Invested in Progress

Author of "Break the Block: Lessons from Bengaluru's Rail Battle". Learn more at sathyasankaran.com.

The data from this platform enabled a 342% increased allocation in the Comprehensive Master Plan for cycling and walking, helped put up more than 20 kms of cycle tracks in Bengaluru and won Silvassa Smart City an award for Excellence in Innovation. It is now helping corporates meet their ESG goals. His Relief Riders initiative during the COVID pandemic won the 2021 UN World Bicycle Day Special Award and nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. He is the host of OoruLabs podcast, India's premiere urban affairs podcast. He is the strategy lead delivering a thesis based investing for urban sustainability, waste, energy and materials at Rainmatter foundation. He is the CEO at WattsNext Energy which is redefining the way power is delivered for vehicles and built forms. He is an adjunct faculty teaching Urban Governance and public problem solving for masters students in public policy at Kautilya School, Hyderabad and Mount Carmel, Bengaluru. He is a Director at the waste management startup, Bioman and the Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru.

She led the team from the Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Government of Karnataka in the Smart Cities Mission's Cycles for Change initiative where Bengaluru was chosen as one of the winners for planning and executing cycling infrastructure during the COVID times. She was part of strategizing and designing the first dockless bicycle sharing system in Bengaluru through the permit system. She started her career in the government by anchoring community outreach activities like the longest running Open streets campaign in the country, Cycle Day and Open Streets and assisted in designing the unique Sustainable Mobility Accords which empowers communities through innovative funding towards taking action to make their neighbourhoods move towards sustainable mobility. She has played a key role in bringing to the city UMI award winning Church Street First, a fully pedestrianised street piloted in the CBD of Bengaluru. She currently serves as the Chief Research and Innovation Officer at the Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Government of Karnataka heading the Centre for Research & Innovation (CERI) to provide the necessary impetus to support research initiatives and accelerate innovation in sustainable urban mobility in the State of Karnataka. She is also the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Marketing and External Communications at the BYCS India Foundation.

Over the past 10 years he has been working on civic change and public participation. As a trustee of Citizens for Sustainability he worked on multiple initiatives that have transformed neighbourhoods in the city. He coordinated the transformation of a 3 km street in Sanjaynagar and a Hebbal improvement challenge. He has held the post of Secretary at Indian Institute of Architects for many years. In his current stint as Co-Founder of waste management company Bioman, he has been championing the Zero waste to landfill program aiming to transform the impact waste management will have on the city. Bioman has transformed the way wet waste is processed and is constantly spending on R&D to get the best out of waste.