Smita is an architect with over 17 years of diverse global experience in providing sustainability solutions for the built environment spanning building design, academic and consulting research, and energy policy and development sectors. Smita’s work has focused on reduction of energy and associated carbon emissions from buildings and cities, especially, incorporating and advancing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, including renewable energy technologies, in design, policies and regulations for the built environment.
Prior to founding energe-se, Smita worked in the development sector leading the Buildings and Appliance energy efficiency programmes at Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, New Delhi. She provided strategic direction to the programmes and managed funding portfolios supporting technical assistance and facilitating stakeholder dialogue towards energy policy development, implementation, capacity building, and design of data frameworks and market mechanisms. She also served as the Regional Director India (Interim) at Global Buildings Performance Network, (GBPN) Paris and provided guidance to global partner organisations to support energy efficiency goals in India.
Smita has worked on a range of research, consultancy and knowledge transfer projects as a research fellow at the Oxford Institute of Sustainable Development, UK and as an independent consultant in India. These have included projects for the World Bank, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, UK and EU Research Councils, UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board, and leading UK and Indian architectural practices and building industry organisations. She has taught postgraduate architecture students as an Associate lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, UK. She has also worked in architectural practices in Delhi and London, focusing on sustainable design, energy efficient and low cost construction technologies and redevelopment strategies for heritage towns. As a building sector expert, she is a frequent speaker at policy, industry and media events and has published widely in reputed peer reviewed international journals and conferences.