WASHINGTON: Indian-American Climate Expert Bidisha Bhattacharyya Gets Key Post In US Agriculture Department

WASHINGTON: The Biden administration has
appointed an Indian-American climate and energy expert, who spent three years
deploying solar energy solutions in rural India, to a key position in the
agriculture department.

Bidisha
Bhattacharyya on Monday was appointed as Senior Policy Advisor in the Farm
Service Agency (FSA).

She was
earlier posted as Director of Climate and Energy Policy at the Centre for
American Progress.

Prior to
joining American Progress, Ms Bhattacharyya was vice president of Emerging
Markets at the impact-investment firm Village Capital, where she led a global
team across India, Mexico, and East Africa to invest in high-impact startups
innovating to solve problems across clean energy deployment and financial
inclusion.

She
previously spent three years deploying solar energy solutions in rural India
with the technology startup Simpa Networks, where she led the end-to-end
rollout of a new off-grid solar product line.

Ms
Bhattacharyya spent four years on Capitol Hill as Senior Energy and Agriculture
Policy Adviser to Senator Al Franken of Minnesota and as Energy and Agriculture
Legislative Assistant for Congressman Betty McCollum of Minnesota.

She holds
a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University. She holds a
bachelor’s degree in economics from St Olaf College.