PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Shri. T. L. Sankar, highlighting his 35-year career in the Indian Administrative Service, extensive contributions to energy policy and power-sector reforms, work with the Government of India and Andhra Pradesh, international advisory roles, renewable-energy initiatives, publications, and major recognitions including the Padma Bhushan (2004) and the Solar Energy Society of India Lifetime Achievement Award (2005).
Shri. T. L. Sankar, IAS (Retd.), is a distinguished public servant, energy policy expert, and a pioneering contributor to India’s energy and rural development sectors. With 35 years of service in the Indian Administrative Service, he has made significant contributions to energy policy, power-sector reforms, renewable energy, rural electrification, and sustainable development.
His distinguished career includes serving as Principal Secretary (Industries), Principal Secretary (Finance), and Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board. At the Government of India level, he served as the first Chief of the Project Appraisal Division and the first Energy Advisor of the Planning Commission, contributing to several important national energy policy initiatives.
After retirement, Shri Sankar served as Principal, Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, for more than seven years and continues to contribute as an Honorary Visiting Professor in Energy Policy. He has also advised the governments of several countries through the United Nations and contributed to international energy studies through the Asian Development Bank.
A strong advocate of renewable energy and rural energization, Shri Sankar established the Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF) to promote renewable-energy-based systems at the village level. His extensive writings and research on energy economics, public policy, and rural energy have contributed significantly to the field.
In recognition of his outstanding service to the nation, he was honoured with the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2004. In 2005, the Solar Energy Society of India honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to renewable energy.