Staff Profiles

Dr. Kapil Kumar Narula
Executive Director
Dr. Kapil Kumar Narula is the Executive Director of CII-Triveni Water Institute, which aims to transform water conservation and management in India resulting in more effective and sustainable water management practices at the grassroots level. Prior to this, he was Adjunct Associate Research Scientist at the Columbia Water Center of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, USA, and served as Founder Trustee and Country Director of Columbia Water Center India office (CIPT). Before joining Columbia University, Kapil worked with the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) as Associate Director where he headed a cross cutting initiative on Water and an inter-disciplinary group of researchers. In the subsequent years, this initiative gave rise to a full-fledged multi-disciplinary division in 2008, namely, the Water Resources Division. Dr Narula was also adjunct faculty at TERI University (which was a part of TERI itself during its early years of inception) where he designed and taught courses for Master’s and Doctoral students. An alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Kapil is a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and obtained his Doctorate (Ph.D) in the field of Integrated Water Resources and Environmental Modelling Systems. His international honors include receiving German Aerospace Research (DLR) fellowship and German Ministry of Science & Technology (BMBF) research scholarship for undertaking research in Water Resources and Nitrate Transport at the Research Center Juelich (Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany) from 1997 to 1998 and in 2002. Dr. Narula has worked for over 30 years in providing scientific backstopping and support for analysis and reporting of water scarcity in India. His work figures in several international and national scientific journals.

 
Mr. Sanjay Gupta
Senior Counsellor
CII - Water Institute
Mr. Sanjay Gupta has over 25 years of experience in the domains of water sustainability and water security, supporting more than 400 companies across diverse industrial sectors in India and internationally in their water stewardship journeys. His professional experience extends to working with municipalities to design strategies for improved utilization of local water and wastewater resources, promoting industrial reuse and circularity through an ecosystem-based approach.

He specializes in conducting industrial water audits, feasibility studies for rainwater harvesting, and developing roadmaps for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). His expertise also includes comprehensive water and wastewater assessment studies, enabling industries to optimize water use efficiency and comply with regulatory and sustainability requirements.

Mr. Gupta has been instrumental in the development of pioneering water stewardship services, including the Blue Rating System and the National Award for Excellence in Water Management for Industry, which have significantly contributed to raising water management standards across Indian industry.

He has worked closely with multiple stakeholders, including government bodies and industry associations, in defining and preparing guidelines for Water Neutrality and Water Positivity for Indian industry, in collaboration with NITI Aayog.

Mr. Gupta also brings strong expertise in application engineering for industrial water and wastewater treatment systems, supported by extensive hands-on implementation experience. He has trained over 25,000 professionals from industries and public sector undertakings on best practices in water and wastewater management.

In addition, he has prepared high-quality technical reports, provided expert inputs for tender documents and contractor specifications, and played a key role in training and mentoring junior professionals on various aspects of water conservation, management, and sustainability.



 
Ms. Shilpa Nischal
Executive Director
CII - Water Institute
With about 25 years of experience in sustainable development, particularly in water resources, Ms. Nischal has led initiatives focused on conceptualizing, developing, and implementing watershed-level programs, including the preparation of water neutrality guidelines to improve water security across geographies. Her expertise spans water resource evaluation, hydro-meteorological analysis, and hydrological risk assessment under diverse climate change scenarios.

She currently heads the CII Water Institute, which brings together multi-disciplinary teams to apply integrated water assessment tools and techniques such as WATSCAN—a GIS and remote sensing-based tool that supports decision-making for effective water resource management. She works extensively with industry to enhance water-use efficiency and drive solutions that help transition from water-related risks to resilient outcomes. In addition, she has contributed to several publications as both an author and an editor.

 
Mr. Ajay Dhyani
General Manager
CII - Water Institute
Ajay brings over 29 years of experience with a strong focus on sector-specific and thematic activities that support the competitiveness of Indian industry. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for strategizing, conceptualizing, planning, designing, and executing a wide range of initiatives, including Business-to-Government (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) interactions, international conferences, workshops, learning sessions, coordination of international delegations, and project-specific liaison with state administrations to foster partnerships.

He has extensive experience in project conceptualization, coordination, and execution, backed by innovative and result-oriented strategies. Ajay holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Delhi University.

Currently, he heads the Capacity Building and Water Use Efficiency verticals of CII Triveni Water Institute, where he is responsible for designing and conceptualizing water-focused events and conferences while engaging relevant stakeholders from industry and government.

