Azure Power Board Appoints Diane Farrell as the Director

NEW DELHI, January 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Azure Power, the leader in the Indian solar industry recently announced the induction of Diane Farrell as the Director of the Azure Power Board. This appointment comes shortly after the company appointed Robert Kelly as the Director on Azure Power Board in early December.

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Reinforcing Azure Power's leadership in the Indian solar industry, Diane's appointment will help in strengthening Azure Power's policy making, advocacy and government relations expertise.

Commenting on the appointment, Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder and CEO, Azure Power, said, "We are extremely pleased to welcome Diane as a new board member at Azure Power. With an illustrious career under strategic policy making and advocacy leadership roles, Diane's appointment will help Azure Power continue its fast paced growth, to become the largest solar power provider globally, which in turn will help the country achieve its clean energy objectives under the National Solar Mission, JNNSM." 

Currently, Diane Farrell is also serving as the Acting President at U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) after being appointed as the Executive Vice President in July 2011. During her tenure as Executive VP, she led business advocacy and membership service for Financial Services, Real Estate, and Infrastructure Development. Prior to USIBC, she served on the Board of Directors at the Export Import Bank of the United States (U.S. Ex-Im Bank), where she was responsible for voting on transactions exceeding $10 million as well as imparting expertise on significant policy matters. Her key responsibilities also included overseeing small businesses across India, Southeast Asia, and some parts of Latin America. During her tenure, India transactions expanded drastically and diversified; aircraft sales and conventional and green energy projects, among others, led to India becoming the second largest country by U.S. dollar allocation in the bank's overall portfolio.

Diane also served as the Chairwoman of the Southwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Agency (Metropolitan Planning Organization). As a select member of the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Steering and Policy Committee, she helped set policy goals for transportation and infrastructure initiatives in support of cities and towns across the United States.

Commenting on her appointment, Diane Farrell said, "Azure Power is an established leader in the solar industry in India and it gives me immense pleasure to join its esteemed board. I look forward to supporting company's endeavour in sustainable policy development for solar in India to compete effectively with fossil fuels."

About Azure Power

Azure Power is a new-age global and independent solar energy power producing company, combining the best of both worlds, cutting-edge international technology and harnessing the abundance of solar energy in India to offer clean and affordable solar energy to customers with zero upfront cost and operational expenses. Azure Power has been at the forefront of developments in the sector since its inception in 2007.

Azure Power has presence in 14 states. Azure has created a historic first success for private investment in renewable solar power generation in India. Azure Power is the lowest end-solar cost power producer in the industry and has been successful in bringing the power cost from INR 17 in 2009 to INR 5.89 in 2014. Azure Power has been the benchmark setter for the Indian Solar Industry with the first solar power plant launch in private sector at a mega scale in Punjab. The company also installed India's first megawatt scale solar rooftop project in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and which was awarded the top 10 Public Private Partnership, 2013 by International Finance Corporation (IFC). Azure Power's Solar as a Service offering, manages the entire project process for its customers, reduces costs of generating electricity, and provides long term predictable pricing.

Media Contact: Jyoti Rai, [email protected], +91-9650591553, Senior Accounts Executive, Edelman