Mahindra Susten, the cleantech and renewable energy arm of the Mahindra Group, has announced the appointment of Avinash Rao as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 24, 2025. In his new role, Rao will spearhead the company’s ambitious growth strategy, aiming to expand and diversify Mahindra Susten’s portfolio across the renewable energy value chain.
Mahindra Susten is a leading independent power producer (IPP) in India, with over 1.6 GW of commissioned projects and a strong pipeline of nearly 3.6 GW spanning solar, wind, hybrid projects, and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) solutions. The company is also actively exploring emerging areas such as energy storage and integrated renewable energy solutions, setting benchmarks in clean energy supply, safety, quality, governance, and ESG practices.
Avinash Rao brings nearly 30 years of experience across conventional energy, power transmission, and renewable energy sectors. He has a distinguished record of building energy platforms from scratch across multinational utilities, infrastructure funds, and NSE-listed Renewable Energy InvITs. Most recently, he served as CEO of Sustainable Energy Infra Investment Managers Pvt. Ltd., the Investment Manager to Sustainable Energy Infra Trust (SEIT), India’s largest pure-play Renewable Energy InvIT listed on the NSE.
Prior to this, Rao held leadership roles at Edelweiss Alternatives-backed Sekura India Management Limited and CLP India, where he played a key role in building, acquiring, managing, and scaling renewable energy businesses.
With Avinash Rao at the helm, Mahindra Susten is well-positioned to accelerate growth, drive innovation, and expand its diversified renewable energy portfolio, reinforcing its position as a leader in India’s renewable energy sector.
