A leading first-generation entrepreneur, Sumant Sinha is the Chairman and CEO of ReNew – one of India’s largest clean energy companies. Sumant founded ReNew in January 2011, with a vision to transform the way energy is produced and consumed in India. Since then, under his leadership, the company has grown exponentially and is today one of India’s premier renewable energy companies with an aggregate portfolio of 10 GW spread over more than 110 sites. ReNew has been funded by marquee investors including Goldman Sachs, CPPIB (largest Canadian pension fund), ADIA (sovereign wealth fund in the Middle East) and JERA (leading Japanese utility), and has raised more than USD 6.5 billion of capital, both equity and debt. In August 2021, ReNew became the first Indian renewable energy company to list on US NASDAQ (NASDAQ: RNW) at a market capitalization of $4.5 billion. ReNew has emerged as one of the leading asset creators in the country over the last 5 years. It now generates nearly 1.8% of India’s total electricity annually, and in doing so helps mitigate half a per cent of India’s carbon emissions in a year.
Sumant is a passionate advocate for solutions related to climate change and sustainable development and has spoken at various thought leadership platforms, such as World Economic Forum at Davos, COP Summits, Climate Week NYC, CERA Week, and other forums organized by Financial Times, ORF as well as leading global universities. He has written more than 150 opinion articles in leading global and Indian publications on the pressing issues of climate change, renewable energy and sustainable economic growth. Sumant has recently written a book – Fossil Free: Reimagining Clean Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World which is about the past, present and future of the world’s energy systems in the context of the world’s changing climate and spells out a playbook to create a carbon light future for India. Recently, Fossil Free was featured in the Tata Literature Live Business Book Award 2021 longlist. Former US Vice President Al Gore describes the book as “a compelling roadmap to a better, cleaner future for India—and other developing regions of the world”.
Sumant is Co-Chair of the Electricity Governor’s Group and member of the Stewardship Board on Shaping the Future of Energy and Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, at the World Economic Forum. Sumant also serves as the President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). He serves on the Board of Directors of the US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). He is a member of the Board of Trustees, for The Climate Change Organization and chairs the India Advisory Group of The Climate Group. Sumant has been instrumental in ReNew joining as a founding member of the First Movers Coalition (The First Movers Coalition is a public-private partnership between the US State Department, through Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and the World Economic Forum). Sumant also serves on the Singapore Government’s International Advisory Panel on Energy, and member - Advisory Committee of India Climate Collaborative- a platform promoting policy advocacy and thought leadership on climate change. He is on the Board of Governors of IIM Calcutta, IIT Delhi and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Sumant is an Energy Transitions Commissioner (UK), and chair of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) India. He also serves on the Board of Governors of IIT Delhi & IIM Calcutta and Board of Advisors of Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA).
For his achievements in entrepreneurship and clean energy, Sumant has won several awards and recognitions including S&P Global Platts ‘Trailblazer of the Year 2021’; ‘Chairman Of The Year’ at the Stevie International Business Awards 2020; Columbia SIPA ‘Distinguished Alumni Award 2022’; The Entrepreneur India’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, 2019; Distinguished Alumnus Award – IIM Calcutta 2019; the coveted “Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ 2018, Distinguished Alumnus Award – IIT Delhi, 2018; ‘EY Entrepreneur of the Year’, 2017” and ‘Outstanding Start-up of the Year’- Forbes India Leadership Awards 2017. Sumant has also been recognized as an SDG Pioneer by the United Nations Global Compact, a first for any Indian business leader, for his work in the areas of energy transition and gender equality.
After starting his career in the Tata Administrative Service, Sumant worked as an investment banker with Citicorp and ING Barings in the US and UK, before heading finance in one of India’s largest conglomerates, the Aditya Birla Group. He was also COO of Suzlon, India’s largest wind turbine company. Sumant has a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, a diploma in business management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and also a B. Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
