From a village school
to a life of service
Forty years, three lives and one question — told in six chapters, a full record of roles with their years, and what the World Economic Forum recorded along the way.
Six chapters, one throughline
A village school in rural Uttar Pradesh
The journey starts in a modest village school, where values arrived before vocabulary and goodness was simply how neighbours lived. Everything later is built on that ground — and the later question, whether goodness can be taught, is in one sense a question about that village.
IIT Roorkee and IMT Ghaziabad
Electrical engineering at IIT Roorkee, which later named him a Distinguished Alumnus, then an MBA at the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad. An engineer’s habit stayed with him for life: ask how a thing can be measured, and then improve it.
Twenty-five years, fourteen of them as CEO
Satellite, telecom and infrastructure, across four continents, with Indian and multinational companies alike. He led Europe*Star in Asia, Alcatel and Alcatel-Lucent in South Asia, Videocon’s telecom venture as it prepared to launch, and Adani Power as CEO and whole-time director. He served as Co-Chairman of FICCI’s Power Committee and Executive Chairman of CMAI. He was one of India’s youngest telecom MNC CEOs — and came to believe that exceptional performance and ethical leadership reinforce one another.
Stepping away at the peak
With every conventional measure of success in hand, he chose not to pursue more of it. At fifty he left corporate life to give the rest of his working years to nation-building and to institutions that change society through goodness.
Institutions, by appointment
He was appointed by the President of India as Chairman of the Boards of Governors of IIIT Una and IIIT Nagpur. He became Executive Chairman of TEMA, the association of India’s telecom equipment makers. As Founder President of the IIT Alumni Council he galvanised more than 50,000 IITians into nation-building projects at the meeting point of technology and finance. He is a member of the World Economic Forum community.
The Institute of Goodness
A global effort to redefine success by making goodness measurable, teachable and institutional. Through the Goodness Index and Personal Social Responsibility, the Institute is building a framework that carries ethics, responsibility, compassion and stewardship into individuals, education systems, organisations and nations. Mission Chetna recognises those already doing the work. All of it is rooted in his philosophy of Lok Kalyaan — the good of all.
Forty years, in brief
Forty years across telecom, power and nation-building — more than twenty-five of them as CEO, Chairman or Director on the boards of large companies.
IIT Alumni Council
Led the founder group of the global body of alumni from all 23 IITs: 37,000 members within its first year, and a $3B MegaFund for climate change, energy transition, human health and deep tech.
TEMA and CMAI
Grew membership to 48,500 small, medium and large manufacturers, signed cooperation agreements with 50 countries, and worked with the Government on Make in India.
Adani Group
As CEO, made Adani Power India’s fastest-growing and largest power producer — 10,000 MW, more than $10B invested. As Head of Communication, helped the group become the 5th most valuable Indian brand within two years.
Videocon
Started the group’s telecom business in India and built it into a nationwide operator with a pan-India licence for mobile services.
Alcatel-Lucent
Led the integrated organisation to more than 30× revenue growth in four years, making South Asia the fastest-growing region of Alcatel’s businesses in 137 countries.
British Telecom
As VP South Asia, steered three successive joint ventures with Bharti Airtel, including a 44% stake in Airtel’s mobile operations.
Mission Chetna
Has incubated, nurtured and mentored more than 70 NGOs, improving the lives of more than 1 crore people across 11 Indian states.
Roles, institutions and years
Most recent first. Years come from his own profile and CV, published reports and the World Economic Forum; roles without a confirmed year show a dash.
- Now
Institute of Goodness
Founder & ChairmanHis full-time work today: Goodness Index · PSR · Mission Chetna
- 2023
IIIT Nagpur
Chairperson, Board of Governors - 2023
IIIT Una
Chairperson, Board of GovernorsAppointed August 2023
- 2020
TEMA
Executive ChairmanTelecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India
- 2019
IIT Alumni Council
Founder President & Chief VolunteerAlumni of all 23 IITs
- 2013–2015
IMERGY Power Systems, Inc.
Chairman - Adani years
FICCI
Co-Chairman, Power CommitteeAs recorded by the World Economic Forum
- 2010–2012
Adani Power
Chief Executive Officer & Whole-time DirectorIndia’s largest power producer · 10,000 MW
- 2009
Mission Chetna Foundation
Chairman70+ NGOs · 1 crore+ people · 11 states
- 2008
CMAI Association of India
Chairman (Executive Chairman in WEF records) - 2008–2009
Videocon Telecommunications
Chief Executive OfficerStarted the group’s telecom business, pan-India licence
- 1999–2007
Alcatel-Lucent
CEO & President, South Asia30× revenue growth in four years
- —
Europe*Star
CEO, AsiaSatellite communications
- 1995–1998
BT (British Telecom)
Vice President, Operations, South AsiaThree joint ventures with Bharti Airtel, incl. 44% of Airtel’s mobile business
- 1986–1994
UB Group
Head, Corporate Affairs
Education
- 1980–1984
IIT Roorkee
B.Tech (B.E.), Electrical Engineering · later a Distinguished Alumnus - 1987–1990
IMT Ghaziabad
MBA
A poet, a performer, a sportsman
The poet
A published Hindi poet — his collection is Bheegi Ret (भीगी रेत). The columns are an engineer’s argument; the poems are where the same questions are felt.
The performer
A model and an actor, and the voice behind Moonlight Whispers — an album of his poetry sung by leading playback singers.
The sportsman
A former state-level sportsperson. Discipline of the body was the first of the five dimensions he learned.
Ravi Sharma, in brief
Who is Ravi Sharma?
Ravi Sharma is the founder of the Institute of Goodness. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of IIT Roorkee and a former global CEO who spent more than 25 years in satellite, telecom and infrastructure, over 14 of them as a chief executive. At fifty he left corporate life for nation-building.
Which companies did he lead?
He served as CEO of Europe*Star in Asia, of Alcatel and Alcatel-Lucent in South Asia, of Videocon’s telecom venture, and as CEO and whole-time director of Adani Power. He was also Co-Chairman of FICCI’s Power Committee and Executive Chairman of CMAI.
What public roles has he held?
In 2023 he was appointed by the President of India to chair the Boards of Governors of IIIT Una and IIIT Nagpur. He has been Executive Chairman of TEMA (from 2020) and Founder President of the IIT Alumni Council (from 2019), and is profiled by the World Economic Forum. Today his full-time work is the Institute of Goodness.
What is the Institute of Goodness?
An institute he founded to make goodness visible, measurable and teachable. Its three programmes are the Goodness Index, Personal Social Responsibility (PSR) learning from kindergarten through graduation, and Mission Chetna, which recognises changemakers and NGOs.
What does he write about?
His Business India column argues that what we do not measure, we do not value. The columns cover the Goodness Index, high performance, the emergency contact paradox, the character dividend, happiness, the Pentad of Life, education and Viksit Bharat.
How can I invite him to speak?
Write to ravi@instituteofgoodness.org. He speaks in English and Hindi at convocations, conferences, leadership sessions, schools and universities.