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Miniya Chatterji

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Miniya Chatterji, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025
Miniya Chatterji
Born (1979-03-06) March 6, 1979 (age 47)
Jamshedpur, India
Occupation(s)Business executive, sustainability expert, writer, columnist
Years active2002–present
Known forCEO of Sustain Labs Paris, Chief Sustainability Officer at Jindal Steel and Power Ltd

Miniya Chatterji (born 6 March 1979) is a prominent business executive and internationally recognized expert in sustainability, currently based in Dubai. She holds the position of CEO at Sustain Labs Paris, a company active in India, the UAE, and New Zealand that creates large-scale sustainability projects and collaborates with organisations to improve environmental impact, social responsibility, and financial performance.

Within the UAE, Sustain Labs Paris partners with leading organisations such as Dubai World Trade Centre, the Ministry of Education, and ADNOC. In India, the firm supports more than 200 corporate clients.

Chatterji’s work emphasizes innovation in education, having developed ten universities worldwide dedicated to climate-related disciplines. She founded and directs India’s pioneering undergraduate-to-PhD climate school, which offers an engineering degree focused on climate change solutions. During the COVID-19 crisis, she led efforts to convert unused buildings into 28 hospitals across five Indian states and introduced practical innovations like COVID ambulances and mobile testing units integrated into auto rickshaws.

Before this, she served as Chief Sustainability Officer at Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), a $4 billion enterprise, making her one of the youngest leading businesswomen in India. She has delivered speeches at prestigious forums including Davos, the World Economic Forum summits, the United Nations, European Union conferences, Microsoft Innovation Cup, and Digital-Life-Design (DLD).

Chatterji also contributes as a jury member for awards such as the Million Dollar Global Teacher Prize and The Circulars at Davos.

Early life and career

Originating from Jamshedpur, Chatterji completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi in 2001. She earned her PhD along with DEA Honors from Sciences Po in Paris by 2003, accompanied by research fellowships at Harvard University (2004) and Columbia University (2006–2007).

From 2002 to 2006, she worked as a policy analyst within the office of then French President Jacques Chirac. In 2007, she undertook a summer associate role in Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs London before becoming a Hedge Fund Manager at HSBC Hedge Funds in Paris.

After completing her doctorate in Political Sciences from Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris in 2009, she exited investment banking. The following year, she founded the Stargazers Foundation to promote education and healthcare for women in underprivileged areas of India—a commitment she maintains to this day.

In 2011, Chatterji joined the World Economic Forum as Senior Manager responsible for Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia regions. She was also selected as a Global Leadership Fellow by WEF and completed executive leadership training programs at The Wharton School, Columbia University, and INSEAD.

Returning to India in 2014 after spending 14 years overseas, she took on the role of Chief Sustainability Officer at Jindal Steel & Power Ltd., valued at $3.8 billion. In 2018, she founded Sustain Labs Paris.

Jindal Steel and Power Ltd

In June 2014, after more than a decade abroad, Chatterji came back to India to join Jindal Steel & Power Group of Companies as their chief sustainability officer. She was instrumental in creating JSPL’s Business Sustainability division and led an international team operating across India, South Africa, Oman, and Australia. Her responsibilities included formulating strategies aimed at securing medium- to long-term growth for the $3.14 billion steel, power, and infrastructure conglomerate. Under her leadership, multiple editions of JSPL’s Business Sustainability report were published following the GRI G4 standards.

Sustain Labs Paris

In September 2017, Chatterji departed from JSPL to establish her own enterprise, Sustain Labs Paris.

Writer and columnist

Indian Instincts (2018), a compilation of 15 essays published by Penguin Random House, delves into themes of liberty and equality within India, striving to articulate the enduring notion of ‘Indianness’. The book's translation rights were secured by Sampark Publications for Bengali and by Penguin for French editions.

She regularly pens columns for The Indian Express, The Pioneer, and Harvard Business Review. Her literary representation is managed by David Godwin based in London.

Stargazers Foundation

Chatterji founded the Stargazers Foundation in 2010, a charitable organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of India's estimated 11 million street children.

Awards and recognition

Her achievements have been acknowledged through various accolades such as the Navoothan Foundation award for social dedication, the CSR India Award in 2016 for excellence in corporate social responsibility, and the title of India's most influential sustainability leader at the 2018 India Sustainability Leadership Summit. Additionally, she was featured in Business World's 2019 list of 40 under 40 Most Influential Business Leaders in India.

Personal life

Chatterji is married to entrepreneur Chirag Lilaramani. They have one son, whom they educated at home until he reached five years old. Her interests include textiles, modern art, and handloom crafts, which led to her appearance on the cover of Raw Mango's 2015 lookbook as well as a feature in Vogue.

External links

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