Kamlesh Kumar Pal
Allahabad
Summary
Experienced management professional in sustainability space with 10+ years of experience in program and project management, experience of working with Apparel, Textile, and Footwear brands, supply chain actors, private sector, policy makers, Banks, and Financial Institutions with proven record of professional integrity and communication skills.
Demonstrated success in project coordination, strategic planning, and team leadership. Strong problem-solving abilities, coupled with exceptional communication skills, have consistently driven program initiatives to successful completion. Hands on experince in convening, fostering partnerships and building strong relationships both within the organization and external stakeholders.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Program Officer
IDH, The Transforming Markets
Gurugram
01.2024 - Current
- Managing decarbonization, circularity, and Decent work & Social compliance programs for Textile, Apparel, and Footwear sectors in India and Vietnam.
- Co-developed roadmap of decarbonization strategy for Vietnam Textile and apparel sector with seven apparel brands.
- Led GHG calculation tool development for textile recycling with technical partner Greenstitch for Scope 3 compliance for Tier 2+ actors.
- Supported Future Forward Factories blueprint project (Business case development) with Bluwin and Fashion for Good for tier 2 supplier for more greener production in Indian sub-continent.
- Drove communications, pitch development, and partnerships with Ministry of Textiles, Apparel Impact Institute, Cascale and other ecosystem players globally.
- Leading roadmap development for decent work and social compliance for tier 1 manufacturer in India, this has been co-development exercise with global brands (ongoing). This is yet to be demonstrated at factory floor.
- Developed tool for Self-assessment & Performance Resilience (Social, Environmental, Building & Worker safety) of Micro, Small, and Medium Industries in textile, apparel, and footwear sector to be in healthier space to comply with scope 3 and emerging regulations.
Program Officer
IDH, The Transforming Markets
Gurugram
07.2022 - 12.2023
- Co-convened Re-start Alliance (Recover by Sourcing tracing and advancing Recycling Technology) with Canopy, Fashion for Good, Laudes Foundation to optimize textile waste value chains, divert from landfills, and slash GHG emissions.
- Supported Sorting for Circularity project, a multistakeholder project to tackle textile waste (recycle, reuse, repair) in India. Several toolkit and business cases have been developed as part of this exercise for different value chain actors.
- Supported resource mobilization (debt, impact investment, and philanthropic resources) to bring circularity to the textile Industry in the Indian sub-continent and increase the adoptability of recycled fiber by the industry.
- Supported Alternate Materials Accelerator Program, the program's focus was to address the bottlenecks in the supply chain, by bridging financial gaps through private sector investment and policy advocacy, build traceability comply to EU and other regulations.
- Convened value chain actors in the sector for adoption of new technology to enhance adoption of circular business model.
Growth and Innovation Fund Officer
IDH, The Transforming Market
Gurugram
06.2021 - 06.2022
- Supported Better Cotton program in collaboration with Better Cotton Initiative through Growth and Innovation Fund.
- Managed a fund of approximately EUR 17 million and oversaw the GIF Secretariat’s operations, including partner onboarding and contract management for 21 implementing partners across 40 projects in five countries.
- The project reached 1.7 million farmers, supported better cotton production across 3.2 million hectares, and enabled approximately 2.1 million tons of cotton output.
- Supported multiple innovation projects for field level impacts, closely worked with Filed level Impact & Investment Committee (FIIC) whose primary responsibilities were to impact life of farmers, takes care of biodiversity, guide for sustainable production, and meet the standards.
Retainer Consultant
Pragya International
Gurugram
01.2021 - 04.2021
- As a consultant, supported Natural Resource Management programs and fund raising efforts, developed monitoring plan for multi-thematic projects, supported in documentation and donor reporting.
Manager-Program Management and Support
Udyogini
New Delhi
10.2020 - 04.2020
- Led business operation in Rajasthan Province of India, provided technical support to operationalize CSR projects, Agri-business interventions (Extension and forward linkages).
- Managed communication with donors and other stakeholders.
- Liaised with the financial institutions and government to mobilize resources.
- Conducted baseline and technical feasibility of different projects.
Young Professional
Government of Rajasthan
Jaipur
03.2015 - 05.2017
- As a resource person to the government of Rajasthan, supported World Bank funded project ‘National Rural Livelihood Mission program’.
- Supported state team in program planning, execution, and expansion of the program.
- Also, coordinated with multiple stakeholders such as banks, government departments, and public institutions to promote collaboration and convergence of different government-run programs for cohesive development and socioeconomic improvement.
Young Professional
Government of Telangana
Hyderabad
05.2014 - 02.2015
- Worked with a world bank supported financial inclusion program under the Government of Telangana (India), provided support to program management unit in documentation, secondary research, and communication with internal and external stakeholders.
- Managed MIS portal and data in coordination with TCS and Blue-frog IT consultant.
Education
Post-Gradute Fellowship - Research, Science, Innovation Policy Leadership
University of Oxford
Oxford, UK06-2025
Principles of Accounting -
Royal Roads University
Victoria, BC, Canada03-2023
Certificate-Import & Export Management -
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)
New Delhi, India01-2022
Master of Arts - Social Sciences (Policy &Governance)
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Mumbai, India05-2014
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology
Chhatrapati Sahu Ji Maharaj University
Kanpur, India06-2010
Skills
- Project and Program Management
- Develop Concept Notes and Proposals
- RFP and ToR Processes
- Client and Contract Management
- Planning, Costing, Budgeting
- Reporting, communication, and communication strategy
- Primary and Secondary Research
- Market & Process Research
- Data Analysis Tools
- Research methodology
- Microsoft Office
- Convening and Negotiations
Websites
Awards
Chevening Fellowship at University of Oxford: Awarded prestigious Fellowship called Research, Innovation, Science, Policy Leadership (CRISP) Fellowship supported by Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) to receive leadership training at University of Oxford from April 2025 to June 2025 with high performing professionals including Policy Makers, Scientist, Professors, Impact Investors, and other science & policy professionals.
Personal Information
- Age: 37
- Gender: Male
Languages
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Hindi
Native
Native
Timeline
Senior Program Officer
IDH, The Transforming Markets
01.2024 - Current
Program Officer
IDH, The Transforming Markets
07.2022 - 12.2023
Growth and Innovation Fund Officer
IDH, The Transforming Market
06.2021 - 06.2022
Retainer Consultant
Pragya International
01.2021 - 04.2021
Manager-Program Management and Support
Udyogini
10.2020 - 04.2020
Young Professional
Government of Rajasthan
03.2015 - 05.2017
Young Professional
Government of Telangana
05.2014 - 02.2015
Post-Gradute Fellowship - Research, Science, Innovation Policy Leadership
University of Oxford
Principles of Accounting -
Royal Roads University
Certificate-Import & Export Management -
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)
Master of Arts - Social Sciences (Policy &Governance)
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology
Chhatrapati Sahu Ji Maharaj University