Padu S. Padmanaban is the former Program Director of the South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy (SARI/E) and Senior Energy Advisor for USAID/India’s bilateral program. He has served with the World Bank, Washington DC as an Energy Efficiency Specialist and is a visiting fellow with the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He has over four decades of experience in the design of national and regional energy efficiency programs, power sector reforms, regional energy integration, energy-water nexus, clean energy and energy access projects including the planning and establishment of national and regional centers of excellence in energy efficiency. He is a trustee of Alttech Foundation, a Bangalore based NGO devoted to advancing water-energy sustainability and also is the founder member of the Alliance for Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), India.
Padmanaban is the recipient of several international and national awards in energy management and efficiency. These include: The Regional Energy Manager of the Year 2019 Award by the United States Association of Energy Engineers; the World Clean Energy Award, 2007 by the Swiss based Transatlantic 21 in global recognition of his achievements in advancing energy efficiency and renewable energy. Recipient of the Hall of Fame Award by the Indian Green Building Council in 2013, the All-India Power award in 2010, and the Energy Professional Development award, 2008 by the Association of Energy Engineers, India.

Padmanaban taught at the School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC. He has a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras (1973), a PG certificate in Fuel Efficiency (1974-76) from National Productivity Council, India and Diplomas in Energy Management from UCTI-IRI, Rome (1981) and ILO, Turin (1983), Italy.