Author’s Note
Mr. Prashant Choubey, a seasoned professional with almost three decades of experience, leads Human Resources and Business Development as a President at Avaada Group.
He brings a wealth of diverse experience in managing national & international business development, especially in the South and South East Asia region in the spectrum of solar, renewables, and hydro. Mr. Choubey’s other key competencies include policy advocacy, strategic HR planning, talent management, setting up & managing HR systems, policies & processes, Bid Management, Corporate PPAs, etc.
He played a significant role in taking the organization to the leader’s spot in offering sustainable renewable energy solutions to leading national and international corporates in India. Under his guidance, Avaada Group was ranked among the top 50 best companies to work for by The Times of India- Ascent. It was also ranked among the Top 10 solar companies in India by Solar Quarter magazine.
As a prolific speaker, Mr. Choubey has been prominent at numerous national and international events. He has also been instrumental in presenting papers on Renewable and Solar Energy at international conferences and forums in Austria and Turkey.
Prior to joining Avaada Group, he was associated with National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and Reliance Infrastructure Limited.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was honoured with the Young Engineer Award in 2001 by the Central Board of Irrigation and Power, India. An engineering graduate from the Delhi College of Engineering, Mr. Choubey is a force to be reckoned with in the renewable energy industry.
T.R. Kishor Nair is a titan in the energy sector, with over four decades of unparalleled experience in Business Development, Project Management, and Strategic Planning for both domestic and international energy projects, he has gained a broad range of experience and gained a reputation as a respected leader in the field.
As the acting CEO, Mr. Nair has overseen the development of Avaada Energy, the group’s renewable energy arm, into a leading player in the Indian solar energy market. Under his guidance, the company has established an operational portfolio of 4 GW of solar energy in just over four years, the first time in the country. It was a remarkable feat in the industry.
Mr. Nair’s expertise has been instrumental in driving policy advocacy and raising industry concerns with various State Govt. and Central Govt. for the Renewable Energy sector. He has extended his influence beyond the domestic market by representing the industry at many international business delegations and speaking at many domestic and international events. Currently, he is the co-chair of the Renewable energy council of ASSOCHAM. In addition, he is the Co-Chair of – the FICCI Renewable Energy Developers Task Force.
Prior to Avaada Group, he executed large infrastructure projects with companies such as NTPC, Bechtel, Reliance, and Welspun Energy, all leaders in their sectors. He provided strong leadership to the EPC division of Reliance Power in Bagging and executing various Mega power projects including UMPPs on a Turnkey basis. These projects created new benchmarks in the power industry for cost leadership and fast-track execution. Through his tenure in Bechtel, he carries significant international experience in Project Management in various business lines such as Power, Mining & Metals, and Petrochemicals.
Mr. Nair started his career with NTPC in the year 1984 and was involved in project management of coal and gas-based thermal power projects and of EHV & HVDC transmission lines,
Widely recognized in the power industry, with diverse experience in the development and execution of many complex projects, ranging from supercritical to mega and Ultra mega projects under challenging time constraints and environmental challenges.
Sindoor Mittal: Powering India’s green drive
Ms. Sindoor Mittal, Vice Chairperson, Avaada Group, is at the forefront of the global shift towards renewable energy. She is a core member of the leadership team at Avaada Group, India’s leading energy transition company, championing the Net Zero Mission of the Government of India.
An alumnus of Stanford Graduate School & ISB- Hyderabad, Ms. Mittal, is striving to build a sustainable world for the generations to come–a world that green energy solutions that Avaada promises will power.
Ms. Mittal’s role at Avaada focuses on strategy, leadership development and fundraising. Avaada has had a marquee list of investors like ADB, DEG, FMO, Proparco and, most recently, the PTT Group from Thailand.
In her previous role as Director Welspun Energy, Ms Mittal drove the company’s green energy agenda and spearheaded its solar business. She played a vital role in raising equity for the company and successfully handled the sale of the organization’s ~1140 MW renewable portfolio to Tata Power.
Ms. Mittal is also keenly involved in the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility endeavor, which focuses on educating girl child, environment-friendly practices and healthcare to the communities in which Avaada works. She relentlessly pursues the belief that India can speed up its growth by encouraging greater economic participation of women.
A well-known name in the industry, Ms. Mittal, is a keynote speaker in leading forums. She has addressed events like RE-INVEST, Economic Times’ Global Business Summit, IFC’s Climate Business Forum, among others. Ms. Mittal was conferred with the “AsiaOne Young Asian Entrepreneurs 2019-20” and the “Women Leader of the Year- 2018” award.