 
Ms. Sipika Chauhan
Director
CII - Water Institute
Sipika has over 15 years of experience in Industrial Policy and Research. At CII she has worked with economic policy, ASCON and Manufacturing vertical. She has been associated with the analysis of various economic and sectoral issues, analysis of high frequency indicators, economic trends and conducting Surveys to understand industry specific issues and their needs. She also has worked on Surveys on Investment Climate and Ease of doing business with multilateral organizations like World Bank and British High Commission. She holds a Doctorate degree in Economics from Jiwaji University Gwalior.

At CII Triveni Water Institute she leads the Policy and Communications vertical.
 
Mr. Dnyaneshwar Talekar
Associate Counsellor
CII – Water Institute
Mr. Dnyaneshwar Talekar has completed his Masters in soil and water conservation engineering. He has 6+ years of experience in watershed project planning, monitoring, and implementation with adverse knowledge of remote sensing and GIS technique & its application in natural resource management.

He has worked on basin level hydrogeological study projects and programme management across non-profit/social service sector with focus on community mobilisation, forming sustainable village level institutions, understanding dynamics at village level, understanding sustainability issues, water resource development, judicious use of available water, water budgeting, convergence with Govt schemes, & non-farm sector livelihoods development.
 
Ms. Aishwarya Nagar
Associate Counsellor
CII – Water Institute
Aishwarya Nagar is a Geology(Hydrogeology) professional with approximately 5 years of experience in groundwater exploration, hydrogeology, and geospatial analysis. She has worked extensively on national-level water resource projects with the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), contributing to aquifer mapping (NAQUIM), groundwater monitoring, and district-level artificial recharge planning. Her expertise includes preparation of thematic maps, lithological sections, hydrogeological reports, and data-driven water management strategies. She also has experience in regulatory processes such as environmental appraisal, technical report evaluation, and documentation.

She is proficient in GIS and remote sensing tools including ArcGIS, QGIS, ERDAS Imagine, Basic Rockworks, Surfer, and Basic AutoCAD, along with strong capabilities in data analysis, groundwater modelling, and technical reporting. Aishwarya holds an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Geology from Banaras Hindu University and has further strengthened her expertise through certifications in GIS, remote sensing, and groundwater analysis. She brings a combination of field experience, research background, and technical proficiency, along with strong organizational, communication, and teamwork skills, making her well-suited for integrated water resource management and sustainable development initiatives.

 
Ms. Preeti Kathuria
Manager
CII - Water Institute
An MBA in HR with more than 13 yrs of diversified experience in Thematic & Sectoral Events and Conferences. She has work closely with stakeholders for event conceptualization and sponsorships for bringing awareness in water usage across Industry. Mrs Kathuria also spearheaded workshops for sensitization on effective and sustainable water management and has been instrumental in organizing B2B/B2G meetings, helping businesses to scale their market presence. Her area of interest includes building partnerships among Industries & Government bodies for highlighting issues which require immediate action for water usage.
 
Mr. Santosh Dixit
Manager - Water Quality
CII - Water Institute
Santosh Dikshit, working as Quality Coordinator has over 13 years of experience in the field of monitoring of water quality from source, treatment processes, utility and qualitative investigation of the waste water to reuse & recycle. He has also worked at the Centre of qualitative & quantitative investigation of the water & wastewater and to undertake several external & internal waters audits & faced several legal & statutory water compliances audit with a government official.

He has a Master's degree in Environmental Science awarded by Magadh University and undergone training on aquarium management at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park Patna and Industrial & Domestics Waste water management training from CPCB Delhi & SAIL Bokaro Steel Plant. Currently, he is responsible for coordinating water quality data collection and implementation during water audit at process & utility in different type of industrial sector. He is also responsible to Water Audit, calculate water balance, water use efficiency and identifying ways for saving water (reduce, reuse and recycle) based upon the water quality.
 
Mr. Neeraj Rai
Associate Counsellor
CII - Water Institute
Neeraj Rai has completed his Engineering in Biotechnology from Uttar Pradesh Technical University Lucknow. He is having more than 5 years of working experience in the field of Environment & Compliances. Mr. Rai has earlier worked with textile, food and pulp & paper industry on various projects like ZLD, Water conservation and hazardous waste management.

Before Joining CII, Mr. Rai was working as Assistant Manager – Environment & Compliances in Jubilant Bhartia Group .
 
Mr. Vipin Varghese
Manager
CII Water Institute
With over 11 years of experience in programs and outreach, with a strong track record of conceptualizing and delivering high-impact sectoral initiatives at the Water Institute. He has played a key role in leading national and international conferences, industry platforms, and flagship events, driving meaningful engagement across stakeholders.

