Before coming to the University of Michigan, Samhita Shiledar took on a role with Pidilite Industries Limited that focused on the environmental codes of manufacturing and production in India. While in this position, she saw the negative impact that major industry and outdated legislation can have on different environments, and she sought to make a change. This realization inspired her to go back to school and focus on how humanity and the environment can work together. 

This brought Shiledar to SEAS; she believes that her time at SEAS was instrumental in her career path and her understanding of the environment as she studied sustainable systems. She found that her classes highlighted aspects of sustainability that she had not thought of before, such as the importance of bringing together the public and private sectors to address real world problems. Alongside her coursework, she remembers being told by her instructors, “don’t limit yourself to the main curriculum, expand yourself,” and this advice led her into work that she still does today. Shiledar is the co-founder of Cheruvu, a startup that is focused on improving the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of farmers in developing countries. Cheruvu started during one of her class projects, and after departing from campus, she continues to grow Cheruvu in the Hyderabad region of India. 

Currently, Shiledar works at the Rocky Mountain Institute, where she manages the company’s program in India, focusing on efficiency within freight transportation activities. This involvement in freight transportation is what Shiledar is the most proud of because she has recently helped launch Deliver Electric Delhi, where she partners with the government and private companies in order to deploy electric deliveries throughout Delhi. Shiledar’s time at SEAS formed a solid foundation for her to grow her career and bring new knowledge and expertise back to the transportation industry in India.