Monika Dave, co-founder of robotic solar panel cleaning start-up Solavio Labs, is passionate about clean technologies. Following this passion, she also started Neimon General Trading in the UAE, with the aim of introducing various cleantech and energy efficiency solutions from around the world to the Middle East market.
Starting her own venture has always been a dream for Dave, and to be able to do it in a way where she could make a difference has been a great bonus. “Watching your company grow with hard-working and determined individuals offers an opportunity for learning something new every day,” she says with satisfaction.
It has been a long professional journey for Dave. She began her career in a petrochemicals trading company in Switzerland and completed her last corporate assignment with Eaton’s electrical components manufacturing division in the UAE.
Dave believes that the robotic cleaning market in India is still at its early adoption stage. “The long-held tradition of using low-cost labour to clean solar panels manually poses a challenge for the Indian market. However, with falling tariffs and the unavailability of labour owing to the pandemic, there has been a massive surge in interest from developers and plant owners over the past few months to adopt cleaning robots,” says Dave.
Furthermore, the reduction in groundwater across the country has made dry-cleaning robots more of a necessity than a luxury. These technologies have also proven to be more economical for both large-scale and small-scale projects, when combined with other best practices in operations and maintenance.
As a leader, Dave aims to inspire people to be better, to do better and to feel better. She believes in providing support and inspiration to her team in order to motivate them to achieve their goals. Her focus is on the transformation of the team while encouraging them to take risks and think outside the box.
While Dave has ambitious long-term goals for the growth of the company, she believes that it is important to focus on the short-term goals as well to prepare her and the team to face the journey ahead.
Dave has a bachelor’s degree in business finance and a master’s degree in international business. She enjoys spending her free time, with her family and close friends, either outdoors or eating a good meal. She also enjoys reading and horse riding.