Solar and Bioenergy will continue to be the show stoppers, says Mr. Rajneesh Khattaer, Group Director - India, Informa Markets, in an interview with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Mr. Khatter also discuseed about main highlights of Renewable Energy India Expo, outlook for the new year etc.

Though the ecosystem has matured a lot over the past few years, there is a long way to go to make India a preferred startup destination. The on-ground impact of various large-scale initiatives is still very limited. Especially for deep-tech startups, there has to be an impetus on R&D and tighter IP protection norms to make India a global R&D hub.

In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility space, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Manesh Jain, Co-Founder & CEO of Flo Mobility. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

India is a unique market with specific requirements. The composition of the Indian fleet is much different than others. We have more two-wheelers and three-wheelers in India as compared to other countries. The tropical climate and the road quality certainly have an impact on the shock, vibration, and ruggedness of the vehicle. Furthermore, the market is cost-sensitive in India. We had to keep all the criteria in mind before developing the product.

I believe once you develop and market a product in India, you can develop and market a product anywhere in the world because India is a market that demands the highest quality at the lowest price, which is a challenge, believes Stefan Louis, Chief Executive Officer, Nexcharge, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Louis also shared about his company’s manufacturing plans in India, export strategy, outlook for battery storage market etc. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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