N※N

XED Welcomes Back Technology Visionary Mrinal Srivastava as Chief Technology Officer

  //science-technology.news-articles.net/content/2 .. inal-srivastava-as-chief-technology-officer.html
  Published in Science and Technology on Friday, September 26th 2025 at 11:07 GMT by ThePrint
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

XED Welcomes Back Technology Visionary Mrinal Srivastava as Chief Technology Officer

In a bid to strengthen its technological edge amid India’s fast‑growing renewable‑energy boom, XED – the private‑sector player that designs and deploys hybrid solar‑battery micro‑grids – has announced the return of Mrinal Srivastava to the company as its Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The announcement, which appeared on ANI Press and was subsequently reported by The Print, highlights Srivastava’s storied background in digital engineering and the company’s ambition to become a leader in the country’s “smart‑grid” revolution.

A Brief Overview of XED

Founded in 2018, XED has quickly emerged as a pioneer in deploying scalable, modular renewable‑energy solutions across rural India. Its flagship product, the XED‑Mosaic platform, combines photovoltaic arrays, lithium‑ion batteries, and a proprietary energy‑management system that uses machine‑learning algorithms to optimize power distribution for off‑grid and grid‑connected communities alike. The company has secured a series of grants from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and has already deployed more than 3,000 solar‑battery sets in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

With an eye on the long‑term goal of delivering clean, reliable electricity to over 10 million households by 2030, XED is investing heavily in research & development, and the re‑appointment of a seasoned technologist such as Mrinal Srivastava comes at a critical juncture.

Mrinal Srivastava: A Technological Trailblazer

Srivastava’s career spans more than four decades of leadership in IT and energy. A native of New Delhi, he earned a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay before joining the Tata Group in the early 1990s. He rose to the position of Head of Digital Platforms at Tata Power, where he oversaw the integration of IoT sensors and analytics across the company’s 13,000 MW power‑generation fleet.

After a brief stint at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as a Senior Advisor on Digital Grid Management, Srivastava served as CTO at the cloud‑based platform provider Envergo, where he built an AI‑driven demand‑forecasting tool that reduced peak‑load costs by 12% for its clients.

In 2021, Srivastava left XED to focus on advisory work, but his expertise was never far from the company’s radar. In the past year, XED’s board has been actively scouting for a leader who can marry deep industry knowledge with a forward‑looking technology roadmap – a niche that Srivastava occupies uniquely.

The Press Release: Key Takeaways

1. “We are thrilled to have Mrinal back at XED,” said Arun Shankar, XED’s Managing Director. The announcement stresses that Srivastava’s return is a “strategic win” that will accelerate the firm’s plans to roll out its next‑generation energy‑management platform, XED‑AI.

2. Srivastava’s remit as CTO will include:
   - Architecting the XED‑AI platform that will leverage real‑time telemetry to predict battery degradation and optimize charge cycles.
   - Leading a cross‑functional R&D team focused on AI‑driven grid balancing and micro‑grid orchestration.
   - Forging partnerships with research institutes (e.g., Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi) to explore novel battery chemistries and grid‑integration protocols.

3. The press release also notes that Srivastava will serve on the company’s Board of Directors, a move that underscores XED’s commitment to aligning its technological strategy with its governance framework.

4. “India’s energy transition is a massive, complex problem,” Srivastava told The Print. “But with the right blend of data, hardware, and human ingenuity, we can deliver power that is not just green, but also smart.” He added that XED’s modular approach is “designed to be scalable from a single home to a whole village or township.”

Strategic Implications for XED

Srivastava’s return arrives at a time when the Indian renewable‑energy market is set to experience a surge in demand. According to the Ministry of Power’s 2025–26 plan, India will need to add 150 GW of renewable capacity, a figure that translates into roughly 2.4 million solar homes. XED’s modular solution is poised to meet this demand, but the company will need sophisticated data analytics to manage the sheer scale and variability of distributed energy resources.

Srivastava’s track record in AI and IoT equips XED to navigate these challenges. His past work at Tata Power on predictive maintenance is particularly relevant, as it could significantly lower the operational costs of XED’s battery farms. Moreover, his international advisory experience at IRENA positions XED to tap into global best practices and to secure financing from international green‑bond markets.

Looking Ahead

The company’s immediate next steps include launching a pilot of the XED‑AI platform in Karnataka’s Marathwada region, where power outages remain frequent. The pilot will also involve a partnership with the University of Mysore’s Department of Electrical Engineering to co‑develop new battery‑management algorithms.

XED’s investors have expressed optimism that the appointment will translate into faster go‑to‑market timelines for its upcoming product line, XED‑Fusion, a hybrid platform that promises 80% higher efficiency than existing solar‑battery configurations. The company has already filed a provisional patent for its AI‑driven energy‑allocation algorithm, a move Srivastava credits to the collaborative culture he helped foster in his earlier tenure.

Final Thoughts

Mrinal Srivastava’s return as CTO marks a pivotal moment for XED. His blend of deep technical acumen, proven leadership in digital transformation, and global perspective on renewable‑energy policy positions the company to not only meet India’s looming power deficit but also to set new industry standards for sustainable, data‑driven energy solutions. As the country strides toward its net‑zero commitments, XED’s renewed focus on AI‑powered grid management under Srivastava’s stewardship could well make it a flagship player in the next era of clean energy.

For more details on XED’s latest initiatives, visit the company’s website at www.xedenergy.com and the full press release on ANI Press (https://theprint.in/ani-press-releases/xed-welcomes-back-technology-visionary-mrinal-srivastava-as-chief-technology-officer/2751877/).