Drumil Joshi on VIBRIS, AI Innovation, and Leadership in Renewable Energy

Introduction
At 24, Drumil Joshi is emerging as a leader in AI and renewable energy. Winner of the 2025 Gold Stevie Award and listed among Analytics Insight’s Top 10 Data Science Leaders to Follow, he is advancing global conversations on data-driven sustainability. As a Monitoring & Diagnostics Analyst at Southern Power (USA), he oversees a major clean energy portfolio. His standout achievement this year is co-authoring a paper on VIBRIS, an AI tool that predicts wind turbine failures. In this interview with IBTimes Singapore, he shares his journey and vision.

Q1: Congratulations on your recent awards. What do they mean to you?
Joshi: Thank you. These recognitions highlight the importance of AI in renewable energy. Winning the Stevie Award reaffirmed that my work is making an impact. Being named among the Top 10 Data Science Leaders to Follow emphasizes how sustainability and AI are now inseparable. For me, these honours are not about fame. They validate the mission of building smarter, cleaner energy systems through data-driven innovation.

Q2: Tell us about VIBRIS. What inspired you to build it?
Joshi: VIBRIS Vibration Intelligence Bearing Reliability Integrated System is an AI-based predictive maintenance tool for wind turbines. It detects issues such as bearing faults or blade imbalances before they lead to failures, helping prevent downtime and improving reliability.

The idea came from my experience managing wind and solar assets at Southern Power. Even small efficiency gains make a big impact. Instead of reactive fixes, I asked: how do we stop failures before they happen? Drawing on experience from other industries, I applied machine learning to renewable energy. Presenting VIBRIS at the Vibration Institute’s Annual Conference 2025 confirmed its practical value. At its core, VIBRIS is AI with purpose: every efficiency gain means more clean energy.

Q3: How does VIBRIS stand apart from other predictive tools?
Joshi: VIBRIS combines secure data engineering, ensemble machine learning models, and turbine expertise. Instead of relying on a single algorithm, it uses multiple models to capture both sharp anomalies and subtle patterns. This balance reduces false alarms while detecting real issues earlier something critical in wind farms.

Another differentiator is the integration of human expertise. Engineers helped tune thresholds so the system delivers actionable insights. This combination of AI and human knowledge makes VIBRIS adaptable globally, whether for turbines in Texas or Tamil Nadu.

Q4: You’ve spoken about “Humanized Data Storytelling” and “Future-Back Innovation.” How do these guide you?
Joshi: Humanized Data Storytelling is about making data relatable. AI can feel abstract, so I focus on presenting insights as clear, intuitive stories. With VIBRIS, reports are visual and user-friendly so even non-technical managers understand them instantly.

Future-Back Innovation means imagining the ideal future and then working backward. For me, that vision is renewable plants running autonomously with AI predicting and fixing issues in real time. With that in mind, VIBRIS was designed to be scalable and adaptable. Together, these approaches ensure technology stays both people-focused and future-ready.

Q5: How do you see VIBRIS impacting Asia and globally?
Joshi: Renewable energy challenges are universal, so VIBRIS was built to be geography-agnostic. It learns vibration patterns from any turbine fleet, adapting to local conditions. Asia, with its large wind projects, could benefit significantly. Local climates like monsoon seasons bring unique stresses, but AI adapts when trained with regional data.

Globally, I see predictive intelligence becoming standard. Imagine networks of wind and solar farms worldwide, all running diagnostics like VIBRIS. That would cut costs, stabilize grids, and accelerate the clean energy transition. Asia, with its appetite for technology-led solutions, could even leapfrog traditional methods and adopt AI-first energy management.

Q6: What advice would you give young innovators?
Joshi: Stay curious and adaptable the field changes quickly. Be bold with ideas, but also embrace collaboration, because no innovation succeeds alone. I encourage stepping into what I call “strategic discomfort.” Growth happens when you push beyond your comfort zone, whether learning a new skill, exploring another industry, or working abroad.

Seek inspiration beyond your field I often draw from psychology, philosophy, even fiction. Focus on consistent small wins; they build momentum into lasting change. And above all, pair vision with empathy. The best innovations are those that serve people and society. If you keep purpose at the centre, success will follow.

Interviewer: Thank you, Drumil, for sharing your journey and insights.
Joshi: Thank you. I’m excited to continue innovating at the intersection of AI and sustainability, and I hope my work inspires others to do the same.