- By JVG Krishna Murthy
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Interactive Session with WHEELS Partners SM Sehgal Foundation & Nirvana Carbon
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM EST
Location: 145 Talmadge Road, Edison, NJ 08817
An Inspiring Evening of Innovation & Development
WHEELS Global Foundation is proud to host an interactive session featuring two remarkable social entrepreneurs whose work is transforming lives in rural India:
- Rajat Jay Sehgal (Jay) – Chairperson of S M Sehgal Foundation
- Sunrit Panda – Co-Founder of Nirvana Carbon
This evening offers a unique opportunity to learn how grassroots innovation is driving lasting rural development and climate impact.
Meet the Speakers
Rajat Jay Sehgal (Jay)
SM Sehgal Foundation
Rajat Jay Sehgal (Jay) is a distinguished leader in rural development and philanthropy, currently serving as the Chairperson of S M Sehgal Foundation, a role he assumed on April 1, 2025, following the visionary leadership of Dr. Suri Sehgal. He also serves as Executive Vice President of the Sehgal Foundation in the United States, based in Des Moines, Iowa.
Jay holds a background in Business Administration and Management Information Systems with a focus on Computer Science. He has been instrumental in advancing the foundation’s mission to empower rural communities in India. Under his leadership, the foundation has expanded its impact to over 3,000 villages across 13 states, implementing transformative programs in water management, sustainable agriculture, rural school development, and women’s empowerment.
Before joining the foundation, Jay worked in the private sector in information technology and was later recruited by Proagro Seed Co. Ltd. in India.
Jay’s contributions to international development have earned him several honors, including the University of Iowa’s International Impact Award in 2018. On behalf of the Sehgal Foundation, he received the 2017 Iowa Ag Leadership Award for outstanding service in agriculture from then Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Bill Northey.
He currently serves on the board of the Iowa International Center, supporting programs for immigrants and refugees, and is Vice Chair of the India Philanthropy Alliance, a coalition of leading U.S.-based nonprofits advancing development in India.
Jay remains deeply committed to building sustainable, equitable communities through strategic partnerships, innovation, and grassroots empowerment.
Sunrit Panda
Nirvana Carbon
Sunrit Panda is the Co-Founder of Nirvana Carbon. He started Nirvana Carbon because it had to be built rather than licensed. Per Sunrit ‘We control the chain ourselves rather than outsourcing pieces of it, and we’ve been producing at the village level for over two years, proving out sourcing, processing, quality control, and logistics before scaling further. That operating model is the part that is hard to just copy.’
He is a Princeton University engineering graduate (ORFE ’25) and a Fulbright-Nehru research fellow at IIT Kharagpur, where he works on the emissions science behind the process. Most of his time Sunrit is in the field, not managing from behind a desk.
He is currently scaling capacity and expanding industrial offtake.
Event Highlights
♦ Jay shares the inspiring journey of SM Sehgal Foundation
♦ Sunrit Panda discusses his mission with Nirvana Carbon
♦ WHEELS updates on programs impacting millions of lives
♦ Interactive Q&A session
For enquiries: info@wheelsglobal.org
A nominal donation of $10 to offset the cost of event is greatly appreciated at the event or using this link prior to the event
