Sachin Kumar is associate director, energy efficiency, at the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation. He has over 23 years of experience in the environmental sector, having worked in the fields of energy efficiency and environment improvement. A domain that he has been closely involved with is the decarbonisation of the industry sector in India, where he has a been part of various significant initiatives.
His role at the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation is to lead the programme on industrial decarbonisation, building both decarbonisation and the cooling sector. In his current role, he is provided with fruitful opportunities to interact with diverse stakeholders nationally as well as internationally, with the scope for imbibing new ideas and knowledge from experts.
With respect to India’s renewable energy sector, he remarks, “India has already committed to develop capacities for generating 500 GW of energy from renewable sources by 2030. Policy initiatives such as the recently announced National Green Hydrogen Mission and the the increasing interest of large corporates in renewables are certainly positive developments that will put India on the path to successfully meeting this target.” He goes on to say, “I believe that it is important for the country to focus on building-related infrastructure and indigenous capacities to develop technologies and manufacturing capabilities that will help reduce import dependence and minimise the outflow of foreign exchange.”
Regarding his management style, his approach is largely collaborative, built on open communication and developing trust within the team. He likes to lead by example in order to build respect and develop the skills of his team members.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading books, especially about the British Colonial Era in India. He likes to learn about the country’s legacy, history and achievements in the fields of science, education, architecture and spirituality. He also loves spending time with his family. In terms of future goals, it is his aspiration to be a positive part of India’s growth and development journey. He wants to contribute to knowledge creation based on scientific analysis, which will hopefully be able to guide informed decisions on policy, technology and developing human capacities.
Kumar is a civil engineer with a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and a doctorate on cleaner production diffusions among MSMEs.