Ten years ago, getting solar panels installed on your home in India meant explaining to your neighbours what you were doing and why. Today, that conversation has largely disappeared — and Radhika Choudary, co-founder of Freyr Energy, helped make that happen. The Hyderabad-based company is now India’s third-largest organised residential rooftop solar player, with over 18,000 customers, MNRE empanelment, experience centres across 10 cities, India’s first self-cleaning solar system, and a dedicated app offering financing and support. CE interacts with Radhika days after a major policy shift, a new domestic sourcing mandate for solar cells that came into effect on June 1, about building a business in a capital-intensive, policy- driven sector.
Excerpts
You started Freyr Energy in 2014, when rooftop solar was far from mainstream. What inspired you to start it?
I’ve been in the sector since 2008, and before that, I spent two years in wind energy. Around that time, the National Solar Mission was launched with ambitious goals for manufacturing and solar capacity. My exposure was primarily to large-scale projects because solar was expensive then. A megawatt of solar required around `60 crore of investment; today it costs roughly Rs 3.5 crore.
Between 2008 and 2013, rooftop solar began gaining traction, mainly among commercial and industrial users. Very few homes adopted it because there was no policy support, no net metering, and very little awareness. Yet the economics already made sense. People could reduce electricity bills through their own power generation systems, but nobody was focusing on making solar accessible to this segment.
By 2013-14, electricity tariffs were rising while solar costs were falling. There was a strong economic case. We realised there was an opportunity to enable anyone, anywhere, to adopt solar and to deliver a standardised customer experience. We wanted to make solar simple and create a uniform journey for customers, much like how digital platforms offer consistent experiences across cities.
We were definitely early. At the time, payback periods were around four to five years; today they’re closer to three or three-and-a-half years. But even then, the economics worked, and we saw an opportunity to build a scalable business around simplifying adoption.
How did you ensure that clean energy remained both a mission and a viable business model?
My co-founder, Saurabh Marda, is an environmental engineer who always wanted to build something in the climate space. When we met, we felt solar offered a strong business opportunity.
Consumers don’t adopt technologies like solar or electric vehicles purely for environmental reasons. The primary driver is economics. People buy EVs because operating costs are lower. Similarly, homeowners adopt solar because it significantly reduces electricity bills.
If someone is paying Rs 3,000 a month, that bill can drop to only minimum charges. If they’re paying Rs 1 lakh, solar can offset most of that expense. The environmental benefit is important, but it is usually a secondary motivator.
For us, the challenge has always been awareness and accessibility. Many people still don’t know where to begin with solar. Our goal has been to simplify the process and build confidence in the category.
Today we operate in 40-45 cities and want to expand to 100. We are already the number one player in Telangana and number two nationally among more than 20,000 solar vendors. The market has evolved significantly, and we’ve had to continuously adapt our technology and business model while staying focused on rooftop solar.
Despite growing awareness, many Indians still hesitate to adopt rooftop solar. What are the biggest misconceptions?
The biggest misconception is that people don’t think solar is meant for them. It’s a first-time purchase and a completely new category for most households. When they see installations in their neighbourhoods, among relatives, or within their communities, adoption becomes much easier.
Another concern is the perceived impact on the house itself. People worry about changes to their roofs and whether government subsidies are actually real. But subsidies do arrive typically within 30 to 45 days, and we handle the paperwork.
Weather is another concern. People assume solar won’t work during monsoon season. It does work, but generation is naturally lower because solar depends on sunlight. However, energy demand is also lower during monsoons than during peak summer months, when air-conditioners drive consumption and solar generation is at its highest.
India is fortunate because solar production and energy demand align well. In many colder countries, energy demand rises when sunlight decreases. That mismatch isn’t as severe here.
Maintenance is another area of concern. Solar systems are actually low maintenance. Like a vehicle, they need periodic checks and cleaning, but the upkeep is minimal.
You built Solar Experience Centres across multiple cities. Why was it important to create offline touchpoints in a digital world?
Most of our presence is in tier-two and tier-three cities. In these markets, customers still prefer local providers. My biggest competitors are not national companies; they’re local solar vendors in cities like Nashik, Karimnagar, Warangal, or Rajahmundry.
Experience centres help build a permanent local presence. Unlike an advertisement, which has a short lifespan, an experience centre becomes a visible and lasting part of the community. Customers can see the products, understand the company, and know there’s a physical location they can visit if they need support.
Trust is extremely important because solar is a long-term purchase that stays with customers for 25 years. Serviceability matters. The centres reassure customers that we are accountable and accessible.
They’ve also improved conversions. If earlier we converted one out of ten leads, now we might convert two. The centres have effectively doubled our closure rates.
Our target audience is generally homeowners aged 35 and above with stable incomes who want to reduce electricity bills. For them, physical presence helps build trust in a way digital channels alone often cannot.
As a woman leading in a traditionally male-dominated industry, what barriers have you faced?
The challenge is universal. In any field, people need to take themselves seriously first.
Preparation matters more than gender. If you show up prepared, understand your subject, and contribute meaningfully, people respect that. The difference is obvious when someone has done their homework versus when they are figuring things out as they go.
Early in my career, especially while handling sales and large contracts, some people assumed I wasn’t the key decision-maker. But once you answer questions confidently and take charge of a conversation, those assumptions disappear.
Beyond that, I haven’t faced major barriers. In fact, I’ve often found people respectful and willing to provide information and support. For me, success has always been more about preparation, competence, and confidence than gender.
Your career spans engineering, supply chain, quality audits, policy, and business development. Which experience has been most valuable as an entrepreneur?
The technical foundation I built early in my career has been invaluable. At SKF and General Electric, I worked on design, component failures, manufacturing processes, and supply chains. I saw how products moved through the entire value chain.
Today, as someone building a business, that experience gives me a deep appreciation for process, training, quality, and people. Early in my career, I sometimes wondered why large organisations had so many processes and stakeholders. Looking back, I understand their importance.
Entrepreneurship has reinforced those lessons. Hiring the right people, training them properly, and equipping them with the right tools forms the foundation of company culture, retention, and long-term success.
One lesson I continue to emphasise is the importance of customer support. There is no better way to understand a company and its product than by speaking directly to customers. You never know what questions they will ask, and those interactions teach you more than anything else.
What does the roadmap ahead for Freyr Energy look like?
Our long-term vision is to become a home energy management company rather than just a solar company.
We want to help customers optimise how they consume energy across appliances such as air-conditioners, geysers, dishwashers, batteries, and electric vehicles.
Globally, many markets already use time-of-day electricity tariffs, where electricity costs vary depending on when it is consumed. Residential customers in India don’t widely operate under that model yet, but it is likely to become more common in the future.
When that happens, intelligent energy management will become increasingly important. We want to help customers charge electric vehicles, run appliances, and manage batteries during periods when electricity is cheapest.
That means giving homeowners greater visibility and control over their energy consumption while reducing costs.
At the same time, we want to continue expanding geographically, growing from 45 cities to 100 cities and strengthening our position in the market.
The goal is clear: move beyond rooftop solar and become a comprehensive home energy management company — and ultimately go from number two to number one.