Over the past year, the renewables sector witnessed a fresh round of leadership changes across key organisations. At the ministry level, a new secretary took charge at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Senior appointments were also made at various nodal implementation agencies, including Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) and Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA), and major PSUs such as NHPC Limited, REC Limited and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). Several private developers and manufacturers also witnessed leadership shifts. A look at some of the key changes at the top…
Public Sector
Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, MNRE
Santosh Kumar Sarangi took over as secretary, MNRE in April 2025. He succeeded Nidhi Khare, who held the post as an additional charge. Prior to this, Sarangi served as director general of foreign trade in the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He also holds the additional charge as chairman and managing director (CMD) of SECI. A 1994 batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, he has served in various capacities at the centre and in the Odisha government for close to three decades and has extensive administrative and policy experience.
Akash Tripathi, MD, SECI
Akash Tripathi, a 1998 batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, joined SECI as managing director (MD) in August 2025. Prior to SECI, he worked as additional secretary in the Ministry of Power. In the past, he has served as chief executive officer (CEO) of MyGov, MD and CEO of Digital India Corporation, and CEO of the India Semiconductor Mission. In Madhya Pradesh, he served as divisional commissioner, Indore; principal secretary in the Department of Technical Education, Bhopal; and secretary (energy) with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. A graduate in electronics and telecommunications engineering, Tripathi also has an MBA in finance.
Jitendra Srivastava, CMD, REC Limited
Jitendra Srivastava assumed charge as CMD of REC Limited in April 2025. He is also the ex-officio chairman on the board of REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited. Srivastava is a 2000 batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre and has held several key administrative and leadership roles with the Government of India and the Government of Bihar. From January 2023, he served as joint secretary in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. Earlier, he served as secretary in the Home Department and the Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Bihar. A graduate in economics from Hansraj College, Delhi University, he also has an MBA in finance from the Cochin University of Science and Technology.
Samir Chandra Saxena, CMD, GRID-INDIA 
Samir Chandra Saxena assumed charge as CMD of GRID-INDIA in May 2025. Prior to this, he served as director, market operations at GRID-INDIA. He has nearly three decades of extensive experience across diverse domains, including power market operations, power system operations, power exchange operations, electricity market design, regulatory affairs, renewable energy integration, REC market design and operations, and SCADA-IT systems. He also represents India on the CIGRE Study Committee C5 on Electricity Markets and Regulation, contributing to global dialogue on power sector reforms and market development. Saxena holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Aligarh Muslim University and an MBA from IIT Delhi. He has also completed a certificate course on “The Regulation of the Power Sector” from Comillas Pontifical University, Italy.
Bhupender Gupta, CMD, NHPC Limited
Bhupender Gupta took over as CMD of NHPC Limited in September 2025. Before joining NHPC, he was director (technical) at THDC India Limited. He also holds the additional charge of CMD at SJVN Limited. With a career spanning over 34 years, Gupta has contributed significantly to the power sector across the hydro, thermal, renewable energy, transmission and distribution domains. His vision is to meet India’s rising power demand through non-fossil resources and strengthen energy self-reliance. He advocates integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, cybersecurity, green hydrogen, bioenergy and energy storage to achieve the country’s sustainable energy goals. Gupta has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in operations management.
Akhilesh Kumar Dixit, CEO, EESL
Akhilesh Kumar Dixit assumed charge as CEO of EESL in June 2025. He has 32 years of experience in the power sector, having served in diverse leadership roles at Power Grid Corporation of India Limited. His expertise spans substation and transmission operations, business development, corporate social responsibility, human resources and procurement. With a background in electrical engineering and a PGDBM, Dixit combines technical excellence with strategic acumen. “It is an honour to lead EESL at a time when energy efficiency is at the core of India’s sustainable development goals. I look forward to building on EESL’s strong legacy while charting a bold path forward – one that integrates smart technologies, fosters inclusive growth and delivers measurable impact for our nation,” said Dixit.
Private Sector
Sanjay Banga, CEO and MD, Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited
Sanjay Banga was appointed CEO and MD of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited in June 2025 following an internal reorganisation. Prior to this, he headed the transmission and distribution verticals as well as the trading business at Tata Power. In the past, he has served as CEO of Tata Power-DDL. A power sector veteran with over three decades of experience in the generation and distribution business, Banga’s expertise in the power sector encompasses operational technologies, project management, utility business process reengineering and regulation. He holds an MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi. He is also an alumnus of the National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra, and has completed the Senior Executive Leadership Program of Harvard Business School.
Ashish Khanna, CEO, AGEL
Ashish Khanna, who was previously CEO of the International Energy Business at the Adani Group, took charge as CEO of Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), effective April 1, 2025. Khanna is a seasoned renewable energy professional with over three decades of experience in India and abroad, spanning renewable project development, infrastructure, project and contracts management.
Avinash Rao, MD and CEO, Mahindra Susten
Mahindra Susten announced the appointment of Avinash Rao as its MD and CEO, effective September 24, 2025. Rao has close to 30 years of experience spanning conventional power, transmission and renewable energy. Most recently, he served as CEO of Sustainable Energy Infra Investment Managers Private Limited, the investment manager for Sustainable Energy Infra Trust. He has also held senior leadership roles at Edelweiss Alternatives-backed Sekura India Management Limited and at CLP India, where he played a key role in developing, acquiring, operating and scaling renewable energy businesses.
