Shivanand Nimbargi to Lead BII-CIP's North Star in India

Shivanand Nimbargi, who until recently ran Ayana Renewable Power, has been named to lead North Star in India. The platform is a joint venture between British International Investment (BII) and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). The appointment was reported by Saur Energy on September 28, 2026.

Nimbargi is a familiar name in Indian renewables. He served as managing director and CEO of Ayana, a company backed by the UK's CDC Group (now BII) and others. During his tenure, Ayana grew its wind and solar portfolio across several states. Before Ayana, he held leadership roles at Siemens Gamesa and other energy firms.

North Star is the BII-CIP joint venture focused on renewable energy projects in India. BII is the UK government's development finance institution. CIP is a Danish fund manager specialising in energy infrastructure. The two announced the partnership to build a large-scale renewables platform in the country. Nimbargi's job is to get projects off the ground.

India's renewable sector is crowded. Big players like ReNew, Adani Green, Tata Power, and JSW Energy dominate. But the market is still growing. The government wants 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030. That leaves room for new platforms. North Star will need to move fast to secure land, transmission, and power purchase agreements.

Nimbargi's experience at Ayana gives him a head start. He knows the bottlenecks: land acquisition, grid connectivity, and financing. He also knows how to work with development finance institutions. BII and CIP will expect returns, but they also have climate mandates. That mix can be tricky.

The appointment comes at a time when foreign investors are watching India's policy moves closely. Recent changes to open access rules and transmission charges have created uncertainty. But the long-term demand for clean energy is not in doubt. Nimbargi's move to North Star signals that the platform is serious about scaling up.

Neither BII nor CIP has announced specific targets for North Star. But industry watchers expect the JV to aim for a multi-gigawatt portfolio. Nimbargi will likely draw on his network to assemble a team and pipeline. His track record at Ayana, where he helped raise significant equity and debt, will be a key asset.

For now, the focus is on execution. Nimbargi starts with a clean slate and a strong backer. The question is whether North Star can cut through India's notorious red tape and deliver projects on time. If anyone can, it's someone who's done it before.