Orb Energy Hires Rabindra Satpathy as Exec VP – Business Development

Shell-backed solar power firm Orb Energy has appointed Rabindra Satpathy as its Executive Vice President – Business Development.

Now, Satpathy will oversee the Bengaluru-based company’s business development in ground-mounted solar power plants, including storage, floating solar and other new projects.

He brings with him more than 35 years of solar experience in design, engineering, product and project development, manufacturing and business development in India and the Asia-Pacific region.

Satpathy is a seasoned professional in the Indian and Asia-Pacific solar sector, well respected for his technical and commercial understanding of solar technology and solar projects, and will help drive forward Orb Energy’s ground-mounted solar project business.

Previously he was working with Jakson Group. He has also worked with some other top solar companies including, TATA BP Solar India, Shell Solar, Solar World, RIL Solar Group, Emami Power etc.

Besides, he is also a board member of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) since 2012 with headquarter in Germany.

Orb Energy was founded in 2006 by Damian Miller and NP Ramesh. Since its inception, the company has sold over 1,60,000 solar systems in India, with cumulative installations of approx. 90 MW of rooftop solar systems in India.

In Bangalore, the company has two factories which produce solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and solar water heating systems. It employs 200 people in India and having a subsidiary in Kenya serving African solar market.

Last year, Royal Dutch Shell’s New Energies business had acquired an almost 20 per cent stake in Orb Energy in the funding round. On this, the company said that fresh investment will help more Indian SMEs, a largely underserved part of the market benefit from lower-cost solar power. It offers SMEs credit to invest in their own rooftop solar systems, driving the company’s growth in sales and helping Indian businesses boost their competitiveness.