Deepak Thakur, MD and CEO, Hinduja Renewables Energy
Effective October 1, 2025, Hinduja Renewables Energy, a part of the Hinduja Group, appointed Deepak Thakur as its MD and CEO. Thakur brings with him more than 30 years of experience across renewable energy, infrastructure, industrial products and electronics, and has held senior leadership positions at several major companies, including the Mahindra Group, Reliance, Sterling & Wilson, Larsen & Toubro, Honeywell, and Thermax. His expertise covers the entire renewable energy value chain, spanning project development, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), operations and maintenance, upstream technology, manufacturing, and asset monetisation through infrastructure investment trusts.
Sanjay Gupta, CEO, Cleantech Solar
Sanjay Gupta was appointed CEO of Cleantech Solar in December 2024. He has nearly four decades of experience across the conventional and renewable energy sectors. “I am excited to lead a highly talented and dedicated team at this pivotal moment, steering the company through the successful execution of a large portfolio of projects, enhancing our market leadership and continuing to deliver outstanding value to our customers,” stated Gupta on his appointment. Prior to joining Cleantech Solar, he served as director of asset management at Keppel Fund Management and held senior leadership roles at Sembcorp Industries and Energy Australia. Gupta holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur and an MBA from Sydney Business School, University of Wollongong.
Servan, CEO, EDF Power Solutions India
In September 2025, Guirec Servan was appointed CEO of EDF Power Solutions India. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from ESTP, France, and has over 25 years of experience in steering organisations through strategic turnarounds and growth. He has been associated with EDF for nearly two decades, prior to which he worked with EY in Paris as a consultant. He has held several management positions across consulting, internal auditing, grid and network activities, and business development. With over 15 years in the power sector, he has overseen EDF Renewables’ transition from a 50:50 joint venture to full acquisition. In India, over the past four years, he has represented shareholders in EDF Renewables India and Eden Renewables (a joint venture with TotalEnergies), monitoring operations as well as under-construction and development assets.
Amit Jain, CEO, Aditya Birla Renewables
Amit Jain was appointed CEO and whole-time key managerial personnel of Aditya Birla Renewables, effective April 2, 2025. Jain is a senior business leader with over three decades of experience across renewables, energy and telecom infrastructure. Previously, he was global CEO of the Sterling & Wilson Renewable Energy Group. He holds a degree in civil engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering and a master’s in international business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi.
Ankush Malik, CEO, Juniper Green Energy
Juniper Green Energy appointed Ankush Malik as CEO in May 2025. He has been associated with the company since November 2018 and was inducted onto the board as chief operating officer (COO) on April 30, 2024. With over 15 years of experience in the power sector, he has played a key role in driving the company’s growth. In his new role, Malik will lead the company’s long-term strategy and oversee operations, business development, project development, construction and regulatory functions. An alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Lucknow, he has previously held leadership positions at Orange Renewable Power and worked with ICICI Bank and Lanco Infratech.
Sharad Pungalia, Country Head, Gentari India
Sharad Pungalia was appointed country head of Gentari India in May 2025. His appointment came on the back of Gentari’s announcement of the integration of its commercial and industrial-focused platform, Amplus Solar, with the Gentari brand, marking a significant milestone in its journey in India. Pungalia has over 20 years of experience in the power and energy sector, with expertise in project development, commercial strategy and regulatory navigation, and a proven track record of delivering customer-focused, scalable energy solutions. As MD and CEO of Amplus Solar, he helped scale the company to over 2.4 GW and expand its offerings to include storage, hybrids and green hydrogen. Pungalia holds a PGDBA in finance from ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad.
Pankaj Tandon, CEO, Everrenew Energy
In July 2025, Everrenew Energy Private Limited announced the appointment of Pankaj Tandon as its new CEO. Tandon has over three decades of experience across the EPC, infrastructure and international business segments. He has previously held senior leadership roles at Jakson Group, KEC International and Transrail Lighting. Tandon is a qualified cost accountant (ICMA), holds a PGDBM from MDI Gurgaon, and has completed the Global Leadership Program at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
Jitendra Agrawal, COO, ACME Group
The ACME Group appointed Jitendra Agrawal as COO to lead the growth of its renewable energy equipment manufacturing business in India and key international markets. In this role, he will drive ACME’s expansion plans and strengthen execution capabilities as the company advances new investments to scale up its manufacturing operations.
Rahul Jain, CFO, Suzlon Energy
Suzlon Energy has appointed Rahul Jain as its chief financial officer (CFO), effective December 15, 2025. He has two decades of experience in corporate finance and is a chartered accountant by qualification.
Parag Parikh, Group CFO, GPS Renewables; CEO, GPSR Arya
Parag Parikh joined the GPS Renewables Group as group chief CFO and CEO of GPSR Arya, the asset platform of GPS Renewables. Parikh has over 25 years of experience across the roads, ports, power and clean energy sectors, including compressed biogas and electric vehicle charging. Prior to this, he served as CFO of Adani Total Gas, where he played a key role in strategic finance, joint venture governance and business incubation in emerging energy segments. He is also a member of the FICCI CFO Council.
Vinay Rustagi, Chief Business Officer, Premier Energies
Premier Energies Limited appointed Vinay Rustagi as its chief business officer. Rustagi has over 20 years of experience in India’s renewable energy sector, spanning infrastructure finance, solar development and policy advisory.
