On this International Women’s Day, Renewable Watch is highlighting a few remarkable women who are transforming India’s renewable energy landscape through leadership and unwavering commitment to sustainability. This special feature showcases these trailblazers who are breaking barriers in what has traditionally been a male-dominated sector. Renewable Watch recognises these change-makers who are energising India’s renewable revolution and proving that women’s leadership is fundamental to building a greener tomorrow…
Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Nidhi Khare is a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre. In January 2025, she took over additional charge as Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy along with her role as Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs. She brings over three decades of administrative experience to her new role. Khare holds a master’s degree in biochemistry and has held key positions in the central government as well as the state government of Jharkhand. Her previous roles in the central government include Secretary in the Department of Land Resources, Special Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, as well as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Department of Expenditure. She has also served as District Collector in Madhubani, Jamshedpur and Dumka.
Parminder Chopra, Chairman and Managing Director, Power Finance Corporation Limited
Parminder Chopra is the Chairman and Managing Director at Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC). During her term as Director (Finance) at PFC, she spearheaded the Finance Division. She has over 35 years of varied experience in the power and financial sector. Her prior experience includes service in power sector majors like NHPC Limited and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. Chopra holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Delhi University and is a qualified cost and management accountant. She also has a post graduate diploma in business management.
Mansi Tripathy, Chairman Shell Group of Companies India and Vice President, Shell Lubricants Asia Pacific
Mansi Tripathy is currently Chairman, Shell Group of Companies India along with her role as Vice President, Shell Lubricants Asia Pacific. Tripathy has previously held other roles in Shell including Managing Director of Shell Lubricants India and Country Marketing Officer. She joined Shell from Procter & Gamble, where she held several regional and global Director-level positions. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in technology from the National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra and has a master’s degree in marketing from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research.
Monika Rathi, Country Head – India, Vena Energy
Monika Rathi is the Country Head of India at Vena Energy, and oversees the operations, business development, and renewable assets management in the Indian market. With over 17-years of experience, Rathi has held several key roles at General Electric and the Mahindra Group, ranging from developing next-generation technologies for the renewable sector, to process excellence, operations, and business development. She holds bachelor’s degree in technology from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, and a master’s degree in power electronics and controls from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
Dhanya Rajeswaran, Global Vice President and Country Managing Director for India, Fluence
Dhanya Rajeswaran serves as the Global Vice President and Country Managing Director for India at Fluence, overseeing the Global Innovation Centre in Bengaluru. With extensive leadership experience in HR and strategy across industries, including renowned companies such as Accenture, Wipro and Titan, Rajeswaran fosters inclusive workplaces, scales businesses and champions diversity. She is also an advisory board member for the India Energy Storage Alliance. She has done her post-graduation from the Loyola Institute of Business Administration.
Shilpa Urhekar, Chief Executive Officer, Solar EPC (India), Gensol Engineering Limited
Shilpa Urhekar is the Chief Executive Officer, Solar EPC India, Gensol Engineering. Prior to joining Gensol, she served as country head (India) at Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Limited. An Indian Air Force veteran, who retired as a squadron leader in 2007, she has over two decades of experience in the renewable energy industry. She has a bachelor’s of engineering from Nagpur University, and has also done post-graduation from Management Development Institute Gurgaon as well as TERI School of Advanced Studies.
Preeti Bajaj, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Luminous Power Technologies
Preeti Bajaj has nearly two decades of experience in the Australian and Asian business environments and is now serving as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Luminous Power Technologies. She started her career in the software industry and then moved to the real estate space. Later, she became chief executive officer of SIL Solar, and then joined Luminous in India. Bajaj completed her MBA from Swinburne University and her Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, Australia.
Nidhi Gupta Co-Founder and Director, Rays Experts
Nidhi Gupta began her professional journey as Co-founder and Director at Rays Experts. In 2019, she took on the additional responsibility of director, Rays Experts Pte Ltd, Singapore. A year later, she founded Mighty Avengers Solar, a solar steel structures manufacturing company. Her leadership across these key roles is fuelled by her passion for sustainable development and innovation in solar energy solutions. Gupta obtained a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Rajasthan Technical University in 2012.
Radhika Choudary, Co-founder and Director, Freyr Energy
Radhika Chaoudary is one of the founders of Freyr Energy. During her master’s at Purdue University in the US, she worked on a research project on fuel cells powered by solar energy, which sparked her interest in the field of clean energy. Then, she pursued the field working as a sourcing and engineering intern on wind energy at GE Energy. She has also worked in the renewable energy industry in companies like SKF USA Inc and Lanco Wind Power.
Of course, the list of inspiring women in the renewable energy sector is much longer, and we will continue to share such stories through our platform…
