Omkar is a research scholar with the Economic Frontiers Program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria. He works on the IIASA Strategic Initiative, Just Transitions to Net-zero Carbon Emissions for All (JustTrans4ALL), focusing on the empirical analysis of drivers for just energy transitions and the resulting implications for wellbeing using household-level data and econometric methods. His research interests include mitigation strategies for deep decarbonization of energy and allied systems, their social and environmental implications, and the institutional and governance challenges emerging from energy system transitions.
He received his PhD in Public Systems from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). He was a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) in Working Group III (Mitigation). Before joining the PhD program, he has worked on projects related to energy transitions and sustainability reporting. His prior experience also includes projects on clean energy access with rural communities in north India, focusing on indoor air quality assessment and the adoption of clean cooking fuels and technologies.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omkar-patange-52023614/
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM so far?
A. After IIFM, I started my journey with the Social Transformation Division at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in Delhi, working on clean energy transitions. Abhishek (PFM 2007) visited the campus for recruitment, and we were asked to present a paper on energy access. I had taken a course on Energy Management offered by Prof. Suprava Patnaik where I learnt about energy poverty and the issues surrounding it. The course was of immense help when appearing for the interview.
After joining TERI, I was introduced to the field of energy access in the real world. A major part of this job was in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh where I learnt about the role of energy in development and how the problem varies in comparison to an urban setting. In my three years at TERI, I spent a lot of time in the field where I got the opportunity to work on three different aspects of energy transitions. First, we had our primary project on the dissemination of clean cooking and lighting technologies with the help of rural entrepreneurs. Second, we were testing novel technologies for measuring and monitoring the indoor air pollution and usage of clean cookstoves. The final project was a survey-based evaluation of household’s adoption of clean energy technologies. The second and third project were mostly with academics who inspired me to pursue a career in research.
After finishing my field assignments with TERI, I shifted to the Delhi office and was contemplating on new projects to further explore the vast field of energy transitions. When I moved to Delhi, I got a call from Amit and Avinav (PFM 2011) who were looking to recruit people in their energy and sustainability team at Deloitte. The work sounded exciting, and I entered the world of consulting and sustainability reporting for about a year. In 2016, I received a fellowship from IIMA to pursue a PhD in the Public Systems Group.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. Throughout my journey, I have always found opportunities to work on diverse set of problems in my areas of interest. I have been fortunate to get the support and guidance of fellow IIFM’ites in this endeavour. The learnings from the PFM program and the vibrant network of alumni have always played an important role in my career. The coursework was instrumental in adapting to the changing demands from the industry and social sectors.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.
A. To the freshers and recent graduates, I would suggest identifying an area of their interest and start working on a problem using the skill sets they have acquired so far. Eventually, you can focus on developing new skill sets and expand the problem space for personal and career growth. For me, the path for higher studies and research came by accident. However, I believe it doesn’t matter whether you are into academics or the industry as long as you are enjoying your work and are finding new avenues to expand your knowledge.
Q. How did you decide to go for higher studies post IIFM? And how was the experience?
A. With the advice of my academic project partners, I started applying for PhD programs in India and abroad and ended up at IIM Ahmedabad, but before that, I took another career stop at Deloitte in Gurugram.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. My favorite memories are from the field trips which were an integral part of the coursework. In our first year we visited Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Prof. A K Dharni, IFS, who accompanied us during this visit, had served in these areas. We got the opportunity to explore the forest areas in the western ghats beyond the tourist destinations. In the second year, we went to Uttarakhand where our group met with the Shri Sundarlal Bahuguna. I still remember his story about the movement against the Tehri dam. All travel experiences (field trips, summer internships) during the IIFM days were extraordinary.
Picture Courtesy: Arnab Subba
Picture courtesy: Nishant Rai
In addition, the walks through the campus with friends and discovering snakes on the way, organizing events as part of the adventure club, birthday parties in the caves, watching the 2011 cricket world cup in the TV room, and of course, staying up late at night because someone started a debate on Federer vs. Nadal and then trying to stay up in an early morning class – these are some of the unforgettable memories from the IIFM days.
Picture Courtesy: Ashish Bhambhani
Picture courtesy: Arnab Subba
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. After my engineering, I worked for just over a year and then left my job because I did not want it to be my long-term career. I think the courses and campus life at IIFM, along with the discussions with faculty and the alumni, gave me ideas on career options after IIFM. Later on, Prof. Advait Edgaonkar was of great support when I was planning to pursue a PhD.
Some sessions during the coursework, like when Prof. C P Kala shared his research on the Valley of Flowers, were really inspiring. During our orientation at IIFM, we frequently heard the word “sensitisation”. In hindsight, apart from the coursework, the two years also sensitised me about the social aspects of forestry and environment which played an important role in my personal and professional growth.
Q. The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A. In my free time, I used to go to Nishant and S Deepak’s room, where I would always find three other people who would be discussing random issues along with daily campus gossips. Most of our “extracurricular” ideas like “GenuineRumors” (a Facebook page for campus gossips) came out of these discussions. I would return to often find my roommate, Omkar Dutta, engrossed in figuring out a bird species based on the sounds he heard from our balcony.
Picture courtesy: Nagendra Kumar
Picture courtesy: Chayan Bandopadhyay
Q. As an alumni, what’s your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. To get the best out of IIFM, I would suggest the current students to find an interesting problem to work on and explore innovative ways to solve it. The IIFM pedagogy offers ample opportunities for personal and professional growth and at the same time have your share of fun on campus.
Q. What was your typical day at the work? And how does it look like while you are on a break?
A. I started my current job in May last year. My typical day at work starts around 8:30 AM. The first few hours are spent on project related assignments (data analysis, writing), followed by going through emails, attending meetings, and other administrative work as and when it appears. I leave for home at around 5 PM.
Q. And how about weekends, hobbies, family and anything else you want to add?
A. Evenings are typically spent exploring the city with my wife. Weekends are usually reserved for grocery shopping and household chores. At times, we also undertake short trips to places around Vienna.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?
A. I love watching movies and web series in my free time. Though I am not an avid reader, I do enjoy novels by Arthur Hailey and Fredrick Forsyth. Some of the non-fictions I liked are Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari) and Civilization (Naill Ferguson).
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students? Your engagement with IIFM Placement or OT/SI?
A. I would be happy to offer elective courses or conduct workshops related to energy transitions and share my experience with the students. The alumni working in academics and research could collaborate with their peers in the industry to offer relevant electives and prepare the current batches for summer internships and placements.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there?
A. In the last ten years, I feel the alumni network has become much more active. I see this as a positive and believe that it will help IIFM during its current phase of transition.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. Nishant Rai, Omkar Dutta, S Deepak Kumar (PFM 2012)