Lt Col Monish Ahuja
Chairman and Managing Director, Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Private Limited (PRESPL)
Lt Col Monish Ahuja (Retd) CMD, M/s Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Private Limited (PRESPL) is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune and PG (M Tech) in Nuclear Technology (Mechanical) from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
He is known in the Biomass – Bioenergy fraternity as a dedicated and knowledgeable leader. He has been advocating the barriers faced by Biomass-Bioenergy Project Developers at various seminars and forums and has been instrumental in impressing MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India), MoPNG (Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas), MoA&FW (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare), NITI Aayog, G20 Organisation, CEM14-MI8 (Clean Energy Ministerial & Mission Innovation), Global Biofuel Alliance, IRENA, World Bank, JICA, JBIC, etc., towards the use of farm agri-residues biomass-bioenergy based industry in India and globally.
As Chairman CBEII, he is nominated as a committee member to examine the issues of the paddy straw supply chain under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, dated 2.12.2022. He has worked towards sustainable solutions to harness the positive potential of agri-residues and address public health concerns.
He also authored and presented Project 42 in December 2022 to the Prime Minister’s Office in India, Shri Tarun Kapoor, and to Shri Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, which was well received and incorporated as an important part of the Sustainability track and Bioenergy focus. Project 42 continues to find merit and traction across various government agencies, ministries, state governments, and International Financial Institutions as a project report which warrants due attention to mitigate the open field burning of rice paddy straw in North India.
He was invited as a speaker at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, on 31st May 2024. He is speaking on: Sustainable Business, Green Biomass-Bioenergy & Entrepreneurship.
Sustainability & Eco-Cremation
Lt Col Monish Ahuja (Retd) has worked extensively towards Eco-Cremation to replace tree-wood for Hindu Cremation in India. He has been closely working with MoEF&CC, various Central and State government agencies, CPCB, SPCB’s, CAQM, etc. They have really found merit in the initiative, with Eco-Cremation utilising Biomass Briquettes made from farm agri-residues being adopted. It has now become a way of life in respectful death and Agni-Moksh as per Hindu rituals, thereby mitigating deforestation, unethical tree cutting, and overall driving sustainability and addressing climate change challenges.
The initiative and perseverance are highly appreciated and have won accolades and laurels across India. The successful change and societal acceptance in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), Maharashtra, where 89% of the total cremations as of February 2025 have shifted to Eco-Cremation on 100% farm agri-residues biomass briquettes, has become a case study that is duly vetted and is being replicated pan-India.