Haridas Menon, chief operating officer, Greenko Group, has over 30 years of experience across the conventional and renewable energy segments. At Greenko, Menon is responsible for driving the wind and solar business of the company. He manages a portfolio of over 600 MW of operating assets and 400 MW of build-phase assets. He also leads the strategic technology relationships for the group. Menon has held several senior leadership positions with General Electric (GE) in India and Europe. He launched GE’s South Asia Renewable Energy business and was instrumental in scaling it up to a sound revenue and market share position. Prior to joining GE, Menon worked with Larsen & Toubro in the captive power and cogeneration, and oil and gas special projects business groups.
Menon is of the view that India’s energy security concerns, the government’s policy support, climate change actions and huge untapped potential along with the increasing cost competitiveness of renewable energy make it a favourable destination for investment. “However, issues such as weak transmission infrastructure, land acquisition problems, lack of strict RPO enforcement and delays in payments can dampen investor interest to an extent,” he cautions. “Of the 175 GW renewable capacity target by 2022, 100 GW of solar is the critical core. Although it is technically feasible, it faces challenges such as weak discom financials and grid constraints. Despite the challenges, policy support and declining solar system costs make the sector promising for all stakeholders.”
Menon’s style of management is participative. “My core belief is that the best way to accomplish greater heights is through inclusiveness and self-motivated people. The basic philosophy is to put the team through disciplined operational rigour and creative pull, and appreciate them for their accomplishments,” he says. However, he can adopt a more authoritarian push when a situation demands. His key strength lies in the inspiration that he brings to the team with regard to strategy and implementation of the mission.
Menon earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a postgraduate diploma in business management from Bombay University. His interests outside of work include doing voluntary service, listening to music and playing sports. “In the future, I plan to found an academy for special effects in the entertainment industry,” he says. His family includes his wife, their two daughters and Ginger, their golden retriever.