Ben Backwell, CEO at GWEC, commented: “Since the establishment of GWEC India in November 2020, we have made great strides working with the local stakeholders to reenergise growth of India’s wind market. With the addition of Martand as Policy Director to our local team, we will be able to take our work to the next level through his decade of experience driving sustainable development and the energy transition in India. We are thrilled to welcome Martand to the GWEC India team, and use his expertise to help India tap into its massive wind power potential and achieve net zero”.

Prior to joining GWEC India, Martand was a Fellow at TERI, where he steered the implementation of clean energy projects in India. Through his work at TERI, he has worked with institutions such as the World Health Organization, the World Bank Group, the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development, Power Finance Corporation Limited and the Department for International Development (DFID), UK Aid, on projects that promoted sustainable development and clean energy transitions. Martand has also supported initiatives such as the Sustainable Energy for All Country Action Agenda and Investment Prospectus for several Sub-Saharan African countries.

Martand Shardul, Policy Director at GWEC India, added: “India is undergoing a massive clean energy transition which is supported by bold commitments, strong policy support, and smart interventions that capitalise on the country’s renewable energy potential. I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to accelerate wind power development in India, which is currently one of the most cost-competitive and reliable power sources in the country, and will be a key technology to feed India’s growing power demand. At GWEC India, I look forward to working with all major stakeholders and supporting the Government of India’s endeavours to realise their target of 140 GW of wind power capacity by 2030 and drive a green recovery.”

As GWEC India’s Policy Director, Martand will lead the local association’s engagement with the government and other key stakeholders to address key policy bottlenecks to unleash the growth potential of both onshore and offshore wind power in India.

In May 2021, GWEC India and MEC Intelligence will jointly publish the second edition of the India Wind Outlook report, which will provide insights into key policy bottlenecks and opportunities to drive wind power growth in the country. GWEC India will also organise the first-ever India Wind Power on the 15-17 September 2021, which will be a crucial platform to bring together government, industry, and other stakeholders to discuss how to scale-up wind power to achieve India’s climate targets ahead of the crucial COP26 conference in November.