RIL Begins Hiring For New Clean Energy Business A Week After Its Announcement: Report

Executive search firms have been mandated to hire specialists in different segments of clean energy business from across geographies

After announcing last week that it would be joining the clean energy bandwagon, Reliance Industries has already started setting up teams for the new business, appointing multiple chief executives officers and executive assistants (EAs) to the chairman’s office at top salaries, Economic Times reported. 

Citing people aware of the development, the publication said that executive search firms have been mandated to hire specialists in different segments of clean energy business from across geographies. McKinsey has been roped in to help prepare a blueprint for each of these businesses.

“Teams from McKinsey are working from different RIL offices, chalking out not just the initial targets but also a roadmap for clean energy business over the next 3-5 years,” said the people. 

One source revealed, “No cost is being spared to recruit clean energy specialists from across geographies…some are posted in the Middle East and some in India.”

In its annual shareholder meeting last week, RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani had revealed that the conglomerate would be investing ₹75,000 crore over the next three years to build a new clean energy business to fuel its commitment to be net carbon neutral by 2035.

The publication reported that some industry veterans like Deepak Thakur, CEO of hybrid energy & storage business and e-mobility at Sterling and Wilson, and Kapil Maheshwari, CEO of Hinduja Renewables, have been welcomed on board.  

Other hires include Anshul Khandelwal, a former executive at Adani Group who joined RIL as strategic leader for new energy in February, and Karan Suri, a former executive director at Morgan Stanley who joined the strategy & planning wing of RIL in May. 

While Khandelwal and Suri have updated their social media profiles on their new RIL positions, Thakur’s profile still shows his position at Sterling and Wilson.

A senior executive in the HR industry said salaries offered for many of the senior recruits are upwards of ₹3 crore and there are more mandates for hiring lower rung executives as well.

These hiring claims, however, are yet to be verified by the newspaper.