Indian solar firm Waaree Energies announces CSO appointment

India’s largest solar module manufacturer Waaree Energies has announced the appointment of Prabhu Narayan Singh as its first Chief Sustainability Officer.

Waaree Energies is part of the Waaree Group, which employs more than 8,500 people worldwide and has sold 6 GW of solar panels and associated equipment in 20 countries. 

Singh joined Waaree as CSO in January 2024 after a year and a half as Head of ESG at its competitor Vikram Solar, but the company only made the announcement today (June 3).  

He is a health and safety veteran with almost three decades of experience at large corporations in India, including Heinz, Tata Motors, Mondelez International. He started branching out into ESG-related roles from 2014, when he joined Danish mining and cement technology firm FLSmith.

“Prabhu Narayan Singh has significant experience across, inter alia, environment, health and safety (ESG) best practices, positioning him as a key asset in advancing Waaree Energy Limited’s sustainability initiatives,” the company said in a statement.

Waaree Energies upcoming sustainability goals

Waaree Energies’ revenue has grown by more than 50% in the last three years, reaching about US$810,000 in 2023 – US$560,000 from exports. Aware of its “pivotal role in supporting the global transition to a low-carbon world”, the company announced in its latest annual report that it planned to set specific sustainability goals by the end of this year – which makes Singh’s appointment as CSO particularly timely.

"I am honoured to join Waaree Energies Limited during this pivotal moment in its sustainability journey. I am eager to channel my experience towards leading transformative ESG initiatives that not only elevate the company's environmental and social impact but also reinforce its position in sustainability in the renewable energy sector," he said.

Waaree says it has established “ESG-related policies covering biodiversity, environmental management systems, business responsibility, diversity, equity and inclusion, health and safety, human rights, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, employee engagement and vendor management,” but as of last year, it was yet to conduct a materiality assessment aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

The company is now expanding its capabilities to include solar cells, green hydrogen and electrolysers, and aims to represent an alternative from Chinese solar PV makers, having built up manufacturing domestically.