Energetica India Magazine January-February 2021

EDITORIAL Dear Energetica India Readers, We welcome you to Jan-Feb 2021 edition of Energetica India. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pre- sented the Union Budget 2021 in the par- liament, recently, indicating the Govern- ment’s commitment towards making India a self-reliant country and focusing more on clean energy. Most of the renewable ener- gy industry stakeholders, whom we talked, termed this year’s budget as growth orient- ed amid Covid scenario, as the country’s economy needs a boost through major re- forms. Meanwhile, for the current edition, Energet- ica India has met up with the following in- dustry leaders to get more insights into the industry trends: 1. Mr. Peter Terium, Head of Energy, Water and Food, NEOM 2. Mr. Vijay Chhibber, Director General, EPTA 3. Mr. D.V. Manjunatha, Founder & Manag- ing Director, Emmvee Group India Start-up Story : The start-up section showcases interesting ventures in the field of renewable energy, battery storage tech- nologies, energy efficiency & conservation, EVs and sustainability. In this edition, we cover Biofuels Junction Pvt Ltd, dealing in solid biofuels value chain with presence from raw material to steam contracts. It’s vision is to be a performance leader in the clean energy sector by providing sustain- able, socially responsible, energy solu- tions. Influential Women in the Renewable En - ergy : In the women-influencers section, which was started by Energetica India to showcase the contribution and achieve- ments of women in the renewable industry, we spoke to Ms. Ritu Lal, Senior VP & Head, Institutional Relations at Amplus Solar, who joined the renewable energy industry when India’s solar story was just beginning and rooftop solar was at a nascent stage. Some interesting and informative articles in this edition include: 1. Indian Railways Obsession with Elec - trification Harming Public Health by Shekhar Tiwari, Founder, US-India Security Forum The Indian Railways (IR), which has launched a much-publicized campaign to “Go Green” by 2030. Its largest initiative is 100% electrification of the rail lines, but they fail to mention that over 70% of the country’s electricity is from coal-fired power plants contributing to greenhouse gases. 2. Grid Innovation is Key to Fulfilling In - dia’s USD 5 Trillion Economy Dream by Jaideep Mukherji, CEO, Smart Power India; and William Brent, Chief Campaign Officer, Power for All The decentralized network of electricity in off grid, mini-grid or franchise models has proven to be a successful second option for improving energy access in unserved or underserved areas. 3. Decarbonizing the Environment and Improving Farmers Livelihood with Bio- based Solutions by Faizur Rehman, Head of Bio2X, Fortum India Blending biofuels with petrol or diesel re- duces the formation of greenhouse gases up to 90 percent as compared to conven- tional fuels, and reduces particulate pollut- ants to zero. We hope you enjoy reading our work. Please feel free to write to us at manu@en- ergetica-india.net with your feedback. We are always open to speak to our read- ers and learn how we can support them in their business growth. 4 energetica INDIA- Jan-Feb_2021