Meet Hitesh Shinde, our Special Projects Manager, who bridges engineering and procurement to develop new project concepts and ensure the performance of operating solar sites. Having started at Chint Solar as a working student more than four years ago, he’s now managing complex projects across different phases: from early concept design to operational performance. In this interview, he shares how his work helps optimize existing projects, explore new technologies and keep our solar portfolio running smoothly.
What are you most proud of in your work?
I’m proud of how much I’ve evolved. When I joined Chint Solar, I was part of the first 20% of the current team, starting as a working student and now managing special projects. Over time, my role became more focused and specialized. It started with preparing investor reports and today I’m responsible for both ensuring the performance of operational sites and exploring new opportunities with emerging technologies like battery storage.
“It’s also great to see that people trust me with new, complex topics. Whenever there’s a question no one can answer, it often lands on my desk. And that’s a challenge I enjoy.”
What do you enjoy most about working at Chint Solar?
Definitely the people. The relationships I’ve built here go far beyond work. Many of my closest friends are colleagues. We have this nice tradition of taking time for a proper coffee break, not just to discuss work from different angles but to really connect. Those moments make a big difference in how we work together.
How do you contribute to Chint Solar’s mission to energize people?
My work focuses on keeping projects performing efficiently and exploring new ways to make renewable energy projects more impactful. I monitor the performance of energized projects, make sure we meet our commitments and prepare reports for investors.
At the same time, I help develop new project concepts, for example combining solar power with other technologies like energy storage to make our projects more stable and commercially viable. That’s how we make sure clean energy continues to reach more people and supports grid stability in the long run.
What challenges do you tackle in your role?
The primary challenge is the sheer breadth of my role, which spans from early-stage concept design to long-term operational performance. This requires maintaining a ‘helicopter view’ to have proper oversight across a diverse portfolio of projects, all at different lifecycle stages.
I’m often switching contexts rapidly, from a deep-dive analysis of a new technology like battery storage one moment, to diagnosing an urgent performance issue at an operational site the next. Prioritizing these varied, high-immediacy tasks, many of which don’t have a standard process, is the central challenge. It’s demanding, but it’s also what makes the work so varied and exciting.
What excites you most about your work?
The flexibility of the market and how quickly our company adapts to it. In the last few years, things have changed so fast and that creates new opportunities every day. I like that my job allows me to think outside the box, simplify processes and test new ideas together with my team.
