Solar Trailblazers Surat: Where India’s Solar Power Players Sparked the Conversations That Matter

Several industry leaders from Gujarat and other parts of the country participated in the much-awaited Solar Trailblazers event in Surat. The event was held on January 30 with the objective of initiating conversations on key issues confronting the Indian renewable energy sector. It was organised by Saur Energy International and Powered by Luminous.

The event began with the inaugural session, where Prasanna Singh, Co-Founder and Director of Saur Energy, highlighted the journey of the Solar Trailblazers series conducted across India over the last two years and emphasised the need for more meaningful industry conversations. He also spoke about the status of renewable energy projects in India, key challenges facing the sector, and the impact of policies on green energy development.

Solar Trailblazers Awards

The event also featured the presentation of the prestigious Solar Trailblazers Awards to institutions that have driven innovation, enabled mass adoption of solar, and demonstrated progressive transitions away from fossil fuels. The awards were presented by Prateek Kapoor, Director of Saur Energy, while the event was moderated by Manish Kumar, Deputy Editor at Saur Energy.

This year, the Solar Trailblazers Awards were conferred on three recipients. Modhera village in Gujarat was recognised as the state’s first solar village for adopting large-scale community solarisation. The second award was presented to Yash Tarwadi, Director of Solnce Energy, for creating a common platform that connects solar module manufacturers, EPC players and rooftop solar consumers, empowering users to compare prices and specifications before choosing panels. The third award was given to Rachna Group of Companies for adopting solar and wind energy for captive use and demonstrating a progressive roadmap towards sustainable operations.

Multiple Panel Discussions

The event also featured multiple panel discussions on key industry themes. The first panel focused on the rise of the solar module manufacturing sector, covering bottlenecks, diversification strategies, and emerging opportunities. The discussion featured Sachin Agrawal, CEO of Solitech Solar; Shashank Walia, AGM – Key Accounts (Sales & Marketing) at Cosmic PV Power; and Ankit Tripathi, GM – Module Sales at Solarium. The session was moderated by Prasanna Singh.

The second panel centred on the rooftop solar segment, discussing growth trends, key successes, regulatory issues, and persistent bottlenecks. The panel included Pulkit Dhingra, Founder of AHAsolar Technologies; Bharat Singh, Director – Sales & Marketing at Deye; Nitin Gupta, Head – Solar Business at Luminous; and Chintan Mayur Shah, Co-Founder and Director of Solnce Energy. The session was moderated by Manish Kumar.

The third panel focused on solar and energy storage, where participants discussed the adoption of BESS in solar projects and the challenges associated with scaling storage deployment. Speakers included Mithil Gandhi, Global Head – Business Development (BESS) at Waaree Group; Col Pravir Mishra, COO of InSolare Energy Private Limited; Nishmitha Shetty, Utility Projects Head at Hoymiles; and Vatsal Kundalia, Managing Director of Advait Green Energy. The session was moderated by Prasanna Singh.

The concluding session addressed regulatory issues and the search for an ideal policy landscape to support the growth of India’s solar sector. The discussion featured Vatsal Kundalia, Managing Director of Advait Green Energy; Ajay Rawat, Managing Director of DEK & Mavericks Green Energy; and Prasanna Singh from Saur Energy. The session was moderated by Manish Kumar.