"The Inverter May Be Just 7% Of The Cost—But Without It, The Rest Is Useless"

Divya Prakash Choraria, CEO and Co-Founder, WattPower, started the company in 2022 after several years in solar distribution. By the time he launched WattPower, he had identified a clear gap in the market for a core component of solar power plants—the inverter. As the most critical element responsible for plant performance, monitoring, and grid interaction, this gap prompted the company’s formation. Instead of building from the ground up, Choraria and his team acquired an existing business unit and spent the following year understanding the details of manufacturing—from production and supply chains to assembling the right team. In an interview with ResponsibleUs, he spoke about the company’s journey, its products, approach to e-waste, and more.

The company started in 2022 and, in just about three years, has come a long way. What was the original vision at the time of launch? What inspired the beginning, and how has that vision evolved since then?
We have been in the industry since 2017, initially distributing solar inverters and modules for about five years. By 2022, we saw a clear gap in the market for a core product in solar power plants—the inverter. It’s the most critical component, determining plant performance, monitoring, and grid interaction. There weren’t many robust, India-specific inverter solutions—certainly not made in India. We did our research and saw both a business opportunity and a chance to address a real need in India’s renewable ecosystem.

We went back to the drawing board, assessed what kind of R&D was required, and took a leap of faith. Toward the end of 2022, we acquired a business unit—there was no factory in India making this product—so we jumped in. That’s how we began.

The last three years have been a rollercoaster. It took time to explain who we were and what our product did. But once a few large players understood the value, they gave us trial orders. These became large-scale projects, and that’s the approach we’ve followed since.

Our customer pyramid starts with named accounts—large corporates—followed by mid-sized key accounts and then distributed businesses through our value-added partners Our focus has stayed constant: we believe in our product. It’s robust, meets industry needs, and is proudly made in India, for India.

Our idea was simple—get a foot in the door, and let the product speak for itself. That’s what happened. We have sold about 15 gigawatts in just 17 months since starting production, also close to about 22 GW of installation base under management, operating in the market for more than 5 years.

We began manufacturing in Q3 2023. The first year after acquisition went into understanding production, supply chains, and building the right team and relationships.

Why inverters are important in a solar setup? How do you see the future of string inverters, and how exactly do they work with solar panels in terms of the energy conversion and load balancing equation?
The inverter is the core of a solar plant. Simply put, it converts energy from solar panels into usable electricity for the grid.

It's arguably the most critical electronic component—like the CPU of a system. It processes raw DC energy and converts it into usable AC energy. Though it accounts for only about 7% of a project’s cost, if it fails, the remaining 93% becomes ineffective.

You can think of it as a bridge between generation and usage. While storage is a separate product, the inverter plays a key role by converting DC from panels into AC that can be used or stored.

Most of our inverters are for large utility-scale plants that feed power directly into the grid. As energy is generated, it’s supplied to the Indian grid in real time. Our inverters respond within 3 milliseconds to any voltage fluctuation, adjusting instantly to ensure seamless performance.

What makes you different from the other existing players, if there are any?
What sets us apart is the overall product lifecycle, advanced technology, and high-quality components. Ours is likely the most sophisticated offering in the industry.

For instance, over the past 12 months, our inverters have had a failure rate of under 0.5% per annum—among the lowest. Our closest competitor is still far behind.

We have also integrated AI into our inverters. They sync with the grid in under 3 milliseconds. While others may claim similar features, in real-world performance, we haven’t seen anyone match us yet.

You currently have two products listed—the WP330KTL and the SmartACU2000D. Could you tell us how they work, how much energy they handle, and how they differ?
The WP330KTL is our core product—the solar inverter. The SmartACU2000D is a data logger used to monitor, control, and send commands to the inverter. The WP330KTL delivers about 275 kW of energy at 50°C ambient temperature, and up to 338 kW at 30°C. The SmartACU communicates with up to 16 inverters at a time. It’s designed to optimize energy yield and ensure grid stability, especially under weak or unstable conditions.

With hybrid energy solutions gaining ground, how is WattPower positioning itself to meet future energy demands?
If you are referring to hybrid plants combining solar and wind and connected to the grid, yes—we are fully compatible. For us, it doesn't matter whether it’s a standalone solar or hybrid project. The inverter works the same way in both. It’s a standardised product designed to ensure seamless grid interaction and transfer of generated energy—regardless of the source.

Tell us more about the Chennai manufacturing investment. You are producing at a capacity of 9.9 GW—that’s massive. What kind of investment went into it, and how are you managing it?
I will not disclose the exact investment amount, but it was a significantly large amount for us back in 2022. Especially since we were launching a new brand, we were clear that if we wanted to offer the right product at the right price for Indian consumers, we could only achieve that through economies of scale.

That is why we aimed for a larger manufacturing setup right from the beginning. We started with a 10 GW capacity, which translates to about 36,000 inverters annually. The plant runs nearly 24/7 with three shifts, although it officially operates within standard workday schedules.

You have a robust client list, including Adani Renewables and Greenko. What has been your approach to winning the trust of such industry leaders?
We kept it simple. The product fits the current market, and we focus on communicating its long-term value. While the upfront capital cost of our product is relatively high, our inverters are designed to strike the right balance between short-term affordability and long-term value. By optimising the levelised cost of energy (LCOE), we help ensure stronger returns over the project lifecycle. Customers are able to recover the initial premium through higher uptime, reduced failures, lower operations and maintenance costs, and improved energy generation.

To build trust, we closely collaborated with their engineering teams. Following months of rigorous technical evaluation, we commenced with smaller orders. Once they were confident in the performance and reliability, they progressively scaled up and transitioned a larger share of their portfolio to our solutions.

How are you managing e-waste? Are you recycling only your own inverter waste, or do you also source it from outside?
E-waste is now a government mandate in India, and we take it seriously. Our belief is simple: if you're creating waste, it’s your responsibility to manage it.

While we don’t generate a large volume of e-waste, we have institutionalised a quarterly process for whatever does come out of our operations. Any component—be it a chip, a PCBA, or any other part—that is rejected in quality control or has an issue is sent through a stringent internal check. After that, it goes to a certified e-waste recycling partner for proper disposal and recovery.

Are you currently following any ESG or sustainability reporting standards?
Yes, as a subsidiary of a German company, we receive strong governance and compliance support aligned with German regulations. We have recently begun formalising our ESG approach and aim to be fully compliant by the end of 2025.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in solar manufacturing, and how have you navigated them?
The biggest challenge is balancing cost with high-performance engineering. The market often pushes for the lowest upfront price, which can create pressure to cut corners—but we have never taken that approach. We see that as short-sighted.

Our focus has always been on long-term value. That means building reliable, high-performing products that are easy to use across the full lifecycle of a solar plant. To support that, we have invested in smart technologies, built a strong R&D foundation, and set up a modern, quality-driven manufacturing system. This has helped us stay ahead and serve the real needs of the market.