Gruner Renewable Energy Appoints Dr. Alok Sharma as Mentor and Advisor (R&D)

Gruner Renewable Energy (GRE) has appointed former Indian Oil Corporation Director (R&D) and Board Member Dr. Alok Sharma as Mentor and Advisor (R&D), strengthening its leadership team as the company advances its technology driven clean energy strategy.

Dr. Sharma brings decades of experience in the downstream energy sector. He currently serves as Visiting Chair Professor at the Centre of Excellence for Oil & Gas at IIT Bombay and Professor of Practice at IIT Roorkee. He is also Senior Vice President of the Hydrogen Association of India and President of the National Lubricating Grease Institute India.

A Chemical Engineering graduate from IIT Delhi, Dr. Sharma has contributed to India's refining industry across process engineering, projects, and production. During his tenure at Gujarat Refinery, he played a key role in establishing India's first hydrocracker unit.

Throughout his career, Dr. Sharma has led research and development in hydrogen, gasification, solar energy, biofuels, carbon dioxide capture, catalysts, and energy storage technologies. He holds more than 60 granted patents in India and overseas.

Welcoming the appointment, Utkarsh Gupta, Founder and CEO of Gruner Renewable Energy, said that Dr. Sharma's expertise in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen, biofuels, and advanced energy technologies will strengthen the company's innovation capabilities as it expands its BioCNG and emerging green energy businesses.

Dr. Sharma said that India's clean energy transition offers significant opportunities for innovation and sustainable growth, adding that he looks forward to contributing his experience in technology and research to support Gruner Renewable Energy's mission of advancing sustainable energy solutions.

Dr. Sharma has received several national and international honours, including the Endeavour Fellowship Award from the Government of Australia, the ICMA Award, the World Petroleum Congress Excellence Award, the FIPI Innovation Award, and the CHT Innovation Award for contributions to hydro processing technologies and biofuel innovation.

He has also served as a Board Member of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Oil Industry Development Board, while contributing to hydrogen research, biofuel policy, startup mentoring, and academic research.

Gruner Renewable Energy said that the appointment reinforces its commitment to technology, innovation, and sustainable growth as it expands integrated renewable energy solutions across BioCNG, renewable fuels, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), operations, and clean energy infrastructure.