Adhitya Raghavan

Adhitya Raghavan is a Master of Business Administration student at Harvard Business School and the co-founder of Nirmaan, a venture committed to addressing the issue of unreliable electricity in rural India. 

Nirmaan’s battery storage solutions target rural communities in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, where over 60% of the population lives without reliable electricity. Dependence on diesel generators costs families up to 30% of their monthly income and significantly contributes to local air pollution. Nirmaan’s innovative battery energy storage technology ensures consistent, clean energy access, empowering communities to thrive economically and socially. Nirmaan’s battery energy storage system will also increase productivity in manufacturing and adoption of renewable energy, as batteries ensure grid stabilization, load leveling, and the ability to store solar energy during peak demand. This comes at an exciting time when battery prices are dropping, making them commercially viable and affordable for users. Adhitya’s dedication to solving the problem of unreliable electricity in rural India stems from personal experience. Hailing from Srivilliputthur, a small village in South India, he witnessed firsthand the daily struggles caused by inconsistent power supply. During his undergraduate thesis, he worked on rural farms in Egypt and India, developing cold storage solutions for crops hindered by the lack of uninterrupted electricity. 

Before attending Harvard Business School, Adhitya worked at Bain and Company, contributing to social impact projects like developing a new teacher matching algorithm for Teach for America. As a Boustany Fellow, he set up a $100M impact investment fund for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, focused on the Ocean Economy. 

As a Cheng fellow, Adhitya aims to leverage his skills and experiences to provide stable, clean energy to rural communities and the world through Nirmaan, building best in class battery energy storage systems, driving economic growth and enhancing quality of life.