Race for clean energy: Destination India

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The curtain was brought down on the 7th edition of final day of Renewable Energy India Expo, at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, with another day of highly stimulating conversations ranging from Solar Financing to future market for investors in India.

The highly successful 7th REI 2013 Expo from the 12th-14th of September also witnessed more than 10,000 visitors from across the globe experiencing Products, Services and Solutions showcased by the exhibitors. Both exhibitors and visitors expressed their satisfaction that the key challenges faced by the industry had been addressed at the Expo and their confidence in the sector was further emboldened by the outcome of the show.

The highlight of the show was key participation by exhibitors from over 27 countries who further reaffirmed their faith in the Indian renewable energy market as an attractive investment destination. Enthusiastic participation by leading international and domestic trade associations further magnified visibility for the Expo.

Trade Associations like Global Solar Alliance, Panchabuta, Indian Biomass Power Association,Maharashtra Solar Manufacturers Association (MASMA), Wind Indpendent Power Producers Association (WIPPA), Solar Power Developers Association, Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Developers Association (TNSEDA) and Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI) also made their presence felt. The Expo also had support from C-WET (Centre for Wind Energy Technology), set up by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India.

According to Joji George, MD, UBM India: "REI 2013 Expo witnessed the crème-de-la-creme as far as Industry participation is concerned. Powerful international participation by trade delegation like JETRO and NEDO from Japan was another highlight wherein they also unveiled industry reports, apart from workshops conducted by Asian Development Bank (ADB), BASF, Sterling & Wilson and KPMG."

Japan being the country partner attracted 29 companies under their pavilion, which showcased cutting-edge technologies and unmatched products in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector. JETRO acted as a catalyst for creating business matching opportunities in all sectors for an inclusive and scalable growth. The Japanese support has proved to be a stepping stone in Indo-Japan energy dialogue. The REI Expo continues to be an effective platform for the global energy fraternity to share ideas and products for the next generation.

Series of high-power conferences and workshops run parallel to the Expo, of which, the conference onJawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Phase II - Industry wish list chaired by Mr. Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) and supported by key Industry head honchos, was clearly the highlight of the three days.

The 7th Renewable Energy India 2013 Expo witnessed participation from leading companies like Jinko, Yingli, LTi, Bonfiglioli, Sun Power, GE, Kirloskar, Gamesa, EI Dupont, Mahindra, Sun Edison, Ballard Power, Borg Energy, Suzlon, Sterling and Wilson, Refex Energy, Enerparc Energy, Applied Material (AMAT) and 25 countries including Japan, Canada, China, Germany, Sweden, Malaysia, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland and Portugal that further enriched the experiencxe of visitors.

Nitin Kasturi, chief strategy officer, BORG Energy India, said: "To place on record, the 7th REI 2103 Expo was indeed a great launch pad opportunity for us to showcase our flagship solar brand the ‘Astra Home Series' and Tesla Power Station that garnered exponential interest levels pointing in the direction of increased business opportunities.

"The expo has been quite instrumental in taking us much closer to our prospective customers resulting in a flurry of inquiries about the products and its benefits; the expo has been quite resourceful for us to develop new network groups whilst growing existing relationships with our clients and partners. It has been extremely gratifying to have the media and leading international and domestic trade associations extending their support in the magnified visibility of BORG Energy."

Bikesh Ogra, president - Solar, Sterling and Wilson Ltd, said: "REI is a great platform for industry experts, government dignitaries and corporates like us to interact and explore the opportunity of a mutually beneficial association. We have been exhibiting in REI since last few years. The turnouts have always been excellent for us. This year we had organized a Solar Conclave in association with UBM where well known industry experts and speakers graced the event by sharing their perspective in the panel discussion about the challenges and opportunities that are present in India's renewable energy sector. We look forward to such great networking opportunities in future."

Kailash Tarachandani, CEO, Inox Wind, said: "It was a very heartening and encouraging experience for us at Inox, fastest growing Wind Turbine manufacturer in India, as this was a perfect platform to showcase our Latest technology best suited for Indian climatic conditions and also our best in class execution capabilities. As expected, our stall was visited by many eminent people from various PSUs, independent power producer companies, and large and medium corporate houses interested in investing with Inox and thereby reducing their carbon footprints in a longer run. Inox Wind Limited a fully integrated player in the wind energy market was one of the main participants in the Renewable Energy India Expo."

The Expo created an environment for interactive discussions between policy makers, manufacturers and financing institutions. The show continues to attract footfalls confirming its status as Asia's most talked about trade expo in the renewable energy space with the number of visitors and exhibitors going up by year after year.