# Meher Pudumjee

Meher Pudumjee is an Indian businesswoman and philanthropist, currently serving as the chairperson of Thermax Limited, an energy and environmental engineering company. She was named as a Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2008 and has been listed among India's Most Powerful Businesswomen 2012 by Forbes. Pudumjee appeared on Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women list each year from 2011 to 2020.
In 2022, she and her mother were included in the Kotak Hurun list of Wealthiest Indian Women, with a reported net worth of ₹14,530 crore. Pudumjee is chairperson of the Akanksha Foundation and a trustee of Teach to Lead, both educational non-profits.

## Early life and education

Born in Pune, Maharashtra, Meher Pudumjee graduated from Nowrosjee Wadia College, Pune. She completed her postgraduate studies in chemical engineering at Imperial College London. She is the daughter of Anu Aga and Rohinton Aga.

## Career

Meher Pudumjee joined Thermax in 1990 and managed a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, leading to improved performance within three years. After returning to India in September 1996, she joined Thermax's Board of Directors, focusing on finance, treasury management, and overseeing joint ventures in drinking water and air pollution control operations. In January 2001, she became a non-executive director and was appointed Vice Chairperson in 2002. She was involved in the company’s turnaround efforts. Pudumjee assumed the role of Chairperson on October 5, 2004, succeeding Anu Aga upon her retirement, and worked to reposition Thermax with an emphasis on sustainable energy and environmental practices.
During her tenure as chairperson, Thermax developed solar thermal and photovoltaic panels to reduce environmental impact. Pudumjee implemented strategies to strengthen the company's core operations, enhance corporate governance, and expand its international presence. By 2012, Thermax reported annual revenues exceeding ₹5,000 crore (approximately USD $1 billion).
She expanded its international operations by acquiring Danstoker A/S and its German subsidiary, Omnical Kessel, in November 2010. In March 2012, the company acquired Rifox-Hans Richter GmbH, a manufacturer of steam accessories, and later took a 33% stake in Pune-based First Energy, a producer of biomass stoves and pellet fuel for residential and commercial use. In May 2022, she was appointed as an Independent Director of Pidilite Industries.

## Non-business activities

Meher Pudumjee served as the Chairperson of the Pune Zonal Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from 2014 to 2015. She is an active member of the CII's Family Business Forum and Young Indians. While with CII's Young Indians, she chaired the National Employability Initiative.

## Philanthropy

Pudumjee is engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly in education. She worked with Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit which focuses on educating underprivileged children, with Thermax providing funding and Akanksha managing three municipal schools in Pune. She also serves on the board of Teach For India, a non-governmental organization that promotes education in underprivileged communities. She also runs Thermax Social Initiative Foundation, a CSR arm of Thermax.
She is one of the founders of the Pune City Connect Development Foundation and serves on the boards of the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and the Imperial College India Foundation. She is a founding member of Social Venture Partners India, a philanthropic network, and currently chairs its Pune chapter.

## Personal life

Meher Pudumjee married Pheroz Pudumjee in March 1991, who serves as a director at Thermax. They have a son named Zahaan and a daughter named Lea. She enjoys playing the piano and is a member of the Pune-based choir, Chamber Singers.

## Awards and recognition

In 2006, she received the FE Women in Business Young Achiever Award from The Financial Express. In 2009, she was awarded CEO of the Year by Business Standard. She was named among India Today‘s 25 most powerful professional women in India in 2011 and appeared on Forbes' Most Powerful Businesswomen list in 2012.
Business Today magazine named her in its "Most Powerful Women" lists for 2010, 2012, and 2015. In 2018, she was included in India Today's list of 30 frontline women.
She is a fellow of the Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellowship at the Ananta Aspen Centre. In 2020, she was included in Hurun's list of India's 100 richest people. In 2022, Meher Pudumjee and her mother, Anu Aga, were ranked seventh on the Kotak Private Banking-Hurun Leading Wealthy Women 2021 list, with an estimated net worth of ₹14,530 crore. She was ranked as the 5th most influential woman in family-owned businesses in India, according to the 2024 Barclays Private Clients Hurun India report, which noted Thermax's valuation at ₹44,000 crore. Meher Pudumjee has been listed in Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women list from 2011 to 2020 for several consecutive years.