Nithya Ramanathan

Indian environmental scientist driving clean energy access in underserved communities

Nithya Ramanathan (b. 1980) is the founder of Goonj's energy initiatives, transforming waste into renewable energy solutions for India's rural poor. A chemical engineer by training, she shifted focus in 2012 after witnessing villagers burning plastics for cooking fuel. By 2014, she pioneered Plastic for Change, a program converting non-recyclable plastics into briquettes for clean cooking.

Her 2016 innovation, the Mobile Energy Cart, brought solar charging stations to 150 villages, providing 500+ hours of light annually per household. A 2017 partnership with TERI developed biogas systems using agricultural waste, adopted by 8,000+ households by 2019. Her 2018 report Waste to Watts influenced India's National Clean Energy Policy, mandating 10% waste-based energy by 2022.

Ramanathan's most notable achievement is the 2019 Green Hero initiative, training 5,000 women as energy entrepreneurs. These women now manage decentralized solar grids, reducing kerosene use by 70% in their regions. Her work has been profiled in National Geographic's Planet or Plastic? series but remains under the radar compared to larger NGOs. Ramanathan's TED Talk Garbage to Gold (2018) has 2.3 million views, showcasing her vision of circular economies in developing nations.