Who is SECI Chairman Rameshwar Prasad Gupta who was fired by the government before the end of his term?
The Indian government fired Rameshwar Prasad Gupta (SECI) of CMD, CMD, on May 10, only one month before the end of his term, without sharing the reason for the decision. RP Gupta declined to comment when Mint reporters contacted by phone.
The notice issued by the Ministry of Personnel and Training said: “The Cabinet Appointment Committee has approved the termination of Shri Rameshwar Prasad Gupta of Shri Rameshwar Prasad Gupta of IAS, serving as Chairman and Managing Director of Solar Energy Corporation of India for the Ministry of Renewable Energy, with direct effects.”
In the midst of this sudden departure, we look at who is RP Gupta, his tenure and major decisions at Seci, and some of the controversies he raised during his tenure at the State Clean Energy Agency.
Who is Rameshwar Prasad Gupta?
RP Gupta is an Indian Administrative Services (IAS) official in the 1987 batch of Gujarat cadres. After serving as secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in 2021, he joined SECI as CMD in June 2023.
He graduated from IIT Kanpur with a degree in aeronautical engineering and has previously worked with the Ministry of Coal and Niti Aayog.
In addition, he has experience in statistical planning, planning management, economics and company management.
RP Gupta’s tenure as SECI chair: major decisions, controversial
The demolition of Gupta is significant and is at a time when SECI targets the tender for the next few years as a 20 GW renewable energy project. The company also plans to build its own solar energy of 10 GW by fiscal 27.
In addition, Gupta launched a shared plan for Seci in 2024, but did not disclose details. He said in his speech on the 11th Foundation Day of SECI in 2022 that the Clean Energy Bureau has not yet made a final call for the size of an initial public offering (IPO).
Among the disputes that SECI must go through, led by RP Gupta, include a lawsuit against the Adani Group with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for alleged bribes of about $250 million to ensure Andhra Pradesh’s solar project secured solar projects, and through Recriance for Seci for Seci for Seci for a Renewable for ReeneWable seci seci seci seci seci seci seci seci powers for a renewebable for a renewable bid.
When U.S. attorneys sued Gautam Adani and other executives for alleged bribery in November 2024, Gupta told MINT that SECI would not review the order or initiate an investigation because there was no basis. He also denied any misconduct.
Then, on November 6, Seci banned Reliance Power and its subsidiary Reliance Nu Bess from participating in a three-year tender, allegedly suspected of submitting forged documents. This was withdrawn after an order from the Delhi High Court. In May, other reliance subsidiary Reliance Nu Suntech Private signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Seci.
