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September-October P2 2025
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We also envisage entering the smart grid, T&D, and e-mobility space in India

Our strategy is to build a portfolio that is a mix of solar, wind, and hybrid projects planned across India and contributing holistically to the renewable energy mission and target of the country. We also envisage entering the smart grid, T&D, and e-mobility space in India as these are niche markets with synergetic opportunities, disclosed Jamal Wadi, President – Alfanar Construction and CEO – Alfanar Global Development, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Wadi also shared his company’s current projects and business strategy for India, the outlook for 2021 etc. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

Photovoltaic Solar Energy Market is Maturing and Expanding Around the World

We are always looking to do more. I believe that constantly improving our products, with a focus on the tracker, is one of our main constant goals, so that it can increasingly capture more energy, at the lowest possible cost. In addition, we aim to further expand our work. We are already present in countries on all continents, but there is still a lot to grow and innovative solutions to propose.

On the occasion of hitting the 25 years milestone in the renewable energy industry, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Javier Reclusa, Chief Executive Officer of STI Norland – a specialist in the design, manufacture and supply of solar trackers and structures for large-scale solar photovoltaic energy projects. Here’re some edited excerpts from that exclusive interaction:

Assystem Strengthens Footprint in India with STUP Acquisition

The timing of Assystem’s expansion decision into the Indian market with the acquisition of STUP is really good in two aspects. Firstly, we wanted to establish a strong footprint in India, because we are a part of the Jaitapur project, which is now started moving. So, in line with the Prime Minister’s initiative of Make in India, we wanted to localize as much of the engineering work for that project as we could in India, and that would have only been possible if we had a strong footprint in India. Secondly, we started this process of acquisition nearly one and a half years back, keeping in view the infrastructure growth that the country is going through, and, the future is something we all look forward to, disclosed Ashish Tandon, Managing Director, Assystem STUP India in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India.

Assystem has acquired a 99% stake in STUP Consultants, in line with the development, Mr. Tandon shared about his company’s future plans in India, business strategy etc. Here’re the edited excerpts from that candid chat:

We Need More Voices from Women in the Ecosystem and Opportunity to Put in Proactive Efforts

Greater participation of women in the energy value chain can help in more effective access to energy. As consumers, women can make more sustainable choices, and tend to have a bigger say in household energy decisions. Including women as key stakeholders in shaping the renewable energy value chain can help in better and more efficient design, production, distribution, and sales of sustainable energy technologies.

In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Deepali Khanna, Managing Director, Asia Regional Office, The Rockefeller Foundation. Here’re some edited excerpts from that interaction:

India is Set to Witness the World’s Fastest Growing Cooling Demand

EESL has recently partnered with ISHARE. How do you see these developments in the backdrop of World Environment Day?
India is set to witness the world’s fastest growing cooling demand and consequently, its air conditioning market is primed to rapidly expand in the next five years. The current aggregated nationwide growth for cooling is expected to grow 2.2 to 3 times, just in the next decade, over the 2017 baseline.
This demand will rise steeply...

AI will move from being a good-to-have technology to a must-have technology

Government Needs to Incentivize Entrepreneurs while Protecting Rights of People

Support from the Government, be it State or Central, is an indispensable factor for start-ups, especially in India. Entrepreneurs are expected to raise productivity and living standards, at scale, by offering innovative solutions. The government needs to incentivize entrepreneurs while protecting the rights of the people. In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility space, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Kunal Kislay, Co-Founder & CEO, Integration Wizards Solutions. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction

We Need to Create Employment Opportunities that would Inspire Women to Join Clean Energy Space

Utilities to Start Advance Planning for Storage Requirement, Revisit Plan in Every 2-3 Yrs
 
Utilities should start planning as to how much storage will be needed and where should these be located on the grid and revisit this plan (along with RE addition plans in tandem) at least every 2-3 years. Most importantly, regulators should ensure that regulations for ancillary services, market mechanisms, tariff structures, incentives, and safety standards are in place for smooth integration of storage onto the grid.
 
