With several decades of leadership experience in technical education, workforce capability development and industry skilling, Suresh will play a pivotal role in advancing CORE’s long-term vision of becoming a globally recognised university for renewable energy – a centre where education, research, innovation, industry collaboration and leadership development converge to create the talent that will power the global energy transition.

Earlier, Suresh has held leadership positions across learning and skill development functions at renowned organisations including Bosch India, Schaeffler, Tata Motors, ITM Vocational University and Symbiosis Skills & Professional University. Most recently, at BSA Group, he led industry-focused training programmes, established work-based dual-skilling models, and developed competency based learning frameworks aligned with National Skills Standards. Throughout his career, he has successfully designed and implemented large-scale workforce development, technical competency enhancement and organisational capability-building initiatives across multiple industries and functional domains.

In his new role, Suresh will lead the next phase of CORE’s growth by expanding industry-relevant, technology-driven and real-time skills development programmes. He will also strengthen strategic collaborations with industry, academia, government, Sector Skill Councils, training institutions and other stakeholders.

Commenting on the appointment, Col. (Dr.) Bharat Sharma, Executive Director, POWERCON Group, said: “As the renewable energy sector continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, building a strong pipeline of skilled professionals will be fundamental to sustaining this momentum. CORE was established to bridge the gap between industry requirements and workforce capabilities. Suresh Darade’s extensive experience in skills development, competency building and workforce transformation will help us accelerate this vision and strengthen our contribution towards developing the next generation of renewable energy professionals and leaders.”

Suresh Darade expressed: “I am honoured to join CORE, an institution founded by the renewable energy industry’s most respected professionals with a clear vision of building future-ready talent. As the energy transition gathers pace, developing a highly skilled workforce is one of the defining priorities of our time. Together with our industry, academic and government partners, we will strengthen competency-based, industry-driven learning programmes aligned with national and international skills frameworks. Our goal is to equip students, trainees and working professionals with the knowledge, practical skills and global competencies needed to be both job-ready and future-ready, while supporting the evolving talent needs of the renewable energy sector.”

Praveen Kakulte, Founder & CEO, POWERCON Group, said: “The renewable energy revolution is often measured in gigawatts, investments and technologies. Yet, its true success will ultimately be determined by the quality of the people who design, build, operate and continuously improve these assets.

At POWERCON, we believe the future of renewable energy will be shaped not only by world-class infrastructure, but by the world-class talent that powers it. This conviction led to establishment of the CORE – an institution envisioned to evolve into a globally recognised university dedicated exclusively to renewable energy & clean tech where education, applied research, innovation, industry collaboration and leadership development come together to shape the next generation of professionals. Suresh Darade’s appointment marks an important milestone in this journey. The future of clean energy will belong to nations that invest in people as much as they invest in technology, and CORE is our commitment to building that future.”

Having already trained, assessed and certified more than 6,000 students, technicians and renewable energy professionals, CORE has emerged as a trusted industry partner in developing skilled talent for the clean energy sector. Building on this foundation, CORE will expand its collaborations with industry, academia, government and global institutions to strengthen India’s renewable energy skills ecosystem. With a Skills-First Framework for Renewable Energy, CORE aims to create a globally competitive workforce, facilitate international talent mobility, and position India as a leading source of skilled professionals for the world’s rapidly growing renewable energy industry.

Established in 1997, the SKOCH Award framework recognizes organizations that create meaningful and measurable impact rather than merely rewarding scale or visibility, making it one of the most respected independent recognitions in the country. The SKOCH Awards are notable for their independent research led evaluation, evidence-based assessment, peer review by similar organisations, and focus on identifying scalable models of excellence.

The 2026 SKOCH Awards honoured leading government institutions, public sector enterprises, banks and private organisations. This year’s awardees included Union Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Central Bank of India, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), Shipping Corporation of India, and the Governments of Punjab, Maharashtra (UMED Mission), Uttarakhand and Sikkim.

Over the years, the SKOCH platform has also featured leading private sector organisations such as Reliance Industries Limited, Mahindra Group, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, HCL Technologies, JSW Group, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Adani Group. In the renewable energy sector, POWERCON joins a select group of 2026 SKOCH awardees that includes REC Limited, NLC India Limited and GAIL (India) Limited.

“This recognition is a strong validation of our belief that sustainability and operational excellence are inseparable in maximising the value of renewable energy assets. It reaffirms our mission of delivering ‘more MWh of clean Energy per MW of installed Power’ through responsible and sustainable business practices. In doing so, we create lasting value for our customers, communities, and the environment, while contributing to India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat@2047,” said Mr. Praveen Kakulte, CEO & Founder, POWERCON.

As India accelerates toward 1,800 GW of Clean Energy by 2047 and net-zero by 2070, POWERCON continues to play a critical role across the renewable energy value chain from project development and construction to lifetime O&M operations, asset performance optimization, diagnostics, analytics, and advanced asset management services.

The Net Zero journey spans POWERCON’s operations and extended value chain, marking a significant step in its broader decarbonisation strategy. In the portion of reporting year, the company supported an overall reduction of 5.6 lakh tons of CO₂ emissions, driven by enhanced energy efficiency, digital O&M technologies, and improved operational practices across sites. POWERCON delivered significant year-on-year gains in energy generation, reflecting stronger asset reliability and optimised field performance.

The Group advanced its ESG priorities by minimising waste, optimising resources, and managing materials responsibly, resulting in a 60% reduction in plastic usage, reinforced nearly 100% ban on Single-Use Plastic (SUP) across offices, warehouses, and O&M sites. The company also strengthened its efforts in Environmental  protection with a 85% of total waste diverted from landfills, and the refurbishment of 55% of components instead of completely replacing them. Additionally, the Group used 70% renewable energy across its offices and operations.

Sustainability performance also strengthened, with over 40% of value-chain partners for critical components onboarded, 65% of suppliers currently operating under circularity compliance, and the company achieving 100% adherence to the Supplier Code of Conduct, supported by ongoing assessments and capability-building programs. Through POWERCON’s Social efforts at CORE Academy, 6,000+ RE professionals were trained helping build local green skills and supporting India’s broader clean-energy transition.

In Governance, POWERCON maintained zero non-compliances, zero data breaches, and zero human rights violations, underscoring its commitment to strong internal controls and transparent operations.

POWERCON was awarded ‘EcoEdge’– a Certificate of Recognition by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) towards effectively integrating Sustainability into its operations. Recently, the company also achieved the ‘Bronze’ certification from Government of India’s ZED (Zero Defect Zero Effect) initiative, where ‘Zero Effect’ signifies Zero harm to the environment.

Commenting on the company’s ESG performance, Mr. Praveen Kakulte, CEO and Founder, POWERCON® Group, said, “Our journey towards Net Zero is beyond offsetting emissions. Sustainability is now embedded across our business, from energy efficiency and circularity to ethical supply chains and workforce development. These milestones represent the collective commitment of our teams and partners to building RE operations that are responsible, resilient, and future-ready.”

POWERCON continues to align its systems with ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 26000, and ISO 50001, SA8000 reinforcing its leadership in environmental management and ethical business governance. Going forward, POWERCON aims to deepen its presence across major Indian renewable corridors, while expanding projects in Africa and Southeast Asia, and achieve a further 5% reduction in GHG emissions (Across Scope 1, 2, and 3) by 2030.