Dr. Ajay Deshpande, an Indian national, is a seasoned environmental governance and sustainability expert more than 30 years of experience in environmental compliance and governance. Holding a Doctorate in Environmental Engineering from IIT Delhi and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Mumbai University, he specializes in pollution control, environmental governance and policy, climate change mitigation, environmental, social and governance (ESG), circular economy, and environmental safeguards. He has held key positions, including as Expert Member at India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) (2013-2017) and Compliance Review Panel Member at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2017-2022), advising on large-scale environmental restitution and sustainability projects. He has been an environmental regulator at Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (1997-2012) and has experience in environmental investigations, consultations, grievance redressal, enforcement, and compliance, besides environmental permitting. He has also worked in consultancy area with M/s Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Ltd from 1992-1997) working on Environmental and social impact assessment studies for river valley projects, Hydro power and thermal power plants, and industrial pollution monitoring and abatement related studies. He was also part of several national level committees working on environmental appraisals for developmental projects, formulation of environmental standards, and waste management.  

Ajay has played a pivotal role in shaping environmental policies, including contributions to India’s environmental improvement action plans, Circular Economy Action Plan and Resource Efficiency initiatives. As an Adjunct Professor at IIT Bombay, he continues to teach environmental policy and sustainability while driving research and thought leadership in environmental governance, climate action and circular economy.