In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Sandhya Sundararagavan, Lead, Energy Transitions, World Resources Institute India. Here’re some edited excerpts from that interaction:

There Must be a Penal Mechanism on Discoms for Delay in Signing PPAs, Payments Release

Module Prices to Remain Higher in Near Term

After the Chinese New Year, glass prices did not fall a bit from their autumn highs. Glass continues to remain in shortage for the downstream demand, but the situation is expected to get better. 80% of the price of a PV module is based on the cost of raw materials. The turbulence of solar PV supply chain will last at least three months or longer till supply and demand will further improve and rebalance again. We can expect the module prices to be on the higher side until that happens, says Manish Narula, Senior Director of Business Development (India) & Sales Head (West/South), JinkoSolar, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Narula also discussed about his company’s presence in the Indian market, its product offerings, industry bottlenecks, expectations etc. Here’re the edited excerpts

India’s Power Sector Must be Financially, Physically Resilient to Secure Investments it Needs

Ministry of Power's Early Commissioning Incentive Policy Needs to be Revised
 
The early commissioning incentive policy of the Ministry of Power (MoP) needs a revision given that transmission projects now need to be commissioned in tandem with renewable energy projects, in 18-24 months, suggests Manish Agarwal, CEO – Infrastructure & Solutions Business, Sterlite Power, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Agarwal also suggested various policy changes required to boost the transmission sector, challenges of the transmission sector, the significance of the development of power infrastructure in light of the OSOWOG initiative, etc. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

We are Currently Working on the Impact of Cyclones on Electric Power in India

There’re Many Hydropower Projects Vulnerable to Natural Disasters
 
The recent glacier ice avalanche-induced flash flood that occurred on February 7, 2021, is a recent example, which impacted the river channels and hydropower projects located close to the glacier in the downstream area. Although the event damaged Rishi Ganga Hydel Project and Tapovan-Vishnugad Hydropower Project, there are many other hydropower projects which are vulnerable to natural disasters, disclosed Pushpendra Johari, Senior VP – Sustainability, RMSI, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Johari also discussed his company’s key findings, and the reasons behind Uttarakhand’s Glacier Ice Avalanche, suggestive measures to avoid such events, etc. Here’re the edited excerpts:

Electric Vehicle Sector will be a Special Feature of This Year in RenewX

Solar Power is Set for Explosive Growth in India
The Indian electricity sector is on the cusp of a solar-powered revolution. Solar power is set for explosive growth in India, matching coal’s share in the Indian power generation mix within two decades or even sooner. This dramatic turnaround is driven by India’s policy ambitions, notably the target to reach 450 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, and the extraordinary cost-competitiveness of solar, which out-competes existing coal-fired power by 2030 even when paired with battery storage, believes Rajneesh Khattar, Group Director – India at Informa Markets, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Khattar also discussed how his company is planning to organize RenewX this year, show highlights, industry outlook for 2021 etc.

 

Currently where Petrol Prices are Rising, EVs Make Perfect Sense for Last-Mile Delivery

There's a lot more than the Government can do for the start-up ecosystem in India

We think that the start-up ecosystem in India is growing but there is a lot more than the government can do other than lip service. As a startup entrepreneur, our expectations include - Special startup incubators, preference for startups with lower capital ability to compete with big guns in government contracts, etc.

In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility space, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Dhairya Gupta, Founder & CEO, Earth Ride. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

 

Driving Down the LCoE of Wind Power is the Biggest Ongoing Challenge

We Expect Indian Market to Recover, Supported by Solid Regulations

We expect the market to recover, supported by solid regulations that incentivize investment in new wind projects. Ingeteam, as well as other key players in the Indian market are seeking stability that can enable us to strengthen processes and relationships in order to optimize performance. From a manufacturing perspective, steps on this have already been taken by the Government with various incentive programs to foster the make in India strategy, shares Alberto Barcia, Commercial Director of Ingeteam Wind Energy, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Barcia also discussed about his company’s products offerings, industry challenges, 2021 outlook, expectations etc. Here’re the edited excerpts:

We Plan to Solarise 1,00,000 Homes in Near Future

Self interest of Discom’s and their aim to retain monopoly is hurting the long-term perspective of renewables

