Rahul Pruthi has been associated with the Tata Power Group for over 13 years. In his current role, he is involved in business development and sustainability initiatives like promotion of rooftop solar for industries and households. He is also responsible for maintenance planning of the 4,000 MW Mundra UMPP, one of the largest coal-based power plants in India, implemented and operated by Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power). Apart from this, he develops models for sustainable plantation on wasteland and in green belts.
In fact, Pruthi has done extensive work for driving sustainability initiatives at Tata Power. He has been involved in significant research and development work for promoting distributed generation and new renewable energy technologies (including solar, micro-grids, wind, biomass, tidal and wave), fuel cells and energy efficiency. An engineer with an MBA degree, Pruthi has undertaken various courses relating to thermal power plants, project management, etc.
He believes that the country’s aim of providing clean, affordable and reliable energy to all is not being met at present. “Provision of electricity to last-mile consumers is just one part. We also need to ensure that these consumers are able to pay so as to not burden the already stressed discoms. We have to revamp the existing regulations and policies, and the implementation methodology to find the right balance and address such challenges,” he says.
Pruthi’s ultimate aim is to develop solutions for providing sustainable and cost-effective energy to Tier III towns and villages using distributed renewable energy sources. He believes this will help the power sector meet its objective of providing clean, affordable and reliable energy to all. It will not only open up new market opportunities for renewable energy players but will also improve the quality of life in Tier III towns. He has already prepared a blueprint of the business model and is looking forward to executing it in the near future.
A target-oriented professional, Pruthi works to improve his entrepreneurship skills and believes in keeping a strong focus on work. In his spare time, he likes to introspect about his future work plans and assess his progress. However, he always takes time out for walking, and manages 8-10 km every day.
At present, he is writing a book aimed at bringing out the challenges being faced by the power sector in India.