Summary: #PlasticWarrior, TEDx speaker, Writer and Entrepreneur – Medha had never thought of working in waste management sector. “an accidental environmentalist” is how she describes her journey. Her life has taken her to different countries, jobs and streams of education. She was never at peace working regularly in 9 to 5 job for someone else. This thirst for knowledge, fulfillment and passion for master of own destiny has led her to be the co-founder of her own ventures namely Rudra Environmental Solutions (India) Ltd, Mantraa Research & Consultants Pvt Ltd, and Phoenix General Insurance Brokers Pvt Ltd, where she serves a Director. She is also a founder trustee of Founder Trustee of “Keshav Sita Memorial Foundation Trust” Always yearning for more she started the first company in market research and Medha found herself working on waste plastic after witnessing the death of deer in wild life sanctuary. The passion and determination to find a solution on waste plastic resulted in Medha and her business partner Shirish Phadtare in to building a first pilot machine in 2010, which successfully converted waste plastic in to usable fuel. Looking at bigger picture has led Medha a trustee of “Keshav Sita Memorial Foundation Trust” to create awareness of waste plastic and segregation at source for better waste management. Today the Trust collects waste plastic from more than 25,000 households, hotels and offices in and around Pune. She has managed to connect and inculcate habit of source segregation amongst more than 1 lakh people. The trust has also been collecting waste plastic from faraway places like Baramati, Baneshwar, Raigad Fort, Bhima Shankar, Thane and Dombiwali. Her efforts have helped collection of more than 10,00,000 kg of waste plastic which was otherwise headed for landfill. She has earned her MBA from Nottingham University, UK, LLB from Pune University as well as PhD in Branding. She has studied for MSc in Psychology and has completed many diplomas in subjects ranging from IPR, Journalism, Marketing and Forensic Science. Her passion for writing has been evident as She has been writing columns on self- help and management for leading Marathi newspapers such as Loksatta, Maharashtra Times, and Sramana for more than 15 years. She has also penned two books namely “Domestic Violence – a reality” and “Impressive Manners” Medha who has published many scholarly papers on management and marketing research, in several leading international journals; also conducts lectures and seminars on communication, branding and women empowerment in various colleges and institutes across Maharashtra. She has been recipient of many awards, namely “Yadnyawalka Award”, Sukhakarta Award, Phoenix Leading Lady 17 and “V” 18 Award, Swachhodaya U.P Award 2019, iWomen Global award19, HNIMR Best Educator 19, VNWC Gold award 19, TIP 20 in Abu Dhabi and she was one of top 30 Women Transforming India of Niti Ayog. She is a trained Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancer who devotes majority of her time in creating awareness on waste plastic. Contact her: drmedha@rudraenvsolution.com/medhat235@gmail.com
