Energetica India Magazine December 2020

Rajni Bhandari AGM- Marketing at Amp Energy India Rooftop solar in India has not been able to scale up to the level and attained critical mass although it has tremendous potential. This has been primari- ly due to inadequate policy push and more focus been given to utility scale solar. Rooftop solar sec- tor needs its own set of policies directed to promote rapid deployment of assets such as removal of up- per limit for net metering, better financing options, and avoiding frequent policy revisions. In an exclu- sive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal , Associate Editor, Energet- ica India, interacted with Rajni Bhandari , AGM- Mar- keting at Amp Energy India. Here’re some excerpts from that interaction: 28 energetica INDIA- December_2020 How has been your journey so far, being a woman, in the renewable energy industry? Rajni Bhandari : I had the privilege of joining this industry in its infancy and witnessed its ascension to the centre stage of India’s energy industry. Over the past decade I have handled marketing, PR and business development across both utility and non-utility sectors. Renewable energy has come a long way in the last decade, it’s been exciting and enriching and I look forward to the future as renew- able industry continues to reshape the energy industry. How do you see the role of women in the renewable ener- gy sector with changing times? Rajni Bhandari : It’s heartening to note that since I have joined this industry the involvement of women in general and women leaders in particular has grown multi fold. To- day women play important roles both as team members as well as functional heads across renewable developers. For example, I lead the marketing and PR functions at Amp Energy India as it rapidly expands its presence in the Indian market. We must understand that an equal world is an enabled world. It is extremely important for workplaces to promote diversity and equality and encourage their women folks to take up greater roles. We at Amp strongly believe in it and live by it. We have set up a programme called Amp’s Women Network which is a platform for all women at Amp Energy globally to interact, coordinate and mentor wom- en for future leadership roles within the organisation. Also, we have recently joined an initiative at the global level to demonstrate our commitment towards equal leadership and equal opportunities for women in the clean energy sector by 2030. What is your message for other women on joining the re- newable energy industry in terms of scope/opportunities in the sector? What skill sets they require? Rajni Bhandari : My message would be for women to real- ise that the renewable energy industry is relatively young and is not shackled by the gender restrictions that might exist in relatively older sectors like thermal power. The can- vas is wide open, and the joiners should realise that they have a wide range of women leaders in the renewable industry that are contributing to the constant growth of the sector and who can act as inspirations or mentors for them as they embark on their professional career. How important is the role of family in maintaining a bal- ance between office work and family life for a working woman?