Board of Directors - Stardust Power

Roshan Pujari founded Stardust Power and has served as CEO since its inception. With over 20 years of experience in investments and transactions, he has demonstrated expertise and deep domain knowledge in new company formation and fund raising. Prior to Stardust Power, he founded the diversified investment firm VIKASA Capital and led its clean energy practice where he developed a deep understanding of lithium. He is also a philanthropist, having established the Pujari Foundation to promote education, arts, and community across the globe. Mr. Pujari attended the University of Redlands in California, where he majored in both history and government.

Sudhindra Kankanwadi (Sujit) is currently the senior VP of finance and chief accounting officer at Synopsys Inc. With extensive experience in finance and accounting, he excels in business transformation and team building. Mr. Kankanwadi has scaled operations by expanding shared services, implementing financial technology, and leading digital finance strategy. He’s also contributed to software industry standards as an AICPA task force member, helping with the development of implementation guides for new revenue rules. Previously with KPMG, he led audit and advisory teams for IPO listings and spent time at the Global Center developing worldwide audit methodologies. Mr. Kankanwadi holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and CPA. He also serves as a lecturer teaching advanced accounting at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Michael (Mick) Cornett, a distinguished American public servant and business consultant, serves on Stardust Power’s Board and chairs the Nominating and Governance Committee. He has dedicated his life to journalism, academia, business, and public service, with a career spanning those four disciplines. Mr. Cornett was the Mayor of Oklahoma City from 2004 to 2018, and, during his tenure, he played a pivotal role in the city’s development. Mick has also served on various boards, including IBC Bank since 2019 and Rees Architecture since 2023. Mr. Cornett is the Founder and President of Mick Cornett Inc., a business consulting firm. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from New York University.

Anupam Agarwal, Senior Director of Finance and Accounts at Stardust Power, brings over two decades of experience advising multinational corporations on strategic matters and assisting organizations in growth initiatives. His career began as a project manager at Gammon India, executing infrastructure and renewable projects. Later, he worked with EY (UAE) and KPMG, advising global clients and government agencies on due diligence, M&A, fundraising, and strategic advisory. He has served as a board advisor to an infrastructure company and provided buy-side advisory for major deals, including acquisitions by one of the world’s largest construction companies (over $100 million) and Europe’s two largest airport operators (over $1 billion). He also advised on sell-side projects, raising $300 million in securitizations for infrastructure transportation, $5 million in equity for a solar EPC company, and managed M&A for a Singapore-based IT distributor. He holds an MMS from Mumbai University.

Mark Rankin, an experienced professional in accounting and financial management, serves on Stardust Power’s Board and chairs the Compensation Committee. He currently serves part-time as an assistant controller at RKI Energy Resources, LLC in Oklahoma City. Previously, he held roles at WPX Energy and RKI Exploration & Production, LLC. His responsibilities include financial statement preparation, income and expense analysis, cost accrual, and managing payable/receivable systems. Mr. Rankin received his Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Oklahoma Christian University with honors.

V. Ray Rivers serves on Stardust Power’s Board of Directors and brings more than three decades of experience across capital markets, institutional investment and financial services. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions with several leading Wall Street firms, including Bear Stearns, CRT Capital Group, Cantor Fitzgerald, Gabelli & Company and Imperial Capital. Mr. Rivers’ experience spans institutional equity and fixed income markets, special situations investing and corporate finance. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Greenwich Economic Forum. His extensive capital markets and public company governance experience further strengthens the Board’s financial expertise as Stardust Power advances its strategy and engagement with institutional investors.

Investor Contact