Contributor to encyclopedia on sustainable development goals, Pooran Chandra Pandey is a managing director of Soent Group, a Germany based international policy consulting firm. He is also a board member of the World Food Program Trust for India, a specialized Rome based United Nations agency, engaged in fortifying nutrition and addressing hunger and poverty issues around the word including in India.
Having successfully founded a Berlin based global think tank as its CEO, he earlier served India’s largest media house, the Times of India Group, as its director, United Nations Global Compact, India, as its executive director and Ispat Industries Limited as its chief of staff. Pooran initiated and led ‘Teach India’ and ‘Lead India’ campaigns, earning appreciation from the UN Secretary General in 2008 for its impact. He also has advised DVN GL, KPMG, E&Y and Deloitte on water, sustainability and circular economy.
Pooran also served on human rights, labor standards and business for peace working groups of the UN both in New York and Geneva besides being jury member to initiatives of the Yes Bank, Nokia, CRY, World Bank and UNDP. He currently chairs social audit committee of the ACC Limited, the largest Indian cement company.
A British Chevening Scholar at the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science, London, Pooran holds an MPhil in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and has trained at Asian Productivity Organization, Japan, United Nations in New York, Swedish Institute in Stockholm and UNEP-Tongji Institute on Environment for Sustainable Development, Shanghai.
Pooran has 17 policy publications and host of opinion pieces, editorials and special reports to his credit besides having drafted a number of reports and documents for the UN and governments in South, Central Asia and Europe.
A climate reality leader, personally trained by Al Gore, former US vice president and a noble laureate, he has worked in leadership roles in India, Great Britain and Germany.