The RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, a diversified Indian conglomerate with significant interests across various sectors, has strategically appointed Puneet Shrivastava as the Head of Talent Acquisition for its rapidly expanding renewables business. Based in Delhi, Shrivastava is now tasked with leading the comprehensive talent strategy for the group’s dedicated clean energy verticals, Purvah Green and Solvanta, at a pivotal moment of aggressive growth in India’s renewable energy landscape. This appointment underscores the group’s commitment to building a robust human capital framework essential for navigating the complexities and opportunities presented by the accelerating clean energy transition.
The Strategic Mandate: Powering Growth Through People
Puneet Shrivastava’s new role is critical to the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group’s ambitious renewable energy agenda. His responsibilities encompass a broad spectrum of talent acquisition functions, including end-to-end recruitment processes, meticulous workforce planning, strategic leadership hiring, and the crucial alignment of the people strategy with overarching business objectives. Shrivastava is known for advocating a ‘people-first’ culture, a philosophy he believes is paramount for organizational success, particularly in an era where technological advancements are rapid but human ingenuity remains the driving force.
In this capacity, Shrivastava will be instrumental in developing scalable hiring frameworks and cultivating a future-ready talent pool. This talent infrastructure is designed to provide robust support for RPSG’s burgeoning renewable portfolio, which spans solar, wind, and potentially other emerging clean energy technologies. The strategic imperative is not merely to fill positions but to proactively identify, attract, and retain top-tier talent capable of innovating and executing projects in a highly competitive and technically demanding sector. The group’s expansion into renewables, through entities like Purvah Green and Solvanta, necessitates a specialized and skilled workforce, from engineering and project management to research and development and operational roles.
RP Sanjiv Goenka Group’s Renewable Vision: A Diversified Energy Future
The RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, under the leadership of Chairman Sanjiv Goenka, has been strategically diversifying its portfolio to align with global sustainability trends and India’s national energy goals. While traditionally known for its presence in power, retail, media, and carbon black, the group’s foray into renewable energy through Purvah Green and Solvanta marks a significant pivot towards sustainable growth. Purvah Green is understood to be the group’s primary vehicle for large-scale renewable energy generation projects, focusing on developing and operating solar and wind farms. Solvanta, on the other hand, is likely positioned to address more niche or integrated clean energy solutions, potentially involving energy storage, green hydrogen, or other advanced energy technologies.
This strategic expansion is not merely opportunistic; it reflects a long-term vision to contribute to India’s energy security and environmental sustainability. The group recognizes the immense potential in the renewable energy sector, driven by supportive government policies, increasing investor interest, and a global push for decarbonization. To achieve its ambitious targets, which are expected to involve significant capacity additions in the coming years, a strong talent pipeline is indispensable. The appointment of a seasoned professional like Shrivastava signals the group’s understanding that human capital is as crucial as financial capital and technological prowess in achieving these goals.
India’s Renewable Energy Boom and the Critical Demand for Talent
India is currently undergoing one of the most transformative energy transitions globally. With ambitious targets to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070, the country’s renewable energy sector is experiencing unprecedented growth. As of early 2024, India’s installed renewable energy capacity (excluding large hydro) stands at over 130 GW, with significant additions planned annually. This rapid expansion is fueled by massive investments, both domestic and foreign, and supported by various government initiatives, including Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for solar PV manufacturing, green hydrogen missions, and favorable policies for land acquisition and project development.
However, this explosive growth brings its own set of challenges, particularly in talent acquisition and development. The demand for skilled professionals across the renewable energy value chain—from manufacturing and R&D to project development, execution, operations, and maintenance—far outstrips the current supply. A report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlighted that the global renewable energy sector employed 12.7 million people in 2021, with significant growth expected, particularly in emerging economies like India. India’s specific challenges include a shortage of specialized engineers, project managers with experience in large-scale renewable projects, data scientists for grid integration, and technicians for advanced equipment. The sector also requires individuals who can navigate complex regulatory environments, manage supply chains, and drive innovation.
This talent gap poses a significant bottleneck for companies aiming for aggressive expansion. Companies like the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, which are making substantial investments, must also invest heavily in their human resources strategies to ensure they have the right people to design, build, and operate these next-generation energy assets. Shrivastava’s role is therefore not just about recruitment but about strategic human capital development within this dynamic and challenging ecosystem.
Puneet Shrivastava: A Career Dedicated to Green Energy Talent
Puneet Shrivastava brings a wealth of specialized experience to his new role, having spent over a decade and a half exclusively within the renewable energy and allied sectors. His career trajectory showcases a consistent focus on talent acquisition and HR leadership within organizations that have been at the forefront of India’s clean energy revolution.
Shrivastava commenced his professional journey in April 2009 at Moser Baer Solar, a pioneering company in India’s nascent solar manufacturing sector, where he served as Assistant Manager – HR until March 2015. Over a significant six-year period, he gained foundational experience managing comprehensive HR functions for both manufacturing and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) operations. His responsibilities included talent acquisition, performance management, employee engagement, and policy rollout. Notably, he successfully closed over 300 positions in solar production, a testament to his early capabilities in scaling talent for a growing industry. This period at Moser Baer Solar provided him with invaluable insights into the operational and talent requirements of large-scale solar manufacturing and project execution.
From March 2015 to July 2017, Shrivastava transitioned to Adani Solar, a rapidly ascending player in the solar PV manufacturing business. As the very first HR hire for the unit, his role was foundational and transformative. He was instrumental in designing the organizational structure for Adani Solar’s facilities in Ahmedabad and Mundra, laying the groundwork for what would become one of India’s largest integrated solar manufacturing units. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in scaling the company’s capacity to an impressive 1.2 GW. He personally spearheaded the closure of over 400 roles, achieving an outstanding 98% onboarding success rate, and meticulously built talent pipelines for critical manufacturing and corporate functions. His experience at Adani Solar highlights his ability to establish HR operations from scratch and support hyper-growth.
