An inventor, Alok joined AuroRE in 2005 and heads the R&D activity where he developed solar street lights, solar driers, a de-humidifier and a hybrid solar and fuel powered vehicle. He is currently working on a solar thermal refrigeration system, solar cooker, and a waste-water treatment/energy system using algae. He has a background in mechanical engineering. While at Virginia Tech, USA, he participated in the first ever Solar Decathlon in 2002, an international competition to design and build most effective house where the heating/cooling, household and home office appliances and a city-car gets powered solely by the sun. He was also a lead diver and engineer on board for four summers on a Smithsonian Institution’s expedition to Sub-Arctic and Artcic waters to study algae as an indicator of climate change.