Enjoying life and helping to make the world a better place

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

My name is Rajat Dewan. I come from Delhi, India. I studied mechanical and automation engineering.
I am very talkative and I love to make new friends. I soon realised I was good with numbers and that I loved management more than IT – my initial field. So I began to think about finance. This led me to the EM Business School in Lyon – my first time outside India.

You went straight from Delhi to Lyon? 

I also lived in a few other Indian cities like Mysore, Bangalore and Chandigarh. 
Moving from Chandigarh to Lyon, the only difference was I couldn’t find anything to eat at midnight! But other than this, everything was so in line with my mindset that I felt really comfortable.
Next, I moved to Rotterdam, then after a few internships and temporary contracts, I was hired by ENGIE in March 2020.
I now work at ENGIE New Ventures as a business analyst. 

What do you like about your job?

People think that finance is just about money. But it’s not. I feel that ENGIE New Ventures can contribute to a better world. The job involves investing in clean tech startups to support the group’s target of net zero emissions. But it's also about our personal footprint, our personal lives. You cannot stop living, you cannot stop travelling. At some point you have to help the world improve the way it does things.
Scouting for new startups and helping them do more:  that’s one aspect of our work. But we’re also helping people understand technologies. The whole process of scouting, investing, meeting like-minded people, building investment strategies… it’s amazing and I really enjoy it.  

If you had to describe your role in just one sentence?

Scouting clean tech startups for investments and helping ENGIE reach its net zero carbon emissions goals.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

I love to try a lot of things, I especially enjoy sports, restaurants, travelling, hiking and meeting people. I miss the bike trips in India. 

Do you intend to stay in France? Or would you like to go back to India (or anywhere else)?

I would love to live in France. When I started in 2019, I did not truly understand the French way of living. But now I appreciate the way you are able to manage your lives, deal with people, enjoy the food, the restaurants… You even enjoy your work, despite all the complaining!

In your opinion, how are research and innovation important for the Group and the world?

Our business model steers us towards research and innovation. You cannot get ahead without them in this industry. In this fast -changing world, how else can we reach net zero or control global warming?  How can we survive in the business? First of all, research is important for the world in an ethical sense. It’s also central to creating a business model that allows us to survive as an energy company. 
This is what we’re doing at ENGIE Ventures when we help innovative startups.

How do you see the future of energy?

Fighting for renewable energy. Striving to control carbon emissions. There were lot of changes after the war in Russia and the rising energy prices. Personally, I think that we will see many new sources of renewable energy and significant reductions in carbon emissions over the next five years. The one issue we will definitely be facing is waste management. These are the kind of challenges I see for the future of energy.

How do you imagine yourself in 10 years’ time?

In 10 years, I hope to be the same smiley person. I’d like to have done some good things in finance and investments, and to work with impact funds. I hope this leads to a good career and that I can help the world become a better place at the same time. At some point, everyone has to be responsible but you cannot force this on others. Change starts from within, first, we have to change ourselves.
Other than this, I just want to be the same smiley person. Playing sports. Not feeling old.

What three words do you most associate with innovation?

Creativity, understanding and vision.

Is there a quote or a saying that is important to you? 

There is a quote I like by Abraham Lincoln: “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
There is a similar saying in Hindi: “Life should not be long. It should be great.” It’s from Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, one of the people involved in drafting the Indian Constitution.
I really believe this. If you love what you do – even if you like, say, 70% of what you do – your life will be lived in that upper echelon.