utility in Asia" award by Asian Power, Singapore (2006-13), Edison Award USA twice, for GIS & Policy advocacy, Balance Scorecard (BSC)-Hall of Fame award for Strategy and prestigous national awards.
In the TATA Group, Ajai was also an External Assessor for other group company assesments based on the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM), adopted from the Malcolm Baldrige model of USA.
Previously, he worked at Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd. (KK Birla Group) as a General Manager (2001-2006) responsible for Banking, Treasury, Credit rating appraisals, Statutory & internal Audit, Business Strategy, M & A, HR projects.
He began his career with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) at power project sites (1977-87) for commissioning, operation, performance testing, trouble shooting of large capacity thermal power plants, and moved to Corporate Finance (1987-2001) for Revenue and Capital budgeting, MIS, Foreign borrowings, forex risk management.
Ajai has a Degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Masters in Business Management and an LLB.
Ajai Nirula is a management consultant and mentor with over forty years of experience in the the power and fertiliser sectors.
Besides being a speaker at IIM, BIMTECH, and international & national seminars, he has represented the industry at CII and FICCI on various expert panels. Ajai is a Visiting Fellow at Brookings India.
Between 2013-17, he was Chief Operating Officer at ILFS Energy Development Co. Ltd (ILFS Group) responsible for technical and project management oversight, risk management and sustainability for the entire portfolio of thermal and renewable Power projects.
He served as Chief Operating Officer (2010-2013) and as Head Commercial, Head Operations (2006-2010) at Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd., formerly NDPL– a joint venture between Tata Power Company Ltd. and Government of Delhi for energy distribution in one third of Delhi with over 1.3 million consumers. This utility achieved global recognition for business turnaround and transformation, winning “Best Distribution Utility in Asia” award by Asian Power, Singapore (2006-13), Edison Award USA twice, for GIS & Policy advocacy, Balance Scorecard (BSC)–Hall of Fame award for Strategy and prestigous national awards.
In the TATA Group, Ajai was also an External Assessor for other group company assesments based on the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM), adopted from the Malcolm Baldrige model of USA.
Previously, he worked at Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd. (KK Birla Group) as a General Manager (2001-2006) responsible for Banking, Treasury, Credit rating appraisals, Statutory & internal Audit, Business Strategy, M & A, HR projects.
He began his career with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) at power project sites (1977-87) for commissioning, operation, performance testing, trouble shooting of large capacity thermal power plants, and moved to Corporate Finance (1987-2001) for Revenue and Capital budgeting, MIS, Foreign borrowings, forex risk management.
Ajai has a Degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Masters in Business Management and an LLB.