As India accelerates its clean energy transition, businesses are looking for solutions that balance sustainability with reliability and commercial viability. The CEO Magazine spoke with Mr. Varun Puri, Managing Director, Green Power International Pvt. Ltd., about the policy priorities, execution challenges, and practical strategies shaping the future of industrial decarbonization in India.

TCM: With energy security, sustainability, and cost optimization becoming equally important for businesses, what policy and interventions do you believe will be critical in accelerating the adoption of cleaner industrial power solutions in India?

Mr. Varun Puri: Energy security, sustainability and cost optimisation are deeply connected, and policy must help industries make choices that are both environmentally responsible and commercially viable.

This requires ensuring that technologies are assessed for commercial-scale readiness before large R&D allocations are made. Pilot projects often do not scale because the economics do not support wider adoption for varied reasons. 

Incentives for cleaner fuels, carbon capture, waste-to-energy, hydrogen, CHP, CHPC and other efficiency-led solutions will be important. These incentives must be practical, time-bound and linked to actual adoption. Regulatory approvals like PESO etc. should also become more streamlined, particularly for emerging areas. Faster approvals, better clarity, and industry-friendly compliance frameworks can significantly improve implementation.

TCM: How do you see the role of EPC companies evolving as industries move from conventional power systems to integrated clean energy ecosystems?

Mr. Varun Puri: While technology companies bring innovation, customers need practical, reliable and executable solutions. EPC players convert that technology into real-world assets. 

At Green Power International, we add another dimension by combining EPC execution with comprehensive operations and maintenance support. This is important because clean energy projects require long-term reliability, performance monitoring, safety, service support and continuous optimisation.

Clean energy ecosystems are evolving quickly, and EPC companies must upgrade their engineering processes, procurement systems and execution methods, especially their digital capabilities, to keep pace.

Quality and delivery timelines will become even more critical because customers will not adopt cleaner systems if they compromise business continuity.

TCM: Many industries are exploring decarbonization but remain concerned about costs and implementation challenges. What practical steps can businesses take today to begin this transition without compromising operational reliability?

Mr. Varun Puri: Waiting for a perfect solution may delay the transition. It is more practical to start with safe, well-designed and phased interventions.

It should begin with right decarbonisation pathway for the specific industry. Decarbonisation is not achieved through one route alone. The solution must match the operational requirement, fuel availability, reliability expectation and commercial viability of the customer.

Reliability must be protected through proper redundant design. Cleaner systems should be engineered with adequate backup, safety systems, automation, and operational safeguards. 

Businesses can also begin with smaller, modular or hybrid solutions rather than attempting a complete shift in one step. The important thing is to begin, but to begin with the right technical due diligence, safety framework and lifecycle support.

TCM: Having delivered projects that convert sustainability goals into real-world outcomes, what practical lessons has Green Power International learned that could benefit the wider industrial ecosystem?

Mr. Varun Puri: A key learning is that execution capability alone is not enough. We are operationally equipped to execute advanced projects; however, the larger challenge often lies in achieving commercial-scale adoption.

Many sustainability initiatives are technically possible but not easily adopted at commercial scale due to lack of awareness, unclear policy support, high upfront cost, limited incentives, or uncertainty around long-term economics. 

Another lesson is that customers need confidence, not just technology. They need to know who will operate, maintain, troubleshoot and ensure uptime over the asset life. This is where EPC companies with strong O&M capabilities like us play a major role.

The wider ecosystem must also recognise that sustainability projects require coordination between technology providers, EPC companies, regulators, customers and financiers. If any one part of this chain is weak, adoption slows down.

TCM: Green Power International has been actively executing solutions in this space, including CHP, CHPC, and hydrogen-based projects. Based on your experience, what separates successful implementation from mere intent?

Mr. Varun Puri: Intent is important, but execution is what ultimately creates impact.

At Green Power International, we have hands-on experience in delivering projects. It gives customers confidence that we are not merely discussing possibilities but have successfully implemented these solutions ourselves.

That said, the clean energy sector is still evolving and requires participation from multiple stakeholders. New entrants should be encouraged, provided they can demonstrate strong execution capabilities and a commitment to delivery. 

Most importantly, decarbonisation cannot be driven by public sector investment alone. The private sector must be actively encouraged and enabled to participate. Meaningful acceleration will only happen when clean energy projects become commercially attractive and private capital begins to flow into the sector at scale.