Vineet Mittal is a serial entrepreneur who has built multiple large-scale businesses. After creating successful unicorns in the BPO and IT space, he floated Welspun Energy in 2010, becoming India’s largest renewable energy company with an installed base of 1.2 GW. In 2016, the platform was monetised successfully with the sale to Tata Power at a US $ 1.4 bn valuations. The Thermal power business of the group was also sold successfully to Adani Group.
He strongly believes that energy is inversely proportional to poverty. With increased energy access, India can overcome its poverty problems and provide its citizens with a better quality of life. Driven by his passion for sustainability and clean energy transition, in 2017, he floated the second platform and named it ‘Avaada’. Avaada means the promise of a sustainable future and comes from two words, ‘Ayurveda’ and ‘Vaada’, which means the science of life and promise, respectively.
Avaada Group is India’s leading integrated energy group with business interests in Solar Module Manufacturing, Electrolyser manufacturing and Green Ammonia production. We strongly believe India is uniquely positioned to grow significantly and become one of the top 3 economies globally in the current decade. We aim to work for Nation’s energy security and contribute positively to India’s growth story. We are completely aligned with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and feel that it is the only way to fulfil national ambitions in the current geopolitical landscape.
Avaada Group is an integrated energy platform with business interests ranging from manufacturing solar cells, modules and electrolysers to renewable power generation, green hydrogen, and green ammonia production. Avaada Group’s flagship company Avaada Energy is India’s fastest-growing renewable energy IPPs. Within five years of existence, it has developed an impressive portfolio and the firm plans to reach 11 GW by 2025 and 30 GW by 2030. Avaada Group’s solar manufacturing business comprises a state-of-the-art facility with an annual production capacity of 5 GW for cells and modules. The capacities are expected to get operational by early next year. By 2030, the group plans to scale up to 10 GW along with backward integration into polysilicon, ingots, and wafers.
Known for living a purposeful life, Mr Mittal got into Green Hydrogen / Ammonia and is expanding fast in space. With a cumulative capacity target of 4 MTPA by 2030, the company is working on developing a 1 MTPA Green Ammonia facility in India, which is expected to get operational by 2025-2026.
Mr Mittal is a strong proponent of advancing sustainability through robust business models. He has been actively advocating the concepts of Community Development Certificates (CDC) and Grow Forest Certificate (GFC) with the governments he developed. Both the instruments target creating a marketplace for achieving sustainability objectives of increasing forest cover, developing social infrastructure in terms of healthcare access, education, and so on through a strong incentive mechanism.
Mr Mittal is a regular speaker on clean energy transition at important national and international events. A leading and influential industry voice, he is a regular invitee in all policy consultations by bodies like Niti Aayog, Ministries and Govt. departments, etc.
An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Mr Mittal currently holds the position of Chairman of the CII sub-committee on Hydrogen usage and standards, Chair of the CII National Council on climate change and Chair of the ‘Make in India’ Task Force. In 2012 and 2014, Vineet was conferred with the “Solar Man of the Year” title. He is an active member speaker at World Economic Forum. He is on B20’s task force for financing growth and infrastructure and Energy, Resource Efficiency & Sustainability. He is also the former India Chair of the World Business Council of Sustainable Development (WBCSD) ‘s Renewables Low Carbon Technology platform program.
Mr. Deepak Agrawala heads the Equity and Investor Relations vertical as Senior Executive Vice President at Avaada Group. With nearly two decades of experience in the financial sector, Mr. Agrawala is an unparalleled expert in Consulting, Transaction advisory, Institutional Equities, Investment Banking, Fundraising, and Business Development. He is actively engaged on international business development in the Energy Transition industry.
Mr. Deepak Agrawala boasts an impressive track record of nearly two decades working for top-tier companies such as Elara Capital India Pvt. Ltd., Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Equities India Pvt. Ltd., Ernst and Young Pvt. Ltd., CRISIL Ltd, and Bajaj Auto Ltd. His experience in Institutional Equities, Investment Banking, Fundraising, M&A, and Capital Markets (IPO, OFS, QIP) has enabled him to become a seasoned professional in the industry, equipped with a deep understanding of the financial landscape.
He completed Mechanical Engineering from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Mumbai, and a Diploma in Business Finance from ICFAI. Mr. Agrawala earned his postgraduate degree in finance, marketing, and strategy from IIM Lucknow.
Radha MS is leading the Procurement team as a President at Avaada Group. Working across length and breadth to devise fruitful sourcing strategies, she has been instrumental in keeping the operations running smoothly.
