Over the past decade, I have seen the renewable energy sector in India transform to become the third-largest market in the world,” exclaims Tejus Arsikere, chief, solar farms, CleanMax EnviroEnergy Solutions. Arsikere is a passionate renewable energy professional with over 15 years of experience in the sector. In the past, he has worked in organisations such as GE Energy and Atria Power. At CleanMax, in addition to leading the solar farms business, he also looks at regulatory management, storage solutions and advanced technology deployment. He completed electrical engineering from R.V. College of Engineering (Bengaluru) and has postgraduate diplomas from Symbiosis University and TERI School of Advanced Studies. He is also pursuing a senior executive leadership programme from the Harvard Business School.
Talking about the state of the sector, Arsikere says, “It is interesting to see the energy sector’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy; a few thermal power plants are already being shut down. Over the next few years, the solar power market will be driven by the commercial and industrial segment as the utility segment will get saturated.”
Arsikere is a technology enthusiast and regularly deploys it in business too. He says, “A key challenge with regard to solar farms is their location. To overcome this, we have adopted the use of technology, including drones, which aid in remote monitoring and ensure optimum performance of the plant.”
Arsikere has had an immensely rewarding journey at CleanMax, which has grown from a company largely known for rooftop solar installations to one of the leading companies for open access solar projects in India. “Three years and over 350 MW later, I can proudly say that I am now actively looking to diversify our operations to other sources of clean energy”.
Arsikere follows a collaborative and goal-oriented management style. He appreciates the flexible working hours and work-from-home policies offered at CleanMax which help employees to maintain a work-life balance. He likes to listen to soft, soothing music, and practise singing during weekends. He also loves playing with his seven-year-old daughter to unwind after work.
He concludes by saying, “My vision is to replicate the success we have enjoyed in India in newer geographies, and see CleanMax achieve 2-3 GW of installed capacity in the next few years.”