Board of Directors

Roshan Pujari co-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.

Charlotte Nangolo serves on Stardust Power’s Board and co-founded the company. A mining engineer with over 15 years of experience in the mining and metals industry, she has worked in various roles, from operations to consulting, cost estimation, and financial modeling of mining projects. Additionally, Ms. Nangolo has financial markets experience as a mining research analyst. She founded Minerals of Africa Pty Ltd (MOAPL), focusing on critical mineral exploration in Africa, particularly lithium in Namibia, with a strategy to expand into the rest of the continent. Ms. Nangolo serves as a senior consultant (mining technical/corporate) at CSA Global, with an emphasis on lithium projects, and has also been an advisory board member to Pamwe Royalties & Streaming (Pty) Ltd. since October 2021, with a focus on the medium to small-scale royalty space in the mining industry. She gives back to the industry through an informal mentorship program for young mining professionals and mining students in Africa. Ms. Nangolo holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in mining engineering and mineral economics from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

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.

Chandra R. Patel is the founder of Antarctica Capital and has served as the managing partner of Antarctica Capital since 2010. Antarctica Capital is an international alternative asset management firm headquartered in New York. Mr. Patel is responsible for Antarctica Capital’s strategic direction and core relationships and leads the firm’s key expansion initiatives. He developed the real assets business for Antarctica Capital and its SIGA®, SARO® and SEREY™ investment strategies. Mr. Patel founded Antarctica Capital’s private equity business and raised its first real estate fund. Mr. Patel served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of Global Partner Acquisition Corp II prior to the execution of its merger with Stardust Power. Previously, he invested in a portfolio of companies in technology and healthcare, and he was involved in a number of cross-border transactions and policy initiatives. Mr. Patel also founded and held senior management positions at a variety of technology and information services companies and was an associate at a leading New York law firm. He sits on the boards of American Life & Security Corp., Weddell Re and EarthDaily Analytics Corp. Mr. Patel graduated from the University of Kansas (Bachelors of Arts), Summa Cum Laude, London School of Economics (Master of Science), and Boston College (Juris Doctor).

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.