ACEF Speaker 2021
Ashvini Kumar
Former Managing Director,
Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd., New Delhi
I have about 40 years working experience in the field of renewable energy, especially solar energy, encompassing academics and R&D, policy planning and implementation of national programmes, heading a Corporate, and policy research and studies as policy think tank.
My post-graduation is in Physics in 1977, followed up with Ph.D. in solar energy from IIT Delhi, one of the premier Institutions of the country, in 1981. I worked at IIT Delhi until 1986, first as research scholar, and then as a scientific faculty engaged in implementation of various R&D projects and guiding research students. Large number of scientific research papers along with three books on solar were co-authored. All this got published by well-known International publishers.
I joined the Government of India in 1986 and worked there in various capacities for 26 years until 2012. My role and responsibilities included policy development, designing and implementation of demonstration programmes, R&D policy and its implementation, and electrification of remote villages through RE technologies. My responsibilities also included establishment of eco-system for quality control of solar systems and devices in the country through development of national test standards and state-of-art test facilities. I have been closely associated with drafting policy framework for National Solar Mission (NSM) which was launched by the Government in 2010. NSM proved a foundation stone for building up one of the largest solar programme in the world.
In 2012, I joined Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd., which is mandated to implement various schemes of the Government of India for the utility scale and decentralized solar power in the country. I superannuated from SECI as Managing Director in July 2017 leaving behind a successful system of procurement of solar and wind power through international competitive bidding and reverse auctions. During my tenure, SECI got emerged as a credible arm of the MNRE for successful implementation of various programmes leading to continued tariff reduction through competitive bidding.
From November 2017 to March 2021, I worked at TERI, an internationally known think tank, as Senior Director, Renewable Energy Technology Applications. I have been engaged in Policy research on issues of national importance viz. floating solar PV, manufacturing of solar, de-risking solar investments.
I have been closely associated with International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a part of member of International Advisory Committee. I am a member of Research advisory committee of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and ONGC Energy Centre.
Session/Event:
- Energy Policy Consultation 2: Virtual Consultation Roundtable with Global Energy Experts