Energizing India Podcast

India is racing to add renewable energy capacity. But are we getting the most out of what we've already built? ⚡In this episode of Energizing India, Ravin Mirchandani speaks with Praveen Kakulte, Founder & CEO of Powercon Ventures, about unlocking hidden potential in wind and solar assets through smarter monitoring, advanced analytics, and better asset management.From aging infrastructure to grid challenges and energy storage, discover why optimizing existing assets could be India's next big clean energy opportunity.

India's power distribution sector is undergoing a major transformation—from traditional electricity supply to intelligent, customer-centric energy management.In this episode of the Energizing India Podcast, Shashi Bala speaks with Abhishek Ranjan, CEO of BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), about how Delhi's DISCOMs have modernized their infrastructure, reduced power losses, and transformed customer experiences through digital innovation.From rooftop solar and EV charging to AI-driven grid management, digital twins, and peer-to-peer energy trading, the conversation explores how technology and innovation are shaping the future of India's power distribution sector.Note:* Views expressed are personal and are not attributable to any other stakeholders, including past and present stakeholders.#EnergizingIndia #EIPodcast #AbhishekRanjan #ShashiBala #BSESRajdhani #PowerDistribution #SmartGrid #EnergyTransition #DigitalTransformation #EVCharging #RenewableEnergy #IndiaEnergy

India’s battery revolution is growing rapidly—but can we scale it safely and indigenously?In this episode of the Energizing India Podcast, Ravin MIRCHANDANI speaks with Dr. Rashi GUPTA, popularly known as the “Battery Wali,” about her journey in building India’s lithium-ion battery ecosystem and the challenges of developing homegrown technology.From Battery Management Systems and second-life batteries to safety standards, skilled manpower, and reducing import dependency, Rashi shares why quality, testing, and ethical engineering will be critical as India moves toward a terawatt-hour-scale energy storage future.

Tata Power’s Big Bet on India’s Energy Future | Dr. Praveer SINHAIndia’s energy transition is moving beyond clean generation—it’s about building a smarter, more reliable, and self-reliant energy ecosystem.In this episode of the Energizing India (EI) Podcast, Ravin MIRCHANDANI speaks with Dr. Praveer SINHA, CEO & MD of Tata Power, about the company’s transformation into an integrated green energy leader, with a growing focus on rooftop solar, EV charging, energy storage, and domestic manufacturing.The conversation explores the challenges of distribution reforms, workforce skilling, renewable energy integration, and reducing India’s dependence on fossil fuels while strengthening long-term energy security.

India's energy challenge is changing. We are moving from a power-scarce nation to one with abundant renewable energy—but managing that power is becoming increasingly complex. In this episode of the Energizing India (EI) Podcast, Shashi Bala speaks with R.P. Singh (Retd. IAS), Former State Election Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh, about India's evolving power sector, grid management, distribution reforms, battery storage, the "duck curve," and the future of decentralized energy. The conversation explores why India's next energy revolution will depend not just on generating more electricity, but on building a smarter, more flexible, and resilient power system.

India has spent the last decade creating demand for batteries. The next decade is about something much harder: learning how to make them.  Our guest today sits at the centre of that transition. Amara Raja built one of the world’s great lead-acid battery businesses. Now it is attempting something far more difficult: reinventing itself around lithium-ion cells, battery packs and energy storage while the technology, supply chains and geopolitics are all changing at once. Three years after Vikramadithya GOURINENI first joined us on the podcast, the plans have become factories, qualification lines and real capital at risk. Today we ask the question underneath the gigafactory headlines: can India move from assembling batteries to truly knowing how to make them?  India's battery future won't be built by importing technology—it will be built by developing it. In this episode of the Energizing India (EI) Podcast, Ravin MIRCHANDANI speaks with Vikramaditya GOURINENI, Executive Director, Amara Raja Energy & Mobility, about the journey from lead-acid batteries to lithium-ion manufacturing, building India's gigafactory ecosystem, and why developing in-house technical expertise is critical for long-term success. From battery cell manufacturing and energy storage systems (BESS) to sodium-ion technology and India's path to energy sovereignty, Vikramaditya shares the opportunities and challenges shaping the country's next chapter in clean energy.

