Mahesh Yagnaraman

Mahesh Yagnaraman serves as the India Country Director at Acumen since January 2018 and as an Advisor at Hearth Ventures since October 2021. As a Co-Founder and Director at First Energy Private Ltd since July 2009, Mahesh Yagnaraman played a pivotal role in transforming the company from a small initiative into a significant alternative energy business, pioneering biomass fuel solutions, and establishing strategic alliances, notably transitioning the business to Thermax Limited. With a previous leadership role at BP from January 2001 to June 2009, Mahesh Yagnaraman was instrumental in creating an alternative energy company that served over half a million underserved rural consumers in India and setting up innovative distribution structures. Earlier career experience includes various roles at Unilever and Castrol, where Mahesh Yagnaraman contributed to the establishment of sales and marketing frameworks, along with setting up supply chains and category management functions. Mahesh Yagnaraman holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from XLRI Jamshedpur, graduated in 1988.