As the global spotlight intensifies on energy transition and climate action, Kuldeep Jain, Founder and Managing Director of CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions (CleanMax), highlights how India is moving swiftly in the right direction. He expresses pride in the nation’s progress in renewable energy adoption, describing it as both impressive and encouraging.
Jain points to a crucial shift: India is heading towards a more liberal, market-oriented energy ecosystem—where green power generators can freely supply electricity and consumers can choose whom to buy it from. This decentralised, choice-driven model, he suggests, empowers both producers and consumers, allowing the marketplace to efficiently decide who consumes how much and from whom. According to Jain, such policy direction drives a sharp increase in renewable energy consumption, and he supports approaches that prioritise consumer choice and competition.
He says that large-scale environmental goals—such as net-zero targets—are built on the foundation of billions of individual choices. Whether at home or in the workplace, he urges people to be mindful of how they consume and what they support. Each decision, he says, contributes to a larger collective impact—one that ultimately shapes the planet’s future.
Under Jain’s leadership, CleanMax has emerged as one of India’s leading renewable energy companies in the commercial and industrial segment. The company serves prominent Indian and global corporations, operating two gigawatts of renewable assets across India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Speaking on the company’s mission, Jain shares that for nearly 15 years, CleanMax has focused exclusively on helping corporates achieve net-zero goals. He emphasises that corporates account for more than half of the country’s energy demand, making them a critical lever in India’s low-carbon transition. These organisations, he notes, are increasingly committed to sustainability while also looking to reduce operational costs—objectives that align well with CleanMax’s green energy solutions.
Reflecting on what enabled CleanMax to scale its impact in a relatively short span, Jain points to two critical factors: timing and focus. He explains that identifying a major trend early—such as rooftop solar—was key. In 2011, the company was among the first to sell rooftop solar power purchase agreements (PPAs), going door to door to build awareness. Equally important, he adds, was maintaining a sharp focus, as it fosters excellence and deep sector expertise.
On how corporate energy needs have evolved, Jain notes that cost remains a central concern, but companies are now increasingly interested in how significantly they can cut emissions. He finds renewables to be particularly compelling for corporates because power is a major component of their emissions footprint. Replacing grid-sourced “brown power” with cleaner, more affordable alternatives allows companies to save substantially while also making a measurable difference in their sustainability goals.
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