Sumant Sinha is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of ReNew, a preferred partner for decarbonisation solutions listed on Nasdaq.
Sumant is a global entrepreneur and internationally recognised thought leader on energy and climate change issues. He set up ReNew in 2011 with a vision to accelerate the net zero energy transition in a just and inclusive manner. Under his leadership, ReNew has built a green portfolio of 15.6 GW, and is today an integral part of the larger global clean energy ecosystem. ReNew provides end-to-end solutions across the decarbonisation spectrum, including solar manufacturing, energy storage, green hydrogen, and carbon markets—areas that are integral to addressing climate change.
As a passionate advocate for climate action and sustainable development, Sumant has extensive knowledge and practical experience in the areas of entrepreneurship, climate finance and policy which he is applying on the ground to find innovative solutions for decarbonisation of industries globally.
Sumant is the chair of the board of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an independent non-profit organisation that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions. Sumant is also the co-chair of World Economic Forum’s CEO Climate Leaders Alliance, the largest CEO-led alliance on climate change globally. He is also a member of the board of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and is the founding member of the First Movers Coalition, a global initiative to decarbonize ‘hard to abate’ industrial sectors. During 2022–23, he served as the president of the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the oldest apex chamber in India.
Sumant is a regular speaker at various international fora such as the World Economic Forum, UNGA, UNFCCC COP, Climate Week NY, CERA Week, and leading global universities. He is the author of the book, ‘Fossil Free’, which chronicles India’s clean energy transition—its past, present, and future.
Sumant currently serves on the board of IIT-Delhi and has previously served on the boards of IIM-Calcutta and Columbia SIPA. He was conferred the inaugural distinguished alumnus award by Columbia SIPA and has also been conferred the distinguished alumnus award by IIT-Delhi and IIM-Calcutta.
For his pioneering work, Sumant has been the recipient of several other recognitions, including the 2022 USISPF Global Leadership Award; ‘ET Energy’s Chief Executive of the Year 2022’; the ‘Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year Award’, 2018; and ‘EY Entrepreneur of the Year’, 2017. He is the first Indian business leader to be recognised as an SDG pioneer by the United Nations.
In 2024, Mr. Sinha was featured in the book ‘100 Great IITians’—a compilation of essays on distinguished IIT alumni who have contributed to India’s economic growth.
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This article first appeared in The Hindustan Times.
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