Rattan Kumar has over 24 years of experience in general management and in the fields of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, building controls and energy efficiency.

Rattan Kumar has over 24 years of experience in general management and in the fields of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, building controls and energy efficiency.

Currently, as VP, operations and maintenance and energy management solutions at ACME Tele Power Limited, he is responsible for providing energy management and remote monitoring services to the telecom infrastructure industry. This business unit offers managed services to telecom tower sites under a unique fixed energy model as well as remote monitoring services aimed at energy management.

ACME’s mission is to make its green approach profitable. “The company is working on solutions that help reduce the capex and opex of passive infrastructure,” he says. “Our target is to make more than 20 per cent impact through the value chain. We need to improve efficiencies on a daily basis and reduce costs for operators, infrastructure providers, equipment vendors and other stakeholders. ACME has been at the forefront of creating solutions and business models that address these challenges.”

A graduate in mechanical engineering, Kumar spent 13 years with Blue Star Limited in the air conditioning projects division. Prior to joining ACME, he worked with Johnson Controls, where he held various positions in the building efficiency and refrigeration businesses. He has worked on a number of energy efficiency projects, including India’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum rated project and the first Clinton Climate Initiative energy efficiency project.

Recalling his most memorable project, Kumar says, “In my last assignment with Johnson Controls, I was asked to head the industrial refrigeration and navy systems business units. Though I came from an HVAC background, my experience was in the buildings and commercial sectors. The industrial refrigeration and defence (navy systems) were new sectors and technologies for me. The technical and commercial challenges were many and solving them was very satisfying. Since the business was under a different legal entity, the assignment provided me the opportunity to handle company matters and integration issues.”

As a professional, Kumar counts his ability to think technically, his willingness to learn and his adaptable nature as his major strengths. One of his few regrets, he confesses, is not pursuing any serious hobby. “I spend my free time either reading something light, catching up on news, or watching a movie or show on TV,” he says. “I have a young son and am now spending more and more of my free time with him.”