With her rich experience spanning four decades in Design Engineering, Procurement, and Engineering Management, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and an unwavering commitment to excellence through her expertise. Her strong expertise in Power Systems and SCADA has helped organizations navigate complex challenges.
Ms. Radha has presented numerous case studies/ papers related to Power Systems Protection at various events organized by institutions such as NTPC, CEA, Govt of India, CBIP, and others.
Prior to Avaada Group, she worked with HCC Infrastructure, Reliance Power Limited, NTPC Ltd., and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited. She has successfully performed the role of lead engineer across various NTPC projects, including consultancy.
An IIT Mumbai Alumni, she holds a postgraduate degree in Power Systems Engineering.
Mr. Vinoo George, a seasoned professional with over four decades of experience, heads the Manufacturing vertical as President at Avaada Group. His industry experience spans Manufacturing, Project Management, Sourcing, and International Business Development. He has been instrumental in the organization’s growth journey.
Mr. George is an unparalleled expert in building pipelines and developing large-scale projects and has been instrumental in building strong relationships with vendors and suppliers, ensuring access to the best materials and technologies available. He oversees all aspects of the manufacturing operation, including vendor selection, technology selection, manufacturing setup, product quality, supply chain, and material procurement. He has set high standards for sourcing and supply chain management, ensuring the timely commissioning of solar and wind projects.
Prior to joining Avaada Group, he was associated with BHEL and Reliance Infrastructure. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Madras University.
For three decades, Mr. Rajat Gupta has amassed a broad range of experience in various industries, particularly in managing the financials of private equity owned/funded entities, green field & brown field projects, and startups.
A renowned Chartered Accountant and an alumnus of the University of Delhi, Mr. Gupta is leading the finance functions at Avaada Group, as its Chief Financial Officer, and oversees Financial Planning and Analysis, Accounting and Consolidation & Controllership, Secretarial & Compliance, and Risk Management.
Mr. Gupta has a wealth of experience in sectors such as Renewable Energy, Telecommunications, Healthcare, and Real Estate. With his entrepreneurial skills and experience in setting up and scaling businesses, he handled the entire gamut of asset monetization i.e., private equity, sale of business, demergers, listings & public markets. While working on projects of two telecom services, he raised over Rs 30,000 crores in funding including project finance and structured mezzanine financing. With experience in raising private equity for infrastructure and real estate projects, he has dealt with marquee private equity investors.
During his long professional journey, he was associated with leading organizations like Sprng Energy, Ostro Energy, Avantha Group, Welspun Energy, and Unitech Group.
Vineet Mittal is a serial entrepreneur who has built multiple large-scale businesses. After creating successful unicorns in the BPO and IT space, he floated Welspun Energy in 2010, becoming India’s largest renewable energy company with an installed base of 1.2 GW. In 2016, the platform was monetized successfully with the sale to Tata Power at a US $ 1.4 bn valuations. The Thermal power business of the group was also sold successfully to Adani Group.
He strongly believes that energy is inversely proportional to poverty. With increased energy access, India can overcome its poverty problems and provide its citizens with a better quality of life. Driven by his passion for sustainability and clean energy transition, in 2017, he floated the second platform and named it ‘Avaada’. Avaada means the Promise of a sustainable future and comes from two words, ‘Ayurveda’ and ‘Vaada’, which means the science of life and Promise, respectively.
Mr Mittal is a strong proponent of advancing sustainability through robust business models. He has been actively advocating the concepts of Community Development Certificates (CDC) and Grow Forest Certificate (GFC) with the governments he developed. Both the instruments target creating a marketplace for achieving sustainability objectives of increasing forest cover, developing social infrastructure in terms of healthcare access, education, and so on through a strong incentive mechanism.
Mr Mittal is a regular speaker on clean energy transition at important national and international events. A leading and influential industry voice, he is a regular invitee in all policy consultations by bodies like Niti Aayog, Ministries and Govt. departments, etc.
An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Mr Mittal currently holds the position of Chairman of the CII sub-committee on Hydrogen usage and standards, Chair of the CII National Council on climate change and Chair of the ‘Make in India’ Task Force. In 2012 and 2014, Vineet was conferred with the “Solar Man of the Year” title. He is an active member speaker at World Economic Forum. He is on B20’s task force for financing growth and infrastructure and Energy, Resource Efficiency & Sustainability. He is also the former India Chair of the World Business Council of Sustainable Development (WBCSD) ‘s Renewables Low Carbon Technology platform program.
