Sarvesh Kumar, chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA), has been a strong proponent of wind energy since the time wind was not an acceptable commercial proposition. He has been instrumental in promoting its adoption and commercialisation in the country. This essentially stems from his strong belief in the potential of the segment.
In his role as chairman of IWTMA, Kumar has proved to be a strong link between the industry and the government, and has helped align government policies with the needs of wind turbine manufacturers to ensure streamlined growth of wind energy. He has been active in taking up the issue of restoration of fiscal and financial benefits for the segment with the authorities concerned.
Kumar is also deputy managing director of RRB Energy. Under his leadership, the company has achieved new heights in wind generation with the development of 1.8 MW of wind turbine capacity through in-house R&D. He recently also helped close foreign investments of $55 million in the company.
Vocal about his opinion on the current status of the segment and its future prospects, Kumar observes that wind energy is a mature technology and expects wind power hybridisation to be an emerging trend. “The industry is looking at setting up solar-wind hybrids,” he says. “It is an area that needs to be evaluated in depth. If successful, these plants will open up a new opportunity for the segment.” He also feels that offshore wind technology is an area that needs to be explored in India. On the question of whether India is ready for the technology or not, he says, “A number of players have tied up with companies overseas to access offshore technologies, but getting these to India and making a viable business case out of them is a question that remains unanswered. My personal opinion is that the industry is ready to take on the challenge from a technology point of view.”
While optimistic about the segment, Kumar also expresses concerns about certain wind policies. He believes that neither accelerated depreciation nor generation-based incentives will be brought back since the government is already moving towards competitive bidding. Reserving his comments on the contentious issue of auctions for wind projects, he says, “The policy direction is not clear as of now, and this uncertainty bothers not just the industry but investors as well.”
Kumar is a life fellow of the All India Management Association – a recognition of his professional and management expertise and leadership qualities.