Twenty-Second Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture

25 Aug 2023 25 Aug 2023

August 25, 2023 | 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM | India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

About Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture

The annual lecture series was initiated by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in 2002 in the memory of the institute's visionary founder and noted technocrat-industrialist, Mr Darbari S. Seth. Under his guidance, TERI saw a meteoric rise and emerged as one of the leading knowledge institutions working in the field of sustainability and climate change for the past five decades. This 22nd Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture year will mark 102nd Birth Anniversary of Mr Seth and bring together thought leaders, corporate influencers, and policymakers for insightful discussions, inspired by the ideals of Mr Seth, and foster collaborative efforts towards finding meaningful solutions for the climate change.

Honouring TERI’s founder, his indelible legacy and relentless pursuit of a more sustainable and greener future, the Presidential Address at the Founder’s Day will be delivered by Mr. R K Singh, Hon'ble Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy and the 22nd Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture by Mr. Siddharth Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, Tata Trusts.

The event is scheduled to take place on August 25, from 4 - 6 P.M. at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Mr Darbari Seth: The Man with the Midas Touch

Mr Darbari Seth was a unique individual whose vision and drive earned him the title of 'the man with the Midas touch'. He was the builder of Tata Chemicals Limited. The Tata Chemicals plant is located in Mithapur, Gujarat - an extremely resource-poor region of the country. It was the genius of Mr Seth that conceptualized the process layout and design of this facility, using large quantities of sea water to produce chemicals that are of great value for several industrial activities in the country.

At some stage, he was the Chairman of 14 companies including outstanding performers such as Tata Chemicals of course, Tata Tea, Consolidated Coffee, Excel Industries, and Rallis India Limited, among others. As and when these companies were brought under his charge at various stages, he turned them around to generate record profits and reach peak levels of performance.

From transforming an arid land to create Gangotri at Mithpaur, Mr. Darbari inspired all around him through his distinguished persona to carve the path for a bright and sustainable future. A champion of energy conservation and environment preservation, Mr Seth under the guidance of Mr JRD Tata in 1974 established TERl (The Tata Energy Research Institute) which was renamed as The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003. Under his chairmanship, TERI emerged as one of the world’s pre-eminent think tanks and research institutions in energy, climate change and sustainability.