India’s clean energy transition will be shaped not only by the pace of renewable energy deployment but also by the strength of its domestic manufacturing ecosystem. Building globally competitive manufacturing capabilities, supported by advanced technology, engineering excellence and execution expertise, is essential to achieving long-term energy security, strengthening supply chain resilience and reducing external dependencies, says Gaurav Tripathi, Vice President – Solar Business & EPC, Agastya Energy in an interview with Evolution Auto India.
Q: As Vice President – Solar Business & EPC at Agastya Energy, you are leading the company’s integrated solar business. What has been your strategic vision in shaping this vertical, and what milestones are you most focused on achieving?
At Agastya Energy, our vision is to build an integrated clean energy company where manufacturing, engineering and project execution operate as one cohesive ecosystem, rather than as standalone businesses. As the renewable energy sector continues to evolve, sustainable leadership will increasingly be defined not by manufacturing scale alone, but by the ability to integrate capabilities across the value chain and consistently deliver long-term value to customers.
The solar industry today is highly competitive and operates on increasingly thin margins. In this environment, success can no longer be built on module pricing alone. It comes from bringing together advanced manufacturing, engineering excellence, EPC execution, Operations & Maintenance (O&M), and increasingly, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), to optimise performance across the entire lifecycle of a renewable energy asset.
Our strategy is centred on creating an integrated platform where every capability strengthens the next enhancing quality, accelerating execution, improving supply chain resilience, reducing lifecycle costs and ultimately delivering superior customer outcomes. Over the next few years, our focus is on successfully operationalising our multi-gigawatt solar cell and module manufacturing platform, building a high-performance EPC business, establishing robust O&M capabilities, and integrating BESS as a core part of our offering. Together, these capabilities will enable us to deliver reliable, dispatchable and future-ready clean energy solutions that support India’s energy transition while creating sustainable value for our customers and partners.
Q: Agastya Energy is building an integrated solar ecosystem spanning manufacturing and EPC. How does this integrated approach strengthen the company’s ability to deliver reliable, high-quality renewable energy solutions?
Integration is no longer simply a strategic choice it is becoming a defining characteristic of successful renewable energy businesses.
While solar projects are often awarded on commercial competitiveness, their true success is ultimately measured by the quality of execution and how reliably they perform over the next 25 to 30 years. That is why we believe value creation must extend well beyond the procurement stage and encompass the entire lifecycle of a renewable energy asset.
By bringing together manufacturing, engineering, EPC execution, Operations & Maintenance (O&M), and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) under one integrated platform, we are able to optimise every stage of the project lifecycle. This approach enhances quality assurance, improves execution
efficiency, strengthens supply chain resilience, and enables greater control over cost and performance throughout the asset’s operational life.
For our customers, this translates into reliable, bankable and future-ready clean energy solutions that are engineered for long-term performance rather than short-term cost optimisation. We believe this integrated model not only strengthens our execution capabilities but also positions us to meet the evolving expectations of a market that increasingly values reliability, operational excellence and lifecycle value alongside commercial competitiveness.
Q: You are spearheading the development of Agastya Energy’s multi-GW solar cell and module manufacturing platform. What opportunities do you see this creating for both the company and India’s clean energy ambitions. The company is developing a multi-GW solar cell and module manufacturing facility. Could you share how this project will enhance Agastya Energy’s capabilities and support India’s vision of becoming a global renewable energy manufacturing hub? Your role involves balancing business strategy, project execution, supply chain development, and commercial operations. How do you ensure these functions work together to drive sustainable growth?
India’s clean energy transition will be shaped not only by the pace of renewable energy deployment but also by the strength of its domestic manufacturing ecosystem. Building globally competitive manufacturing capabilities, supported by advanced technology, engineering excellence and execution expertise, is essential to achieving long-term energy security, strengthening supply chain resilience and reducing external dependencies.
Our multi-gigawatt solar cell and module manufacturing platform has been envisioned with this long-term perspective. It is being developed with a strong focus on advanced technology, automation, operational excellence and scalable production to deliver high-quality, globally competitive products. For Agastya Energy, this represents a significant strategic milestone that reinforces our position as an integrated clean energy company by bringing together manufacturing, engineering, EPC execution, Operations & Maintenance (O&M), and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into a single, integrated ecosystem.
This integration creates multiple advantages. It enables greater standardisation across procurement, engineering and project delivery, improves operational efficiency, optimises lifecycle costs and enhances the reliability and quality of our EPC portfolio. As renewable energy projects become increasingly sophisticated, customers are looking beyond individual products towards end-to-end energy solutions that deliver long-term value.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will play an increasingly important role alongside solar generation as India moves towards a more flexible and resilient power system. The future of the industry lies in integrated energy solutions where manufacturing, EPC execution, energy storage and lifecycle asset management work seamlessly together to provide reliable, dispatchable and future-ready clean energy.