Sudden policy changes and complex regulatory aspect is the biggest challenge we face today. The self interest of power distribution companies (Discom’s) and their aim to retain monopoly in power management business is hurting the long term perspective of renewables in India and this needs to be taken care of.
On International Women’s Day, in an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Nidhi Gupta, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Rays Experts. Here’re some edited excerpts from that exclusive interaction:

Subsidised Rate of Electricity to be Given to Small Rural Mfg Units to Lower their Running Cost

Supply Side has to be Incentivised to Keep up the Pace with Demand Side

We clearly see the demand rising continuously as it’s driven by distinct advantage to the user in terms of cost and environment norms. However, the supply side has to be incentivised to keep up the pace with demand side. There is large occurrence of failure in small manufacturers in this field. This is where the Government support is critical.

In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility space, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Ashvin Patil, Founder & Director, Biofuels Junction Pvt Ltd. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

Availability of Skilled Manpower in Construction and O&M Remains a Challenge

Renewable energy industry is growing very rapidly, and so are the jobs

The Renewable Energy industry is growing very rapidly, and so are the jobs in this sector. Yes, the female to male ratio is a bit low, but it is gradually improving as organisations are also looking at ways to make the workplace more equitable. I encourage women to apply for jobs in solar, as this is an exciting area to work in, with tremendous growth opportunities.

In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Ritu Lal, Senior VP & Head, Institutional Relations at Amplus Solar. Here’re some edited excerpts from that interaction:

We are seeing digital transformation in the energy sector

In a few lines, what does your company offer to the sector and how many years has it been doing it?
MathWorks is focused on offering engineers and scientists’ tools and technologies that allow them to do their best work. Our products, MATLAB and Simulink are used extensively - in power & energy industry to develop and implement power system models, analyze big data, and automate processes, and develop embedded control and signal pr...

Technological Advancement, Innovation Key to Achieve AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Solar Manufacturing

There Must be Atleast 40% of BCD on Solar Modules for Indian Manufacturers to Compete

Building strong integrated solar industrial clusters along with clear policy framework from the government a must for solar manufactures to prosper in India. The government should also create a specialized infrastructure covering the entire value chain from R&D, testing, training center, and other required supporting services. We need a clear policy framework from the government ensuring substantial solar cell and module production demand in the next few years for Indian solar manufactures. There must be at least 40% of BCD on modules for the Indian manufacturers to compete with their Chinese counterparts, belives D.V. Manjunatha, Founder & Managing Director, Emmvee Group, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Manjunatha also discussed about his company’s products offerings, expansion plans, 2021 outlook, expectations etc. Here’re the edited excerpts:

Working with India, its Govt, its Companies and its People is Very Attractive to us

NEOM will Offer Investors, Entrepreneurs an Attractive Environment for Investment, Biz

NEOM will offer investors and entrepreneurs alike an attractive environment for business and investment, all supported by a progressive law compatible with international norms and conducive to economic growth. THE LINE, in turn, will power NEOM as it becomes a hub for innovation where global business and emerging players can research, incubate and commercialize ground-breaking technologies to accelerate human progress, shares Peter Terium, Head of Energy, Water and Food at NEOM – home of Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious future smart city completely based on clean energy, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Terium previously headed German energy companies Innogy and RWE as CEO.

Need to Boost Infrastructure Financing and Encourage Regional Collaboration in Power Sharing

Rs 5,000 Cr Worth of Transmission Projects Currently Delayed Due to ROW Issues

The construction and commissioning of transmission projects worth more than Rs 5,000 crore are currently delayed due to ROW issues. Linear projects like transmission have little leeway in negotiating ROW, forest, wildlife, defence, airport, coastal zone etc. and are therefore heavily dependent on active government support. The tight execution timelines further amplify this challenge and complexity. Unavailability of ROW clearances is consequently affecting the construction schedule of these critical transmission projects and will impact project completion timelines, shares Vijay Chhibber, Director General of Electric Power Transmission Association (EPTA), in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Chhibber also discussed about the significance of power transmission sector in India’s road towards $5 trillion economy, impact of Covid-19 on upcoming projects, challenges faced by private players, expectation from Govt etc.
 
 
 
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