Dr. Prabhjot Kaur has joined IIIT Hyderabad as the Head of the Development Office within the Outreach Office. She is a nationally recognised innovation leader with over two decades of experience in product development, technology commercialization, strategic fundraising, and building high-impact industry–academia partnerships. Her career spans leadership roles across startups, academia, and national missions, with a strong focus on translating research into scalable ventures.

Before joining IIITH, Dr. Kaur served as the CEO and Co-founder of Esmito Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a pioneering startup in battery swapping, energy management systems, and charging infrastructure platforms. She previously held leadership roles as Founder and CEO of the Centre for Battery Engineering and EVs (CBEEV) at IIT Madras and Director of the Reliance Telecom Centre of Excellence.

As CEO of Esmito and Principal Scientist at IIT Madras, she played a key role in developing and licensing patented Solar DC and EV technologies to major multinational and domestic industry partners. She has successfully mobilized over ₹152 crore through PPPs, CSR initiatives, and government grants—demonstrating her ability to translate institutional research into real-world outcomes.

Dr. Kaur has contributed significantly to national standards and certification frameworks for solar wiring systems, electric vehicles, and charging infrastructure, serving as Convenor and Member on several BIS and government committees. Her research portfolio includes 11 granted patents, 50+ peer-reviewed publications, and 1500+ citations, reflecting deep translational impact.

Her work has been recognised through numerous awards, including the VASVIK Industrial Research Award (2020), IEEE Technology of the Year Award – Service of Society (USA), Microgrid Greater Good Award (USA, 2019), Climafix Startup Award (2024), EV India Award (2023), and recognition among the Top 50 Global Women Contributors in Energy & EVs by IESA (2022).

At IIIT Hyderabad, Dr. Kaur will lead strategic fundraising, donor engagement, and resource mobilisation to strengthen the institute’s research, innovation, and societal impact initiatives. She is deeply committed to mentoring entrepreneurs, building supportive resource ecosystems, and advancing institutional growth through innovation-led strategy and execution.

November 2025