Creating a Better and
Sustainable World For
Our Future
Generations.
About Simarpreet Singh
ABOUT ME
Like any other typical 90s kid, I wanted to be a cricketer after watching the famous Sharjah match between India and Australia, where Sachin Tendulkar dominated that series. It was all about cricket, whether in my gully or at school. I represented my school team for the longest time and was extremely passionate about the game. The turning point came when I met with a severe accident. The cricket ball broke my nose, and I had to undergo major surgery. It took me more than a year to recover. Things were never the same for me after this accident, and I realized that it would be better to move on and pursue my passion for something else.
Journey From an Engineer To an Entrepreneur
Like all Indian families, the tradition of becoming engineers or doctors before deciding on a career was a must.
Hence, I also chose Electrical Engineering as it was a family legacy, with both my grandfathers being electrical engineers. During my college days, I wanted to bring a change in the world.
I discovered a passion for organizing events and cultural festivals during my engineering days. So, I became President of various clubs in undergraduate college, showcasing leadership skills and becoming the change I wanted to see in others.
This journey of a passionate child from a dreamer to a leader brought me on the stage of COP28 in 2023 to represent the Hartek Group, a legacy venture started by my father in 1991.
Accepting the Challenges For a Sustainable Future
I’ve always loved challenges as it brings out the sportsman in me and a desire to win and give my best. In the subsequent months, after being rejected by Infosys, Wipro, TechMahindra, and many more, I finally got placed into Igate Patni Computers on 15th November 2011. That feeling was priceless! But I knew there was more to come. As I underwent my training at Areva (now Schneider Electric), which manufactures power equipment, working as a shop floor engineer, a fitter, and a technician helped me understand not only the power industry but also the value of life.
During this time, I read more about the power sector: the challenges and the opportunities. There were still more than 1 billion people in this world without access to electricity. It was during this time that I realized my mission to contribute to solving these challenges. This made me join my father’s business with 20% less salary than I was getting in my previous organizations. That was the turning point of my life when I stepped into the world of sustainability.
Turning Loss into a Catalyst for Meaningful Impact
In 2013, this led me to my first venture, Hartek India. Six months later, we sold our first 11KV switchboard panel – the first ever ‘Hartek branded product’ in the company’s history. The backward integration model turned out to be a great move, enabling the company to integrate backward into manufacturing and assemble its own branded products. In the following years, we added more specialized products used in the power industry. We soon began manufacturing 11KV/33KV switchboard panels, LT panels, and control relay panels used in all kinds of industries, commercial buildings, and power plants.
I’ve read a lot about renewable energy and worked very closely on large-scale utility solar power plants and distributed solar power, which is the future of building a sustainable infrastructure and ensuring every household gets electricity.
This finally led us to founding – Hartek Solar. We build rooftop solar power plants across the country for the major C&I segment and are now widening to the utility sector. In a short period, we became one of the Top 3 rooftop solars in the country, with more than 5GW solar grid connectivity by the end of 2023.
As I recently represented Hartek Group in COP28, I felt extremely proud of the trust bestowed upon the organization and the continuous efforts by the larger teams moving one step ahead towards a net-zero and sustainable world. And the journey continues.