Jaideep Mukherjee

Jaideep Mukherji is the CEO of Smart Power India, a Delhi based organization that works with energy service companies, private sector partners, investors, NGOs, and the Indian government to reach the goal of bringing electricity to underserved villages in India. He believes that one day, everyone in India will draw their electricity from the national grid and that decentralized renewable energy plants could strengthen grid resilience, and provide a last-mile effect. Though this is still further down the road, people living in off-grid villages do not need to wait. Under the Smart Power model, solar power plants built and run by the ESCOs have higher capacities, not just for lighting homes and shops, but also for serving productive loads like micro-enterprises. Small businesses such as Atta Chakki, computer shops, welding operators and irrigation pumps can be served, at the same time as telecom towers that are now present in thousands of off-grid villages. The cell phone tower serves as the anchor load (bringing assured base demand) for mini grid plants and this is a key element of the Smart Power model. The ability to serve a load mix underpins the viability of the plant and also helps spur economic development in communities. Jaideep brings nearly 30 years of experience and a strong track record in innovation, building teams and growing new categories in developing markets both in the consumer goods and social enterprise sector.