Piyush Patidar, assistant general manager, solar marketing, Shakti Pumps (India) Ltd., has wide experience in the renewable energy sector with a versatile background in business advisory and strategies, e-procurements and tenders, end-to-end bid management, contract agreements and project planning. Prior to his current role, he worked as a manager at a consulting firm. Patidar believes that the most exciting part of his current role is the opportunity to work in the policy and regulatory space for the renewable energy (solar power) and energy efficiency segments. “My role is not limited to a particular domain and allows me to be involved in various spheres of the renewable energy industry,” he says.
In his view, the biggest challenge in the solar pump industry is the tender-based model: “Solar pumps are amalgamated under farm machinery equipment as per the Ministry of Agriculture. Thus, indigenous solar pump manufacturers should be empanelled by the ministry, just as other farm equipment manufacturers. A tender-based process may not be the best approach. While off-grid solar pumps are being rapidly installed under Component B of the PM-KUSUM scheme, focusing on grid-connected solar pumping systems through mandatory replacement of inefficient pumps with solar/energy efficient pumps can growth in transmission capacity India’s clean energy targets. Leftover power from these pumps can be fed into the grid, thereby reducing the burden on thermal plants. In the long run, grid-connected pumps can reduce coal consumption and imports, while providing additional income to farmers. Like ‘vocal-for-local’, we can say, ‘generate where use is there’.”
Patidar believes in the importance of teamwork and team management. He says, “Setting clear goals and further distributing them into small targets is crucial for achieving the company’s objectives. A good team with proper delegation will always lead to good business opportunities. Moreover, aggregation of work as per the knowledge and skills of each individual is highly important. I give complete ownership to my team members for the assigned work and encourage them to do their job like intrapreneurs.”
Patidar likes reading about current trends and policies in the renewables’ space. He stays updated by participating in workshops seminars and meet-ups. He also enjoys spending time with his family. An IIM-Indore alumnus and a chartered engineer (electrical), Patidar also has a BE in electronics and instrumentation and an MTech in energy management. He is keen on exploring certifications and trainings to be updated with market trends in renewable energy, quality control in solar technology and energy efficiency.