His expertise lies in industry and government engagement, conference design, branding and communication, as well as facilitating international partnerships and strategic outreach. Vipin has extensive experience in managing end-to-end program execution, including B2B engagements, stakeholder coordination, and operational leadership. He has also been instrumental in strengthening internal processes through the development and implementation of standard operating procedures, while effectively managing sponsor relationships and multi-stakeholder collaborations.

He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and continues to contribute towards building impactful platforms in the water sector.
 
Mr. Vikash Shivhare
Associate Counsellor
CII - Water Institute
Vikash Shivhare is specialized in Remote Sensing and GIS, having 6+ years of professional experience in Remote Sensing and GIS with a diversity of applications including water resources, and hydrological modeling with climate change impacts. He completed his master’s in Geoinformatics from TERI School of Advanced Studies. He is well versed in geospatial technology with the intersection of geospatial data science and machine learning with python programming. He has worked on the development of a fully automated GIS-based model for mapping and monitoring the natural resource and environment, facility management, decision-making for smart infrastructure planning, and other spatial frameworks for efficient planning and development. He has also worked on CSR-based projects related to watershed management and development in the Maharashtra Region. His major publication in peer-reviewed journals focused on the SWAT hydrological modeling, Climate change impacts, Morphometric analysis, Watershed prioritization, groundwater potential zone, floods, etc.

In a Nutshell, He is a motivated and solution-oriented professional to solve the spatial problem allied to water resources using geospatial technology.
 
Mr. Ashish Kumar Chadha
Associate Counsellor
CII - Water Institute
Ashish Kumar Chadha holds a master’s degree in Remote Sensing & GIS from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He joined us from Amnex Info Technologies and specializes in the application of Geospatial technologies in Agriculture and Water Resources management. With experience across both PSU and corporate environments, Ashish brings a well-rounded perspective to his work. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, travelling, and hiking.
 
Mr. Faraz Ahmad
Counsellor
CII - Water Institute
Faraz Ahmad is a water resource management and sustainability specialist with over 12 years of experience in groundwater assessment, watershed restoration, and integrated water planning. His technical expertise includes hydrogeological surveys, aquifer performance testing, recharge assessments, aquifer mapping, and GIS-based evaluations to address drought, water scarcity, and groundwater depletion.

He has led multi-state studies on treated wastewater reuse, urban water resilience, greywater management, and water-body rejuvenation, contributing to frameworks and technical guidance for sustainable water management. Faraz has also developed tools and GIS-based models to support decision-making related to groundwater sustainability and treated wastewater reuse.

His field experience spans watershed-level interventions, identification of demand–supply gaps, and support for community-driven water and livelihood resilience initiatives, including crop diversification and micro-irrigation in drought-prone areas.

Faraz is also experienced in capacity building and knowledge dissemination. He has designed and delivered training programmes for more than 2,000 officials, engineers, and practitioners on groundwater management, watershed development, WASH systems, and urban water sustainability. He holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Aligarh Muslim University.
 
Mr. Anand Kumar
Counsellor
CII - Water Institute
Mr. Anand is more than 13 years experienced result-driven water and wastewater management professional.He has extensive experience in planning, execution, and operations of wastewater and water treatment systems. Skilled in managing end-to-end treatment processes ensuring regulatory compliance, environmental sustainability and cost efficiency. Proven expertise in implementing innovative water management solutions to enhance system performance and resource conservation.

He has previously worked with different leading MNCs working in water and wastewater management in association with various municipal corporations, PSUs, and other industries.
 
Mr. Shailendra Kumar Tripathi
Senior Manager
CII-Triveni Water Institute
Shailendra Kumar Tripathi is having Diploma in Civil Engineer. He has been working in the field of water resource management since last 22 years. His expertise in the water sector lies in the areas related to Water use efficiency; Water audits & water footprints; Water conservation; Watershed management, water supply and sanitation (need assessment, construction of individual house hold toilet, community toilet, implementation of pipe line water supply schemes, construction & supervision of overhead tanks, construction of clear water reservoirs, laying of rising mains as well as distribution mains), integrated water resource management. He is having experience of conducting more than 100 comprehensive water audits and water conservation projects for Governments, PSUs and across multiple industrial sectors. Before joining CII-TWI, he was worked with the Water Resource Department at TERI, New Delhi.
 
Mr. Bharat Ramachandran
Engineer
CII - Water Institute
Bharat Ramachandran has an M.Tech in water resource management from TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi. With a diverse background spanning Environmental law & policy mechanical engineering, clean energy, and a deep passion for environmental conservation, particularly water, he brings a holistic perspective to sustainable water management. Skilled in GIS, hydrology, and understanding the socio-economic dimensions of water, Bharat is dedicated to applying his knowledge to create sustainable solutions for industries. Currently working as an engineer at CII TWI, he focuses on conducting water audits and promoting water neutrality in Indian industries, helping businesses optimize water use and reduce their environmental impact.
 