India's electric mobility future will be built on technology—not just vehicle assembly. In this episode of the Energizing India Podcast, Ravin Mirchandani speaks with Vijay Thakur, Founder & CEO of Tsuyo Manufacturing, about developing indigenous EV powertrains and the technologies that can make India globally competitive in electric mobility. From pioneering magnetless motor technology to building AI-powered telematics and focusing on commercial EVs, Vijay shares how innovation, engineering excellence, and technology ownership can reshape India's EV ecosystem. The conversation also explores the challenges of manufacturing advanced EV components in India, reducing dependence on rare earth materials, and creating a sustainable path toward becoming a global engineering powerhouse.

Today we are discussing one of the least understood but most critical parts of India’s energy transition: the electricity distribution system. Solar, wind, EVs, batteries and green hydrogen may get the headlines, but the real test is whether India can deliver reliable, affordable, high-quality power to every consumer, every hour, in every state.  To explore this, we are delighted to welcome Alok KUMAR, one of India’s most experienced power-sector voices in India and also Chairperson of the Indian Discoms Association. We will discuss resource adequacy, discom reform, grid constraints, EVs, hydrogen, storage, power quality and what India’s electricity system must look like by 2030.  A subject no one has ever covered in such depth before. As India accelerates its clean energy transition, one critical question remains: Is the power grid ready? In this episode of the Energizing India Podcast, Alok Kumar, veteran power sector leader and President of the All India Discom Association, explores the challenges and opportunities shaping India's electricity distribution ecosystem. From resource adequacy and discom reforms to smart metering, grid modernization, and the growing demands of electric mobility and green hydrogen, this conversation offers valuable insights into the infrastructure that will underpin India's energy future. A must-listen for policymakers, industry leaders, utilities, and anyone interested in the future of India's power sector.

India’s electric bus story may become one of the most important chapters in our clean mobility transition. While most EV conversations focus on cars and scooters, buses are where the impact can be massive. India has roughly 20 lakh buses, but only a fraction operate from organised depots where charging can be planned and scaled. In 2024, India registered around 3,700 electric buses, compared with more than 41,000 diesel buses, so the shift has begun, but we are still very early. The government wants to change that fast. PM-eBus Sewa targets 10,000 electric buses, and the new payment-security mechanism is meant to support more than 38,000 e-buses between FY25 and FY29. But the real question is not just procurement,it is operations. Can electric buses deliver lower lifetime cost, higher uptime, reliable charging, and bankable returns for fleet operators? We are delighted to welcome Saurabh PATWARDHAN, CEO of Prasanna Purple Mobility, a company with decades of experience across city, intercity, corporate, school and tourism bus operations. Today we will discuss what is working, what is still difficult, and what India must solve to electrify bus mobility at scale.

Welcome to the Energizing India Podcast. Today, we have the privilege of welcoming back to the podcast for a third time one of India’s sharpest strategic minds — former Foreign Secretary of India. Vijay served as India’s 32nd Foreign Secretary after a distinguished 39-year career in the Indian Foreign Service. He has served as India’s Ambassador to China and Germany, as well as the High Commissioner to Malaysia, and worked extensively on China and East Asia policy throughout his career. He is widely regarded as one of India’s most experienced China watchers and is currently a Non-Resident Fellow at. He has also authored five books on geopolitics. His latest,, which explores the politics and diplomacy behind China’s military coercion, was released earlier this month. We meet him at a time when the world feels increasingly unstable. The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has already shaken assumptions around oil, gas, fertilizers, shipping, currencies, and global investment flows. India, which imports the overwhelming majority of its crude oil and a significant portion of its gas needs, is exposed not only to price shocks but also to supply disruptions, inflationary pressures from currency fluctuations, and delays in major projects. Recent reporting has already linked the conflict and disruptions in energy markets to renewed pressure on the rupee. There is also a deeper strategic question now emerging. India has historically maintained a relationship with Iran. It has built close ties with Israel. India also depends heavily on the Gulf, while continuing to strengthen its partnership with the United States. This makes the current moment especially sensitive for Indian diplomacy. At the same time, Pakistan appears to be positioning itself as a potential mediator between Washington and Tehran, with China closely watching and encouraging Islamabad’s diplomatic role. So the question for India is no longer just: how do we manage this crisis? It is: how does India protect its energy security, economic growth, strategic autonomy, and global influence in a world where the old certainties are beginning to break down? Vijay Gokhale, welcome to the program.