Professional Skills

• Early entrant into the Asian renewable energy market, transitioned from automobiles sector with extensive experience in sales and new business creation.
• Built 2 renewable energy platforms from scratch: Green Infra scaled up to 600 MW and sold, Hero Future Energies with 1.7 GW operational and 1.2 GW pipeline.

Experience

Green Infra

• Joined as a founding team member at Green Infra (set up by IDFC alternatives, now owned by GIP/Investcorp).
• Led scale-up of Green Infra from scratch to 400 MW as COO.
• Business sold to Sembcorp Industries; equity investors included IDFC Private Equity, CDC Group, and Piramal Enterprises.

Hero Future Energies - HFE

• Headhunted to set up HFE as CEO & ED.
• Scaled up to 1.7 GW operating portfolio from scratch, with a firm pipeline of another 1.2 GW and a development pipeline of 3 GW.
• Grew business with initial allocation of $110M from sponsor group (Hero), raised equity of $125M from IFC and $150M from Masdar.
• Recognized as a leader for championing growth of the industry and low carbon economy.
• Known for best in class corporate governance in the operating companies.

Execution Achievements

Strong on Wind and Solar technical understanding

• Created new standards for renewable energy by advising government and industry bodies.
• Unique leader with equal blend of Technical, Investment, and Commercial understanding.
• Recognized for best in class corporate governance, backed by multiple DFIs including IFC and CDC Group.
• Raised >$400M in equity capital from DFIs, strategics, and infrastructure funds.
• Raised non-recourse project finance debt >$1.3B; cost of financing amongst the lowest in the industry.
• Raised the first Certified Green Bond in India.

Global Market Expansion

• Restructured Hero Future Energies to a UK platform for global expansion.
• 52 MW commissioned in Ukraine, 50 MW project in Bangladesh, 180 MW under development in Vietnam, and 30 MW battery storage projects in the UK.

Operating Partner (Energy Transition) at ESSAR Capital

Created four pillars of Decarbonization with an investment horizon of $3.4B over the next 4 years

• Decarbonization of UK refinery operations.
• Foray into Blue and green hydrogen, interlinked with Renewable energy.
• Biofuels - 2G Ethanol, Methanol, SAF, and 1G biogas.
• Logistic hub for storage and transportation of green fuels.
• Conceptualized 1GW Green hydrogen project with derivatives like Green ammonia and E-methanol in Gujarat, India, taken up to FID stage.

Industry Leadership

• Elected as the First President of India’s “Wind IPP Association (WIPPA).
• Elected as first Chairman IREA (Indian Renewable Energy Alliance).
• Co-Chairman – Skill council for Green Jobs (under the NSDC, a GOI entity).
• Co-Chair of FICCI CEO council for Renewable and member of CII Renewable Council.
• Member of national executive council and Chair Energy Committee, NRC – Indo American chamber of commerce.
• Well connected with all government bodies across India. Regularly sought by government to provide views on policies and regulations.
• Member of the Governing council of National institute of Wind Energy (NIWE).
• Recognized as a thought leader in the Industry and a prominent face with media and associations.
• Felicitated with many awards including among 50 most influential person in solar industry.