Brands
SPDA unveils new brand identity to represent the entire energy transition spectrum
Mumbai: SPDA, an independent industry association committed to promoting the renewable energy space, has made a strategic decision to rebrand itself as the ‘Sustainable Projects Developers Association’ (SPDA). The new brand identity reflects the association’s transition from representing pure-play renewable energy developers to representing end-to-end providers of solutions across the decarbonisation spectrum.
In line with its strategy to focus on the overall clean energy eco-system, SPDA – Sustainable Projects Developers Association has been leading the representation of emerging decarbonisation solutions like green hydrogen and its derivatives, wind, solar, hybrid solutions, energy storage including pumped storage and batteries, carbon markets, solar module manufacturing and electrolyser manufacturing, and is poised to deepen further its engagement with policy advocacy, discussions and consensus building on issues related to the energy transition.
The Association has been a pioneer in leveraging its outreach to accelerate the transition to green energy and providing assistance in policy evolution and a healthier investment climate for renewable energy and green fuel projects and services in India. SPDA’s new identity will reinforce its position as a marquee organisation in the green services space, forging co-operation with leading global associations and holding events abroad in its pursuit to promote India’s leadership in the global stride towards decarbonisation.
SPDA and ex-governor of Chhattisgarh director general Shekhar Dutt said, “SPDA aims to provide a neutral platform and become the voice of the companies engaged in energy transition in the country. This new identity will also enable SPDA to expand its global outreach, especially in countries where urgent transition towards clean energy is becoming the new mantra for Governments. SPDA will promote offerings across the spectrum that support decarbonisation within the context of the future of energy.”
SPDA president and Avaada Group chairman Vineet Mittal commented, “The urgency of addressing climate change is evident. Worldwide governments and businesses are seeking to adopt a more sustainable approach to foster economic development and prosperity for all. Round-the-clock Renewables, Green Hydrogen and its derivatives have emerged as potent alternatives to fossil fuels for advancing accelerated decarbonisation across sectors and geographies. India with its vast potential of renewable energy and skilled manpower is poised to play an important role in fulfilling global demand for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.
The rechristening of SPDA marks a significant milestone in our quest for a carbon-neutral world. Our primary goal is to widen the outreach of Indian developers, and represent their interests both in India and abroad in countries where there is demand for green fuels buoyed by their decarbonization targets. In its pursuit, SPDA will leverage its networking capabilities coupled with research-backed representations for effective and transformational policy advocacy.”
Ammonia, Acme Group COO Sandeep Kashyap said “We extend our felicitations to Sustainable Projects Developers Association on its rebranding and renewed focus on advancing green energy sources. The new identity not only signifies a commitment to bolstering India’s energy security but also to positioning the nation as a global hub for green energy innovation. We eagerly anticipate working towards our shared mission for a sustainable future.”
Ocior Energy CEO Ranjit Gupta commented “Energy transition stands at the core of climate action and sustainable economic progress. In an ever-evolving sector, the role of SPDA in shaping green energy discussions cannot be overstated. With our commitment to a greener world, we applaud SPDA for its new direction and look forward to fruitful collaboration.”
Brands
Rakesh Menon joins Paytm as avp – lending
Fintech product leader takes on new role after building digital lending, payments and credit products across fintech ecosystem
MUMBAI: Rakesh Menon has joined Paytm as assistant vice president – lending, taking on a new role focused on strengthening the company’s lending and credit products.
Prior to this, Menon worked at Profectus Capital Pvt Ltd as chief manager – payments based financing and digital lending.
At Profectus, he designed and launched digital credit products for merchants with variable cash flows, including overdraft-linked and revenue-share lending models. He led end-to-end LOS–LMS API integrations with payment partners and aggregators, enabling real-time underwriting, disbursal and repayment workflows.
He also worked on funnel optimisation initiatives using journey analytics, improving onboarding, KYC and disbursal conversion by 35 per cent. He developed ecosystem partnerships for transaction-data-based credit assessment and automated settlement systems, and collaborated with credit and data science teams to strengthen risk models and early delinquency detection.
Menon standardised partner onboarding and API frameworks, reducing go-live timelines by 40 per cent and improving digital scalability.
Before Profectus Capital, he worked at PayU as senior manager – presales lead – enterprise business from August 2022 to August 2023. He set up a national presales function for fintech and digital commerce clients, aligning solutions such as EMI, BNPL, BBPS and offer engines to merchant requirements.
He also helped improve conversion rates by around 15 per cent through merchant persona mapping, demo frameworks and structured sales playbooks, working closely with product and go-to-market teams.
From April 2019 to July 2022, Menon served as business unit head – SMB – direct acquisitions at Worldline, where he built the SMB online payments vertical from scratch. The business scaled to Rs 2,500 crore in annual transaction volume, growing at 45 per cent year-on-year.
During this period, he introduced paperless onboarding processes including eKYC and eSign, developed partner dashboards and CRM automation systems, and integrated platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce and Tally to expand merchant adoption.
Across roles, Menon has worked across digital lending, payments and merchant financing, with experience in product development, ecosystem partnerships, API integrations and fintech-led growth strategies.
At Paytm, he will focus on scaling lending products and strengthening digital credit infrastructure within the company’s financial services ecosystem.
His appointment comes as fintech firms continue to expand their lending and embedded finance offerings in a competitive market.