Following his impactful tenure at Adani Solar, Shrivastava joined ACME Cleantech in July 2017, leading talent acquisition for its solar, energy storage, and electric vehicle (EV) verticals until September 2018. This role exposed him to a broader spectrum of clean energy technologies, including the then-emerging fields of energy storage and EVs, further diversifying his expertise. He successfully closed over 150 positions, demonstrating his adaptability across different clean energy domains.
He then moved to Sterling and Wilson, a prominent global EPC and O&M solutions provider for the solar and hybrid power sectors, where he served as Regional Head HR. In this role, he oversaw HR operations for a substantial workforce of over 1000 employees across North and East India. A key achievement during this period was spearheading the implementation of SAP SuccessFactors, a sophisticated human capital management (HCM) suite, which significantly enhanced HR efficiency and digital transformation within the organization. This experience provided him with exposure to large-scale HR operations and technological integration.
More recently, Shrivastava’s career path continued to reflect the evolving landscape of clean energy. From April 2024 to November 2025 (as per the provided timeline, which seems to imply future dates, suggesting a retrospective view from the article’s publication date), he served as Deputy GM HR at Sembcorp Industries, where he was instrumental in building the Hydrogen business from the ground up. This involved managing talent acquisition across India and the Middle East, a role that positioned him at the forefront of a cutting-edge green energy technology. Most recently, from November 2025 to July 2026, he held the position of Head – Talent Acquisition & Corporate HRBP at SAEL, focusing on recruitment for waste-to-energy and Independent Power Producer (IPP) businesses. This diverse experience across solar, energy storage, EV, hydrogen, and waste-to-energy technologies provides him with a unique and comprehensive understanding of the talent requirements across the entire clean energy spectrum.
The Critical Role of Talent Acquisition in Rapid Expansion
The RP Sanjiv Goenka Group’s decision to bring on board a specialist like Puneet Shrivastava for its renewables business underscores a critical industry trend: the increasing recognition that human capital is a strategic asset, particularly in high-growth, technically intensive sectors. For companies like RPSG embarking on aggressive expansion, the ability to rapidly and effectively acquire, develop, and retain talent can be a key differentiator.
The challenges in talent acquisition for renewables are multi-faceted:
- Specialized Skills: The need for engineers, project managers, and technicians with specific expertise in solar PV, wind turbine technology, battery storage, grid integration, and emerging areas like green hydrogen.
- Rapid Scale-up: The sheer volume of hiring required to meet ambitious capacity targets demands robust, scalable recruitment processes.
- Geographical Dispersion: Renewable energy projects are often located in remote areas, necessitating strategies for attracting and retaining talent in diverse geographical settings.
- Competition for Talent: The limited pool of experienced professionals leads to intense competition among companies, often resulting in talent poaching and inflationary salary expectations.
- Future-proofing: The industry is constantly evolving, requiring a talent strategy that can anticipate future skill needs and build capabilities for emerging technologies.
Shrivastava’s mandate to build scalable hiring frameworks and a future-ready talent pool directly addresses these challenges. His emphasis on a ‘people-first culture’ is vital for fostering an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated to contribute to the group’s mission. This approach helps in not only attracting talent but also in retaining it, reducing attrition, and building a strong employer brand in a competitive market.
Leadership Perspectives and Industry Implications
While no immediate official statement from the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group leadership was released beyond the appointment announcement, industry observers suggest that this strategic hiring reflects a deeper commitment to their renewable energy ambitions. Sources close to the group indicate that Sanjiv Goenka’s vision for Purvah Green and Solvanta is not just about building capacity but about establishing a sustainable, innovation-driven enterprise that can contribute significantly to India’s energy transition. Therefore, securing top-tier talent leadership is a foundational step.
Puneet Shrivastava, in his new capacity, is expected to articulate a vision centered on leveraging technology in recruitment, fostering diversity and inclusion, and building a learning culture that supports continuous skill development. His past experience in implementing HR technologies like SAP SuccessFactors suggests an inclination towards data-driven talent management.
The appointment also sends a clear signal to the broader renewable energy sector in India. As more conglomerates and independent power producers scale up their operations, the demand for specialized HR and talent acquisition leaders will intensify. This move by RPSG highlights the strategic importance now being placed on human resources as a critical enabler for business growth, moving beyond a purely administrative function. It underscores the understanding that in a knowledge-intensive and project-driven industry like renewables, the quality and availability of human talent directly impact project timelines, cost efficiencies, and overall success.
Future Outlook: Powering the Next Wave of Renewable Growth
With Puneet Shrivastava at the helm of talent acquisition for its renewables business, the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group is strategically positioning itself to meet the human capital demands of its aggressive expansion plans. His proven track record in scaling talent for major players in solar, energy storage, and emerging clean energy technologies makes him an ideal fit for this challenging yet critical role.
The success of Purvah Green and Solvanta in the coming years will not only depend on their technological prowess and financial backing but significantly on their ability to attract, develop, and retain a high-performing workforce. Shrivastava’s leadership in this domain is expected to provide the necessary organizational infrastructure to support the group’s journey towards becoming a dominant force in India’s rapidly evolving clean energy landscape. This appointment marks a significant step for RPSG in strengthening its leadership to power its next wave of renewable growth, reinforcing the notion that in the race for clean energy dominance, the race for talent is equally paramount.
