SECI is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons

THE CONTROVERSY

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of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier." Clearly, Gupta's termination signifies more than meets the eye. To be sure, the renewable energy (RE) sector is one that has made major headway in recent years, and SECI played an important role in this. With rapid capacity addition, RE now accounts for nearly half of the installed power generation capacity in the country, up from a little over 30% a decade ago.

However, the agency hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons in 2024.

Its name surfaced, though without explicit incrimination, in the US indictment of Adani Group in November for alleged bribery of $250 million to Andhra Pradesh's electricity distribution companies.

The Indian conglomerate, according to the US Department of Justice, made the payout to secure power purchase agreements for its solar energy projects. There was also another row over the submission of "fake documents" by Reliance Power to SECI for an RE project tender.

At the time, speaking to a TV channel on the US indictment case, Gupta had said that SECI was not facing any allegations and that there was no basis to probe anything.