Rajneesh Shrotriya has over three decades of experience in the power and engineering sector. He comes with expertise in design and engineering for captive and renewable power generation, continuous process industries, distributed control systems and power system studies. His domain expertise also includes the parallel operation of conventional, solar and wind power generators in both islanded and grid-connected systems.
During his 32-year career, Shrotriya has held leadership positions with several leading power and renewable energy companies, including Adani Power, Suzlon Energy Limited, Lanco Solar Energy Private Limited and Sembcorp Limited. He has been closely associated with developing cost-effective engineering solutions and has remained actively engaged with evolving technologies, market trends and industry developments.
According to Shrotriya, India’s renewable energy sector presents significant opportunities for developers, engineering, procurement and construction contractors, manufacturers and utilities. However, these opportunities are accompanied by several challenges, including right-of-way (RoW) issues, inadequate power evacuation infrastructure and delays in the development of transmission lines and upstream substations. He believes that policy frameworks should provide greater flexibility to accommodate unavoidable project delays and cost escalations. He also advocates stricter qualification criteria in project bidding, taking note that the current requirement of only 50 MW of installation experience allows relatively inexperienced agencies to enter the market, often affecting project timelines and quality.
Among the projects he considers most memorable is the 1,200 MW Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) solar project in Abu Dhabi. The project brought together professionals from nearly 90 countries and was completed within two years. It featured east-west fixed-tilt solar technology and a 220 kV substation, making it one of the largest solar installations at a single location at the time.
Shrotriya follows a coaching-oriented management style, emphasising collaboration, mentoring and stakeholder engagement rather than an authoritative approach in his interactions with teams, vendors and customers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a postgraduate qualification in operations management.