Priya Kumar currently serves as executive director at Power Finance Corporation (PFC) Limited, where she leads the solar and wind projects vertical. An electrical engineering graduate from the Delhi College of Engineering, Kumar also holds an MBA in Finance from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.
She joined PFC soon after completing her education and has since amassed over 27 years of experience in power sector financing. Her career spans a wide spectrum of domains, including conventional generation, transmission and distribution, as well as renewable energy projects. She has led PFC’s business in the western and southern regions, managing clients across both the public and private sectors.
“One of my most challenging roles in PFC was to resolve stressed assets, which were at all-time high levels. As the head of the stressed assets unit, I successfully spearheaded the resolution of some of the country’s largest power sector assets through new initiatives, which led to a substantial increase in realisation for lenders,” she says.
Kumar adopts a largely democratic and participative leadership style. “I find that a participative approach has helped us in achieving goals effectively and efficiently. This has enabled us to find innovative solutions and overcome challenges, especially given the dynamic nature of the sector and complexity of the work we handle,” she notes.
She believes integrating environmental, social and governance principles into energy financing and project development is a core priority, ensuring environmental responsibility, social impact and governance standards. “Through innovative financing, policy advocacy and capacity building, I hope to contribute meaningfully toward building a resilient, self-reliant and future-ready energy ecosystem for India,” she states.
Outside of work, Kumar enjoys reading, unwinding through painting or simply relaxing by watching movies or series on over-the-top platforms.
“Looking ahead, I aim to play a catalytic role in advancing India’s clean energy ambitions by supporting emerging sectors such as offshore wind, promoting domestic manufacturing across the entire solar value chain and advancing battery storage ecosystems for grid stability and energy security. I also aim to facilitate investments in green hydrogen and ammonia to decarbonise key industries,” says Kumar.
