Tulsi Tanti: Pioneer of India’s renewable energy passes away, trade mourns loss

Regarded as one of many pioneers of India’s renewable vitality, sustainability and pondering inexperienced, Tulsi Tanti handed away Saturday on the age of 64.

The founder-chairman and managing director of Suzlon Energy, Tanti based the corporate in 1995, kick-starting the wind revolution within the nation at a time when the worldwide wind vitality market was dominated by worldwide gamers and characterised by costly and sophisticated applied sciences that had been largely unviable for conventional companies.

According to an organization spokesperson, he had returned from Ahmedabad and was on his approach again dwelling to Pune from the airport when he suffered a coronary heart assault. Tanti was instantly taken to an area hospital, however handed away late Saturday night time.

He was in Ahmedabad on September 30 to attend conferences for Suzlon Energy’s Rs 1,200-crore rights difficulty. Tanti additionally addressed a press convention within the morning at a lodge in Vastrapur to announce the rights difficulty, the place he spoke about the benefits of investing in renewable vitality.

“About 500 gigawatt of renewable energy will be produced in India by 2030 and by 2070 we will become net zero and by 2030 we will reduce it by 45 per cent. Everyone needs to come together for this,” Tanti had mentioned at this press convention.

Survived by his mom, spouse, two kids and three brothers and one sister, Tanti was the eldest within the household.

Born on February 2, 1958, in Rajkot to a farming household, Tanti studied commerce and mechanical engineering at Government Polytechnic College in Rajkot. His household owned Amrapali Cinema and Kisan Cold Storage.

Hansraj Gajera, Tanti’s collegemate and former chairperson of Gujarat Rajya Bin Anamat Varg Aayog, informed The Indian Express that Tanti wound up the 2 companies and headed to Surat to arrange textile items within the early Nineties. According to Gajera, Tanti was “among the visionaries of his time and an entrepreneur in the true sense”.

In 1995, Tanti shaped Suzlon and with the assistance of a German agency, the corporate started designing wind turbine mills (WTGs) and, in March 1996, commissioned its first 0.27 MW wind generator for Indian Petrochemicals Ltd (now Reliance Industries) within the state.

According to Suzlon, “The business was not in the best of health, mainly due to high operating costs caused by expensive electricity and the frequent power outages. Mr Tanti wanted to explore other avenues for fuelling his business’ need for power. In 1994, he purchased two wind turbines and literally produced his own electricity. Other owners evinced interest in his solution, which inspired Mr Tanti to exit the textile business and enter into the energy sector with Suzlon.”
The assertion mentioned that with Suzlon, Tanti created a brand new enterprise mannequin, “an end-to-end solution to create realistic avenues for businesses to ‘Go Green’, and thus emerged as a strategic partner in developing sustainable businesses”.

On October 19, 2005, Suzlon Energy, wherein Tanti held 70 per cent, was listed at a 35 per cent premium valuing the corporate at Rs 13,850 crore. In March 2006, Suzlon was ranked fifth globally as a producer of wind generators and had a 50 per cent share of the Indian market. The firm manufactures wind turbine mills and gives operations and upkeep companies.

Suzlon at present has a footprint in 17 international locations and has 13.45 GW of put in wind vitality capability within the nation as on June 30. It additionally has 5.96 GW of installations outdoors India.

Suzlon has an put in wind energy technology capability of 1,800 MW in Gujarat, with an approximate funding of Rs 14,000 crore. Most of those are in Kutch. Among the latest investments promised by Suzlon was within the proposed Hybrid Energy Park in Kutch, the place Sarjan Realities Ltd was allotted 9,500 hectares together with different gamers.

In Gujarat, Suzlon manufactures wind towers at Gandhidham and rotor blades at its unit in Bhuj. At Vadodara, it had a blade testing centre which was a part of its R&D actions.

Top leaders at Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) mentioned Tanti had considered sustainability and local weather change earlier than it turned
modern. Sudhir Mehta, former MCCIA president, informed The Indian Express, “His global approach and vision will always be remembered.”

Ajay Mehta, director of Pune-based Deepak Nitrite Ltd, mentioned, “He fulfilled all his commitments and had revolutionised the entire concept of wind energy”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too condoled Tanti’s demise. “Shri Tulsi Tanti was a pioneering business leader who contributed to India’s economic progress and strengthened our nation’s efforts to further sustainable development. Pained by his untimely demise. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti,” he tweeted.

“He was a visionary business leader who led India’s renewable energy progress and strengthened our nation’s efforts towards sustainable development. I have worked in the wind sector for the past 22 years and have seen Mr Tanti’s passion for wind that helped India’s success in the wind domain. Today, India is the fourth largest in terms of wind installed capacity. Suzlon’s contribution to this has been immense. Recently, Mr Tanti, as chairman of IWTMA (Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association), was closely working with the Ministry on certain interventions to accelerate the wind power capacities in India. I am deeply pained by his untimely demise. Condolences to his family, friends and the entire Suzlon pariwar,” mentioned Dinesh Jagdale, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

“’Suzlon One Earth’ corporate office at Hadapsar in Pune was created more than a decade ago and is testimony to his vision of a cleaner world,” Pradeep Bhargava, one other MCCIA former president, informed The Indian Express.

“Tulsi Tanti stood tall and was a clear visionary in the renewable space. While solar is hogging the headlines today, wind and Suzlon were trailblazers originally. He was one more Indian entrepreneur who dared to have global dreams. He was tenacious and committed, and also very private in many ways. It is really sad that he went with the wind so young and so suddenly,” Bhargava added.

Director of Pune-based Deepak Nitrite Limited Ajay Mehta, who knew Tanti nicely, mentioned he was “a man of his word”. “He fulfilled all his commitments and revolutionised the entire concept of wind energy.” “He was one of the few gems in this sector and it is a big loss for India,” Mehta added. Jayant Deo, former CEO of energy buying and selling platform Indian Energy Exchange Limited, mentioned Tanti was on the forefront of creating wind energy within the nation and was a pioneering determine on this sector. “This was a great loss,” he mentioned.