Book Launch | ‘Powering the Future’ by Neha Saigal, with Nirmala Raja & Md. Ainul

India’s energy transition is not just about moving from coal to renewables — it is about who gets to shape that future. 

Join author Neha Saigal in conversation with Nirmala Raja and Md. Ainul as they explore what a truly just and inclusive energy transition looks like on the ground — from women-led environmental action and community livelihoods to the realities of coal-affected communities. Drawing on stories from across India, the conversation will ask what it takes to put women, communities and lived realities at the heart of our energy future from the book Powering the Future.

This will be followed by an interactive Q&A with the audience.

Here are the details:

Date: 3rd October 2026, Saturday

Time: 6:00 PM (seating begins at 5:45 PM)

Venue: Champaca Bookstore, Vasanth Nagar

RSVP here to register.

About the book: 

What does India’s energy transition look like when seen through the lives of women shaping it every day?

Powering the Future travels across Odisha, Maharashtra, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu to tell stories of women at the centre of change as entrepreneurs powering rural livelihoods with solar energy, innovators rethinking clean cooking, civic leaders advancing electric mobility, communities facing the uncertainties of coal, and women bringing care and equity into institutions and policy. These are not only stories of clean energy, but of dignity, work, health, resilience, and hope. At a time when India is rapidly reimagining its energy future, this publication invites readers to look beyond targets and technologies, and to recognise the women whose leadership is already lighting the way.

Meet the author:

Neha Saigal is the author, CEO and co-founder of climate & care collective and the co-founder of intertidal lab. Neha’s work focuses on the intersections of ecology, feminism and regenerative economies. Her work involves working closely with leaders who are reimagining futures rooted in care during this time of polycrisis.

About the speakers: 

Nirmala Raja is the Chairperson of Ramco Community Services, where she oversees initiatives spanning education, mental health, environmental restoration and community development. She is also the Managing Director of Rajapalayam Mills Limited.

A Board Member of Arsha Vidya Mandir and the Indian Schools Debating Society, she has been closely involved in the development of Arsha Vidya Mandir since its establishment in 2002. She currently serves on the Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change.

Md. Ainul is a grassroots activist from Taitulya village in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. His work brings communities together around issues of water, forests, land and people’s rights, including the Right to Education, Right to Information, Forest Rights Act and Right to Food.

He was also one of the key organisers of the campaign to clean and protect the Damodar River, a lifeline for Jharkhand, combining grassroots mobilisation with efforts to build greater awareness about the river and its importance to local communities.

RSVP here to register.