Our People

Anuj Bhagwati completed his B.S. (Engineering Physics) with distinction (1991) and M.S. (Applied Physics) (1994) – both from Cornell University, USA. Mr Bhagwati, who now heads the A.T.E. Group, joined the Group in 1994. He has been actively involved in a wide range of activities in the group: he introduced IT to the group, managed several companies, put together joint ventures, and has been a part of divestments, turnarounds, start-ups and scale-ups. In the process he has transformed A.T.E. into a modern and technology-oriented group. Under the leadership of Mr Bhagwati, the group has diversified into IoT solutions and safety, health and sustainable technology. The group’s foray into sustainable technology reflects Mr Bhagwati’s personal commitment to the environment. Mr Bhagwati has been involved over the last two decades with the Textile Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (TMMA), India, and was the Chairman for the years 2009-2011. He is deeply involved with various non-profit bodies as well, such as the Urban Design Research Institute (Trustee), the Kala Ghoda Association (Executive Committee Member), Praja Foundation (Trustee), K J Somaiya Trust (Trustee) and the A.T.E. Chandra Foundation (Director). From 2012-2018, he was a member of the Advisory Council of the College of Architecture Art and Planning of Cornell University, USA.

Nikesh Jain is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He has over 30 years of experience across functions: Corporate accounts & finance, business planning, investor relations, IPR, legal and commercial, administration and HR. He is responsible for group finances, projects, joint ventures, and general management of the group.

Dr Prasanna Rao Dontula leads research and development at A.T.E. His team develops detailed concepts and designs, builds and evaluates prototypes for new products for diverse applications aimed to improve energy efficiency and conserve resources. A mechanical engineer from V.J.T.I. (Mumbai), Dr Dontula completed his post graduation in Materials Science and Mineral Engineering at U.C. Berkeley, before he received his doctorate in Chemical Engineering at U. Minnesota, U.S.A. Since 1993, he has worked on varied clean technologies and enabling areas such as membranes, chemical process additives, effluent and process water treatment, and energy efficiency. He has experience in a number of roles such as R&D Manager and Process Development Manager (at Unilever), and Engineering Technical Leader (at GE). His responsibilities have included academic research and teaching, industrial R&D, process and product development, supply chain innovations, intellectual property management and competitor analysis, R&D strategy and leadership. Dr. Prasanna has co-authored 16 articles in peer reviewed journals, book chapters and other articles. He is the co-inventor on 10 patents, and has developed and helped commercialize more than 12 new product and process innovations.

Abhijit Kulkarni holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from University of Pune and a post graduate diploma in Marketing Management from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune. Prior to joining A.T.E., Mr Kulkarni has served as Business Head, General Machinery (Motors, Gear Boxes, Fluid Power, Construction, Textile) at SKF India where he worked for a period of 24 years. He has also served as a Business Head, Defence division as well as Business Unit Head, Energy Segment Sales. Mr Kulkarni is a seasoned business leader with 24 years of experience of which 16 years in sales domain and 8 years in manufacturing functions.

Technocrat with 27 years of experience and passionate to provide technical sustainable solution in field of Energy & Environment.

Managed Sales, Service, Business development, Enterprise Sales and Channel business at India as well as International markets for increasing reach, profitability and achieving business objectives.

Pivotal in successful launch & promotion of green technology solutions & services through campaigns, seminars, industry events & business channel associates.

Sandeep Kohli has an experience of more than 28 years in HVAC&R industry. He is a Mechanical Engineer with an MBA in Marketing.

He has been instrumental in establishing many new concepts and products for various companies of HVAC&R industry in India. These include Energy Recovery Ventilators, Energy Recovery Wheels, Rooftop Units, Chillers and Air Handling Units etc.

He is passionate about Environment protection and Sustainability. He has been involved in Sales & Marketing of Energy Saving Products such as ERVs, HRWs, High COP Chillers, AHUs with EC+ Fans, EC Fans and Plug Fans with VFD etc.

Many of his articles have appeared in “I-Share” magazines which are published quarterly from ISHRAE Delhi Chapter. He has also conducted workshops on regular basis on “Air Handling Units (AHUs)” at various ISHRAE platforms.

His current role at HMX as Vice President involves establishing Air Handling Unit (AHU) business in India, managing Global Projects & Service and Global Sales Management.

Hemant Apastamb holds a Master of Management Science and a degree in Mechanical Engineering, bringing over 30 years of extensive experience in diverse fields, including Operations, Business/Operational Excellence, Supply Chain Management, Lean Manufacturing, Innovation, Quality Management, EHS (Environmental Health & Safety), and Industrial Engineering.

Key Certifications:

• TRIZ Level 2 Practitioner – Certification by MATRIZ (Russia)
• Edward de Bono Certified trainer for ‘Lateral Thinking’ & ‘Six Thinking Hats’
• SKF Certified – ‘Business Excellence Practitioner’ and ‘Six Sigma Green Belt’
• LRQA Certified Internal Auditor for ISO 14001 & for OHSAS 18001

In addition to his professional qualifications, Mr Hemant Apastamb is an honorary Joint Secretary of the Indian National Suggestions’ Schemes Association (INSSAN), Western India Chapter. His leadership and expertise continue to drive innovation and operational excellence in every venture he undertakes.

Ravi Kishore Reddy holds an electrical & electronics engineering degree and a postgraduate degree in control systems from Delhi College of Engineering. He completed post graduate executive management program from S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai with honours.

A techno-manager with over 16 years of experience in the electro-mechanical domain, he has overseen new product development from concept to commercialisation and managed multiple R&D programs to deliver innovative industrial products.

At A.T.E. Group, he leads the Research and Development, Design & Engineering functions with a strong focus on innovation, technology integration, and product excellence. With a blend of technical expertise and leadership acumen, he is passionate about fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, speed, and quality in product development.

Prashant Bhaware has an experience of over 15 years in HVAC & R industry. He has an expertise in alternative cooling technologies, primarily focused on evaporative cooling. A keen follower of sustainable practices in air-conditioning, he is involved in developing applications and markets for energy-efficient products involving evaporative cooling, energy recovery, thermal energy storage and small process chillers.

His current role at HMX as Deputy General Manager of Domestic Sales involves managing a wide range of innovative and eco-friendly products based on Indirect Evaporative Cooling. Prashant has presented papers on the ISHRAE platform at Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Coimbatore and Indore.