From a leadership perspective, my priority is to ensure that strategy, manufacturing, supply chain, commercial operations, EPC execution, O&M and BESS do not operate as independent verticals but as one cohesive organisation aligned around a common objective delivering superior customer value while improving project economics and long-term operational performance. Achieving this requires a culture of cross-functional collaboration, disciplined execution, data-driven decision-making and continuous innovation. When every function works towards shared business outcomes, organisations become more agile, resilient and better positioned to respond to a rapidly evolving renewable energy landscape.
For India, this investment represents far more than additional manufacturing capacity. It contributes to strengthening domestic supply chains, reducing import dependence, generating high-quality employment and supporting the country’s ambition of becoming a globally competitive renewable energy manufacturing hub. As the industry matures and domestic manufacturing policies continue to evolve under frameworks such as ALMM, long-term success will increasingly be defined by operational excellence, technological innovation, execution capability and the ability to deliver integrated lifecycle solutions.
Ultimately, developing integrated capabilities across the entire clean energy value chain from manufacturing to project execution and energy storage will be instrumental in accelerating India’s transition towards a more self-reliant, sustainable and globally competitive clean energy future. That, in my view, is what will differentiate the next generation of clean energy leaders.
Q: Agastya Energy has been expanding its presence across the renewable energy value chain. What differentiates the company’s approach in an increasingly competitive solar market?
The Indian solar industry is entering a more mature and dynamic phase of growth. While pricing pressures continue to intensify and technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, customer expectations are also changing. Today, customers are looking beyond standalone products or services they are seeking integrated partners capable of delivering reliable, efficient and future-ready energy solutions across the entire project lifecycle.
What differentiates Agastya Energy is our belief that the future of renewable energy lies in integration, not fragmentation. We are not building another module manufacturing company or a conventional EPC contractor. Instead, we are creating an integrated clean energy platform where manufacturing, engineering, EPC execution, Operations & Maintenance (O&M), and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) work seamlessly together to deliver consistent quality, operational excellence and long-term asset performance.
As the industry evolves, competitive advantage will increasingly be determined by an organisation’s ability to optimise lifecycle value rather than compete solely on upfront costs. We believe the next generation of industry leaders will be those who combine technological capability, execution excellence and integrated solutions to deliver resilient, bankable and sustainable outcomes for customers.
At Agastya Energy, our focus is not simply on participating in India’s clean energy transition but on helping shape its next phase by building capabilities that create enduring value for customers, strengthen the renewable energy ecosystem and contribute meaningfully to the country’s long-term energy security.
Q: Innovation is rapidly reshaping the renewable energy sector. How is Agastya Energy incorporating advanced technologies, automation, and operational excellence into its manufacturing and EPC businesses?
Innovation today extends far beyond product development, it encompasses the entire value chain, from manufacturing processes and automation to digitalisation, engineering excellence and project execution. In a rapidly evolving industry, technology adoption must translate into tangible improvements in efficiency, quality and long-term asset performance.
At Agastya Energy, we are integrating advanced manufacturing technologies, digital quality management systems and intelligent engineering practices across our production facilities to enhance precision, consistency and operational excellence. Within our EPC business, we are leveraging digital project monitoring, structured execution frameworks and data-driven planning to improve productivity, optimise resource utilisation and deliver projects with greater speed and quality.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) represent another strategic area of focus. We view energy storage not as an adjacent business opportunity, but as a core pillar of the future energy ecosystem. As the demand for grid stability, round-the-clock renewable power and flexible energy infrastructure continues to grow, BESS will play an increasingly critical role in enabling the next phase of India’s clean energy transition. Our investments today reflect our long-term commitment to building integrated, future-ready energy solutions.
Q: With your experience across multiple industries, what leadership principles have you brought to Agastya Energy that have helped build a high-performing solar business?
Having worked across entrepreneurship, consulting and large organisations, one leadership principle has remained constant throughout my career high-performing businesses are built when people, processes and purpose work in alignment rather than operate in silos.
At Agastya Energy, we have consciously fostered a culture where manufacturing, EPC, commercial, finance and supply chain operate as one integrated business with shared accountability and a common objective. In an industry characterised by intense competition and extremely thin margins, organisational alignment often becomes a greater competitive advantage than technology alone.
Equally important is creating an environment where individuals are empowered to take ownership of outcomes rather than simply execute responsibilities. We encourage data-driven decision-making, cross-functional collaboration and a mindset of continuous improvement. Ultimately, sustainable organisations are built by capable people who are trusted to innovate, collaborate and deliver with excellence.
