Manager Legal - LAND & PPA Documentation

Dainik Bhaskar Group; Mumbai; Hybrid; INR 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

DB Power Ltd. (Dainik Bhaskar Group) is seeking an experienced renewable energy lawyer to lead legal support for the platform's project development and commercial activities. The role focuses on land and PPA documentation, while supporting project development, grid/connectivity, EPC/OEM contracting, financing and regulatory matters.

The position will work closely with cross-functional teams and external counsel, with travel to project sites as required across target states.

Qualifications

• LL.B. from a recognised university/law school.
• 815 years of relevant post-qualification experience.
• Experience with renewable energy, power, infrastructure company or a leading law firm.
• Strong experience in PPA drafting/review and negotiation.
• Strong experience in land documentation and legal due diligence.
• Good understanding of Indian electricity and renewable energy regulations.
• Strong commercial-contract drafting and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead legal due diligence for land identified for solar, wind and BESS projects.
• Review and negotiate land sale, lease, license, development and access agreements.
• Review title documents, encumbrances, revenue records, land-use permissions and other land-related matters.
• Identify and mitigate title, possession, access, right-of-way and land-use risks.
• Coordinate with local/state counsel on complex land matters.
• Develop standard land documentation and legal due-diligence processes.
• Draft, review and negotiate PPAs with C&I customers.
• Develop and maintain standard PPA and customer-contract templates.
• Advise on key commercial and legal provisions including tenure, tariff, payment security, contracted capacity, curtailment, change in law, force majeure, default and termination.
• Review customer credit and contractual risks from a legal perspective.
• Draft/review channel partner, customer acquisition and related commercial agreements.
• Monitor and advise on applicable central and state electricity and renewable-energy regulations.
• Provide legal support on open access, STU connectivity, transmission, wheeling, banking, CSS, additional surcharge, captive/group captive structures and renewable energy regulations.
• Track regulatory developments across the five target states.
• Coordinate with external counsel on regulatory opinions and proceedings.
• Review, draft and negotiate EPC, OEM/supply, O&M, project development, grid/connectivity, transmission-related and right-of-way agreements, vendor agreements, NDAs and other commercial contracts.

Skills

PPA drafting/review

Land documentation

Commercial contract drafting

Negotiation

Education

LL.B. from a recognised university/law school

Job description

About the Company

DB Power Ltd. (Dainik Bhaskar Group Co.) is building a scalable Commercial & Industrial (C&I) renewable energy platform with an initial target of approximately 1 GW of renewable energy capacity over the next two years, comprising:

• 750 MW Solar
• 250 MW Wind
• 750 MWh BESS

The platform will focus on serving A+ credit-rated C&I customers, through direct origination as well as channel partners. The initial project footprint will cover Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, primarily through the STU transmission network.

As the platform scales, we are looking to build a lean, high-quality legal function with strong capabilities in land, PPAs, project development, power regulations and commercial contracting.

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced renewable energy lawyer to lead legal support for the platform's project development and commercial activities.

The role will have primary responsibility for land and PPA documentation, while also supporting project development, grid/connectivity, EPC/OEM contracting, financing and regulatory matters.

The position will work closely with the Business Development, Project Development, Land, Commercial, Finance, Procurement and Investment teams, as well as external legal counsel.

Key Responsibilities

Land & Project Development

• Lead legal due diligence for land identified for solar, wind and BESS projects.
• Review and negotiate land sale, lease, license, development and access agreements.
• Review title documents, encumbrances, revenue records, land-use permissions and other land-related matters.
• Identify and mitigate title, possession, access, right-of-way and land-use risks.
• Coordinate with local/state counsel on complex land matters.
• Develop standard land documentation and legal due-diligence processes.

PPA & C&I Contracting

• Draft, review and negotiate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with C&I customers.
• Develop and maintain standard PPA and customer-contract templates.
• Advise on key commercial and legal provisions including tenure, tariff, payment security, contracted capacity, curtailment, change in law, force majeure, default and termination.
• Review customer credit and contractual risks from a legal perspective.
• Draft/review channel partner, customer acquisition and related commercial agreements.

Renewable Energy & Power Regulations

• Monitor and advise on applicable central and state electricity and renewable-energy regulations.
• Provide legal support on open access, STU connectivity, transmission, wheeling, banking, CSS, additional surcharge, captive/group captive structures and renewable energy regulations.
• Track regulatory developments across the five target states.
• Coordinate with external counsel on regulatory opinions and proceedings.

Project & Commercial Contracts

Review, draft and negotiate:

• EPC agreements
• OEM/supply agreements
• O&M agreements
• Project development agreements
• Grid/connectivity agreements
• Transmission-related documentation
• Right-of-way agreements
• Consultancy and service agreements
• Vendor agreements
• NDAs and other commercial contracts

Financing & Investment

• Support project and portfolio financing transactions.
• Coordinate legal due diligence with lenders and investors.
• Review financing and security documentation.
• Advise on bankability of PPAs and project contracts.
• Support project acquisitions, investments, JVs and strategic transactions as required.

Dispute Management

• Manage contractual claims, notices and disputes.
• Coordinate with external counsel on arbitration, litigation and regulatory matters.
• Support the business in dispute prevention and contractual risk mitigation.

Legal Operations

• Establish legal SOPs, approval processes and contract-management systems.
• Maintain a central repository of executed agreements.
• Develop legal DD checklists and standard templates.
• Maintain legal risk, litigation and contract trackers.
• Provide clear, commercially practical legal advice to management.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• LL.B. from a recognised university/law school.
• 815 years of relevant post-qualification experience.
• Experience with a renewable energy, power, infrastructure company or a leading law firm.
• Strong experience in PPA drafting/review and negotiation.
• Strong experience in land documentation and legal due diligence.
• Good understanding of Indian electricity and renewable energy regulations.
• Strong commercial-contract drafting and negotiation skills.

Preferred Experience

Candidates with experience in the following will be preferred:

• C&I renewable energy
• Open-access projects
• Solar/wind projects
• BESS
• Captive/group captive structures
• STU connectivity and transmission
• Project finance
• EPC/OEM/O&M contracts
• Multi-state renewable energy projects

What We Are Looking For

• Strong commercial orientation and business understanding.
• Ability to independently own transactions from initial discussion through execution.
• Strong drafting and negotiation capability.
• Ability to identify key legal risks without unnecessarily slowing down business execution.
• Excellent stakeholder-management skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Willingness to travel to project sites and across operating states as required.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to be part of the core legal team building a new renewable energy platform from the ground up, with exposure to:

Solar | Wind | BESS | C&I PPAs | Land | Open Access | Transmission | Project Finance | EPC | Project Development

The successful candidate will have significant ownership and direct exposure to senior management and the complete project lifecycle.