Lavanya started her career as a Research Associate in a consulting firm, primarily focused on macroeconomic analysis, and then shifted to work in the renewable energy industry to get a ringside view of how the dynamics of macro economic policy, industrial policy and market conditions play out in real time. She has also worked as a consultant for a project titled Eco taxes in India at the Madras School of Economics. She developed an interest in questions which lay at the intersection of Development Economics, Policy and Sustainability, and joined a social enterprise focusing on sustainability, as a core member of the founding team. She served as the Head of Policy and Government Relations there.

During the course of her tenure at the social enterprise, she was a consultant for a project launched by the Department of Planning, Government of Andhra Pradesh. The objective of the project was to ensure that minimum facilities required for human wellbeing, such as health, sanitation and education, are available in  all wards and villages in the state.

She also served as the lead consultant in a project for the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. The project aimed at making the hospitality sector ready to address the adverse fall out of tourism by incorporating environmental and social sustainability practices in their operations. It involved development of a set of indicators to measure baselines, encourage goal setting and guide the progress.

Experience

1. Head of Policy and Government Relations at Smarter Dharma Sustainable Solutions Pvt Ltd

• Helmed a project titled Sustainability in Tourism and Development for the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with National Institute of Advanced Studies
• Program Manager for the Smart Village, Smart Ward program of the Government of Andhra Pradesh implement by the Department of Planning of the State

2. Senior Research Analyst at Frost and Sullivan

• Authored several syndicated industry forecast research reports by analysing industry policy and relevant macro-economic and social parameters

3. Consultant and Project Coordinator at Madras School of Economics

• Consultant on a project titled Eco Taxes in India submitted to the MNRE and implemented under the aegis of the British High Commission in India

4. Assistant Manager, Strategy and Market Research at Suzlon Energy

Conferences and Publications

Co-authored paper titled A Critical Analysis of Sustainable Tourism Policy of the State of Karnataka, India, presented at the INDAM conference hosted by IIM, Trichy

Workshops & Certifications:

• Certified Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Programmer
• Time Series Modeling Certification, Madras School of Economics
• Sustainable Production and Consumption Patterns, TERI
• Certificado de español, Instituto Hispania

Personal Interests

Voluntary Work

• As a registered Online Volunteer for United Nations, taught English as a second language to children in classes I to IX from economically disadvantaged families in Trichy
• Conducted creative writing workshop in a school run for tribal children in Anaikatti

Education & Certifications

• MA International & Business Economics, Mother Teresa University
• BA Economics, The Ethiraj College for Women, University of Madras