Q: Developing a resilient domestic supply chain is increasingly important for India’s renewable energy future. How is Agastya Energy contributing to strengthening local manufacturing capabilities and reducing import dependence?
India’s renewable energy ambitions require more than expanding manufacturing capacity they require the development of a resilient, self-reliant and globally competitive domestic ecosystem.
Policy initiatives such as the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), together with the Government’s broader Make in India vision, are creating a strong foundation for domestic manufacturing to scale with greater confidence. As these frameworks continue to evolve, the industry will increasingly reward companies that combine manufacturing capability with operational excellence, technological innovation and integrated execution.
At Agastya Energy, we are contributing to this transformation by investing in multi-gigawatt domestic manufacturing, strengthening long-term supplier partnerships, increasing local value addition and building resilient supply chains that enhance reliability while reducing import dependence. Beyond supporting our own growth, we believe these investments contribute meaningfully to India’s long-term energy security and reinforce its aspiration to become a global leader in renewable energy manufacturing.
Q: As India accelerates towards its renewable energy targets, where do you see the greatest opportunities for Agastya Energy to create long-term value for customers, partners, and the broader energy ecosystem?
India’s clean energy transition is opening significant opportunities across utility-scale solar, commercial and industrial (C&I) solutions, open access, hybrid renewable projects and Battery Energy Storage Systems. As the market matures, customers are increasingly seeking integrated partners capable of delivering not just generation capacity, but reliable, efficient and high-performing energy solutions throughout the lifecycle of an asset.
At Agastya Energy, we believe long-term value is created through the seamless integration of manufacturing excellence, engineering expertise, dependable EPC execution, disciplined Operations & Maintenance (O&M) and intelligent energy storage solutions. This integrated approach enables us to optimise lifecycle performance while delivering greater reliability, efficiency and value for our customers.
Beyond individual projects, our ambition is to contribute to strengthening India’s renewable energy ecosystem through domestic manufacturing, technology adoption and infrastructure that supports long-term sustainability. By building capabilities across the entire value chain, we aim to create lasting value not only for our customers and partners but also for the broader energy transition.
Q: Looking ahead, what are your key priorities for the Solar Business & EPC vertical over the next three to five years, and how do these align with Agastya Energy’s long-term growth strategy?
Over the next three to five years, our priorities are clearly defined. We are focused on successfully operationalising our multi-gigawatt solar cell and module manufacturing platform, establishing Agastya Energy among India’s most trusted EPC companies, strengthening our Operations & Maintenance capabilities and expanding our presence in Battery Energy Storage Systems as an integral part of our clean energy portfolio.
Alongside these priorities, we are deepening our presence across utility-scale projects, commercial and industrial (C&I) solutions and integrated renewable infrastructure, while continuously improving operational efficiency, execution excellence and customer experience.
As the renewable energy sector becomes increasingly competitive, scale alone will not determine market leadership. The companies that succeed will be those that consistently deliver superior execution, optimise lifecycle costs and integrate manufacturing, EPC, O&M and energy storage into a seamless customer offering. That is precisely where Agastya Energy is investing for the long term.
Q: Finally, what is your vision for Agastya Energy’s role in shaping India’s renewable energy future, and what legacy would you like the Solar Business & EPC division to build under your leadership?
India’s clean energy transition represents one of the most significant industrial transformations of our generation, creating an unprecedented opportunity to redefine the country’s energy landscape. We believe Agastya Energy has an important role to play in building the infrastructure that will strengthen India’s long-term energy security, industrial competitiveness and sustainability ambitions.
Our vision is to become one of India’s most trusted integrated clean energy companies by bringing together world-class manufacturing, dependable EPC execution, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), operational excellence and long-term asset management within a single integrated platform. Our objective is not simply to build renewable energy assets, but to deliver solutions that create enduring value for customers while strengthening India’s renewable energy ecosystem.
As the industry matures, success will no longer be defined by manufacturing scale alone. We firmly believe the future of renewable energy will belong to organisations that deliver the lowest lifecycle cost of energy through an integrated ecosystem of manufacturing, engineering, EPC execution, Operations & Maintenance and energy storage. This philosophy underpins every strategic decision we make at Agastya Energy.
The legacy we aspire to build extends far beyond gigawatts installed. It will be reflected in the standards we establish for quality, execution excellence, innovation and customer trust. If, through our work, Agastya Energy can contribute to positioning India as a global leader in clean energy manufacturing and infrastructure while enabling customers to achieve greater energy resilience and long-term value, that will be our most meaningful achievement.