Sandy Khera has experienced the renewable energy sector through multiple roles: as an adviser, investor, entrepreneur, and multinational chief executive officer (CEO). After completing an electronics engineering degree from Nagpur University and an MBA from NMIMS, Mumbai, he began his career at SBI Capital and EY, working on electricity sector reforms and privatisation advisory for the governments of Delhi, Goa, and Assam and subsequently moved to GE Capital Private Equity. In 2010, Khera co-founded BLP, where he was involved in raising capital, and developing its first wind farms. The company was acquired by Enel in 2015, following which he progressed from being the chief financial officer to becoming the CEO and he now leads Enel Green Power India.
While the first phase of renewable energy growth focused on capacity addition, Khera believes the next will be shaped by storage, digitalisation and grid modernisation. He sees AI, supervisory control and data acquisition systems, condition monitoring, and digital twins playing an increasing role in wind operations. However, he believes technology must complement, rather than replace, human purpose. He also sees the limited access to turbine design and operational data as an under-discussed structural issue in the Indian wind sector. “Data access should be treated as a first-order commercial term and negotiated upfront, while independent owners should develop their own condition monitoring capabilities alongside original equipment manufacturer support. At the industry level, common, interoperable data standards would help,” he says.
Khera contributes to the energy transition through policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement. Moreover, he considers commissioning projects and witnessing their impact on surrounding communities among the most fulfilling aspects of his role. “Our purpose is not only to light up homes, but to light up hopes,” he says. His leadership philosophy centres on authenticity, empowerment, and learning. He encourages teams to take calculated risks and learn from mistakes. Outside work, Khera enjoys tennis and pickleball, follows cricket, football and other sports, and spends time reading, and watching Bollywood films. He also prioritises family time during weekends.
Looking ahead, Khera sees repowering India’s ageing wind fleet as a significant opportunity. He emphasises on faster implementation of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s Repowering and Life Extension Policy at the state level, disciplined life extension management through condition monitoring and targeted refurbishment, and financing structures for the same.
