Beginning his professional journey at Schlumberger Limited, Ranjit Gupta went on to lead prominent energy firms such as Indiabulls Power, Orange Renewables, Ostro Energy and Azure Power, before founding Ocior Energy Holding Private Limited. With a mechanical engineering degree from IIT Bombay and certification from the Senior Executive Leadership Program of Harvard Business School, Gupta is currently CEO of Ocior Energy and a co-owner at Aleo Manali Hydropower Private Limited. He has also served as chair of the FICCI Renewable Energy CEOs Council.
Ocior Energy is focused on developing, building, owning and operating green hydrogen and green ammonia projects at scale. Gupta remarks, “The green hydrogen industry is emerging, business models in terms of how projects will be created, who the off-taker will be, and pricing mechanisms are in the process of being developed. It is heartening to see India, EU, Japan, USA, Singapore, South Korea and other countries announce large offtake targets and incentives to help reduce the difference in pricing between green and grey hydrogen/ammonia.”
He adds “It is very exciting to be in the green hydrogen sector. Unlike electricity, these green molecules can be exported and will compete in a global product pool giving Indian companies an edge. Therefore, I am a firm supporter of Indian government’s vision of promoting India as an export hub of these products.”
Regarding his management style, Gupta believes that it is crucial to hold team members accountable for their allocated work, and facilitate continuous communication for effective management. Aligning the management’s vision with that of the employees is crucial for achievement of a company’s objectives. He remarks, “As a leader, I believe it is important to communicate the vision and mission of the organisation internally and externally. Thus, creating a workplace where decision-making, responsibility and authority are decentralised to empower the team to achieve a shared mission.”
He aims to establish two green hydrogen ammonia facilities over the next few years. He states that he has spent the past two decades working in the power sector. The opportunity to sell green hydrogen/ammonia products to global markets is immense. In the next four years, he plans to produce and export 200,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually from two plants – one in India and the other overseas.