Mr. Aditya Anand
Engineer
CII - Water Institute
Aditya Anand has completed his B. Tech. in Electronics and Communications Engineering from VIT, Vellore. He has got rich experience of internships from Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defence, Delhi. Aditya has been trained in the fields of Sensors, Wireless Communication Systems, Disaster Management, Project Management and Business Continuity. Aditya has written a Paper on “Fire Data Acquiring System with Short Range Wireless Communication” – The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (the”IEEE”). The paper was presented in the 4th International Conference on Innovations in Power and Advanced Computing Technologies (i-PACT) in December 2023.
 
Mr. Kanuri Manohar
Engineer
CII - Water Institute
Kanuri Manohar holds an MTech degree in Chemical Engineering and currently serves as an Engineer at the CII Water Institute. With over four years of research experience, his expertise spans several key areas, including environmental management, mineral processing, iron making, and process optimization within the iron and steel industry.

Manohar has a strong interest in data science and has been a key member in multiple projects that integrate advanced analytical techniques into industrial processes.

At present, Manohar is focused on water audits at CII Water Institute, where he works on optimizing water usage across various industries. He is also working on water pinch analysis, a methodology for improving water efficiency by identifying potential areas of conservation in industrial settings. His work aims to help industries reduce their freshwater consumption while optimizing wastewater management. ultimately supporting to more sustainable water practices.

Before joining CII-TWI, Manohar worked in Tata Steel and CSIR - National metallurgical laboratory.
 
Ms. Aparna Upadhyay
Engineer
CII - Water Institute
Aparna Upadhyay holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. She has over three years of experience in environmental and water resource sustainability, focusing on innovating water and wastewater systems, managing and implementing field projects in rural settings, conducting baseline assessments and on-field studies, and building community capacities.

Her work has also involved conducting quality assessments of wastewater and water and evaluating efficiencies of various disinfection techniques for treated wastewater. Currently, she is working as an Engineer at CII, contributing to initiatives around water neutrality. Prior to this, she worked with Development Alternatives on various water projects.

Aparna has also presented her research works at international conferences and has a publication in the Journal of Environmental Management.
 
Mr. Aishwarya Pratap Singh
Engineer
CII - Water Institute
Aishwarya Pratap Singh holds a B. Tech in Environmental Engineering from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU). He has over 6.5 years of experience in industrial wastewater treatment and environmental management, with expertise in the distillery sector.

His professional experience includes spent wash management for both molasses- and grain-based distilleries, hands-on work with Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems, and operation of Multi-Effect Evaporators (MEE) and Condensate Polishing Units (CPU). He has also worked on anaerobic digestion systems and the Activated Sludge Process (ASP) for effective effluent treatment and reuse.

Before joining CII, he worked with DCM Shriram Industries Limited, contributing to effluent treatment operations, wastewater reuse, and regulatory compliance in support of sustainable industrial water management.

 
Mr. Priyanshu Ranjan
Engineer
CII - Water Institute
Priyanshu Ranjan holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. He has over 3 years of professional experience in wastewater treatment and management, Environmental impact assessment, Discharge measurement and Baseline environmental studies.

Currently, he is working with CII Triveni Water Institute in the Water Audit and Water Neutrality domain, contributing to industrial water efficiency and sustainable water management initiatives. Before joining CII, he worked with WAPCOS, where he was involved in a comprehensive audit of rainwater harvesting systems and the assessment of drains discharging into the River Yamuna, in association with the Government of Delhi.

 
Mr. Rakesh kumar
Senior Manager - Finance
CII-Water Institute
Rakesh kumar has overall experience of more than 26 years in area of Finance and Accounts management. During his overall tenure he has gained experience in financial planning, monitoring, and framing rules and regulation related to financial management. Last 10 years he is working with Central Team of Finance of CII and handled various profile which includes managing all FCRA Grants, Utilization Certificate towards all Govt and Private Grants, and other various important profile before taking responsibility of Finance & Accounts of CII Water Institute. He has degree in MBA in Finance and Post-Graduate degree in Commerce.
 
Ms. Tanisha Roy
Executive
CII - Water Institute
Tanisha Roy holds a Bachelor's degree from Miranda House, Delhi University, and a Master’s in Politics & International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). With experience in managing social impact CSR projects and producing insightful research, she has previously worked on a financial literacy project with RBI and contributed to initiatives in skill development, nutrition, and education with organizations like American Express, Gartner, HCL, and KFC. Passionate about sustainable development, Tanisha is dedicated to finding evidence-based solutions to social challenges and making a meaningful impact on India’s development landscape.
 
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