Kunwer Sachdev, the founder of Su-Kam Power Systems — the company that invented India's solar hybrid PCU and built the country's first 3-phase solar system in 2006 — sat down with ET Edge Insights for a candid conversation on building, failing, and lasting.
The interview cuts through the usual founder mythology. Sachdev's message is direct: most founders today are asking the wrong question. They think about funding before they understand the problem. His advice — start with the person who has the problem, understand what keeps them awake at night, and only then is the idea strong enough to build on.
On Building a Team in the Early Days
For Sachdev, hiring is where most founders stumble. It isn't just about finding talented people — it's about finding people who believe in what you're trying to do when there is little money and a lot of uncertainty. In those early Su-Kam days, that was exactly the test.
On Why Trust Is the Real Product
He traces his hardest lesson to something less obvious than technology or capital: trust. Convincing people. Finding reliable suppliers. Keeping a team motivated with no sales. And even after building the product — getting paid. In India, selling is only half the story. Payments get delayed, cash flow gets stuck.
What he learned over two decades: if people don't trust your brand, none of it works. And building trust doesn't happen overnight. It takes years of consistently showing up.
On AI and the Speed of Failing
Sachdev is clear-eyed about technology's double edge. AI and digital tools have made it faster than ever to start a company — but also faster to fail publicly. One bad customer experience spreads online in hours. Earlier, businesses had time to fix mistakes. Now, that time is almost gone.
His words: the ease of starting is matched by the speed of failing. Technology can help you move faster. It cannot replace substance.
On Legacy — The Part He Didn't Plan
He never set out to build a legacy. He just kept asking what was wrong with what he'd built, and fixing it. That habit, compounded over decades in the inverter and solar industry, became something bigger than he planned.
Read the full interview: Don't chase funding, solve real problems — ET Edge Insights
Kunwer Sachdev is the founder of Su-Kam Power Systems, credited with pioneering solar power backup in India. He writes on energy, entrepreneurship and technology — read his columns in our Knowledge Base.
I Was Called a Jerk for Saying This in 2014 — Maharashtra Just Proved Me Right
How the Solar PCU Invented in 2005 Paved the Way for India's Energy Future
→ Maharashtra proves Kunwer right on solar
→ how the solar PCU invention changed India
→ Kunwer Sachdev's knowledge base on inverters and solar