Powering progress

For two-and-a-half years, Pankaj Kumar Pandey has headed up Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KTPCL), the south Indian state’s sole transmitter of electricity. The Managing Director joined the company in 2020, making his tenure a roller-coaster ride in terms of global events.

But throughout, Pandey has stayed the course and KTPCL has done exactly what an electricity distribution company is expected to – provided stability. The rewards are plenty: efficiency, financial strength and technical advancement, and as Pandey tells The CEO Magazine, all have come to benefit the company and its many clients.

“We’ve realized that in the next five years or so, we need to double our regeneration capacity,” he says. “Therefore, we’ve prepared a road map that plans out investments, substations, land acquisitions and the direction going forward.

“This was all done in very extensive consultation with our stakeholders, and now we’re one of the very few states to go for a 765-kilovolt voltage level, the highest level possible in India.”

A harmonized approach

That mission begins with the people around him. Pandey has made a point to send his team to other states to observe effective methods and incorporate them into KPTCL’s operations.

“We decided to move away from the traditional reporting structure to a more harmonized approach that channels engineering graduates toward our board of directors,” he says. “We also decided to have two directors below my role: one technical and one in charge of operations.

“That meant splitting offices into operations and technical wings. It was extreme, but by creating that structure, we can better focus on the new projects we have in the pipeline.”

Those include the creation of new substations and new lines out in the field, and maintenance of the energy dispatch system internally.

“We continually augment the capacity because in highly congested cities, it’s harder to lay new overhead lines,” Pandey says. “We’re better off increasing conductor capacity to a higher level of performance and pushing existing infrastructure to new heights.”

KPTCL has also changed its recruitment practices to suit this expansive new methodology.

“Sometimes we hire engineers or linesmen and other field staff on the spot,” he says. “It’s all done to ensure we have greater operational efficiency. We fill the post and instill confidence in the staff. If they believe things can get done, we can get things done.”

High-voltage innovation

The path ahead for the company is clear, and Pandey’s experience in the energy sector has helped make it so. Previously a Managing Director at Bangalore Electricity Supply Company and Hubli Electricity Supply Company, he has come to love the industry for what it brings to the nation.

“It’s laying the foundation stone for robust industry growth in the state, as well as creating job opportunities and raising India’s prosperity,” he says.

“I believe that the higher the per capita consumption of power in a country, the more prosperous that country is.”

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“Working with Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation has been both exciting and immensely satisfying. The company’s professionalism, vision and commitment to excellence make every project a valuable collaboration. Our three ongoing projects demand precision, innovation and strict timelines, and this partnership allows us to deploy cutting-edge technologies while enhancing electricity efficiency, reach and reliability for communities across Karnataka.” – AVN Raju, Wholetime Director, Nagarjuna Construction Company

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With that notion in mind, Pandey has worked towards driving innovation – such as automation – to help solidify energy security in Karnataka. This mission is what drew him to the Managing Director role at KPTCL in June of 2023.

“That’s been my basic aim throughout my role,” he says. “Acquiring more knowledge, introducing new technologies and discovering alternative sources of revenue.”

Of Karnataka’s 35,000-megawatt installed capacity, 19,000 is solar and wind. When Pandey took on the Managing Director role, he knew that capacity would need to expand.

“There’s a lot of experimentation going on; for example, we’re all very keen on a real estate investment trust, which monetizes our assets as people invest. Then we can fund new plants,” he says.

Also on the cards is the introduction of fiber optical ground wire, which Pandey sees as an automated source of revenue.

“The idea is to make KPTCL number one in terms of its capacity, in terms of people and in terms of revenue, and the road map is how we’ll achieve that.”

Out the comfort zone

Over the next 18 months, Pandey says he intends to speed up the project commissioning process.

“We’re in a comfort zone and frankly, we need to come out of it,” he says. “We can double the capacity of the work we do. It’s a challenge, but we can do it.”

Helping this cause are the company’s allies and partners, from other agencies and suppliers to construction firms such as Nagarjuna Construction Company, which supervises the creation of KPTCL’s infrastructure.

“They’re our partners and we cannot succeed without them, and certainly not without understanding them and listening to their points of view and their problems,” Pandey says.

“We’ve made payments to our partners very streamlined and transparent; we also hold regular meetings to keep the communication going. As such, we’ve been able to complete a lot of projects on time and on budget.

“We have a great reputation, and that gives other agencies who’d like to get involved with us the confidence to do so.”

And Karnataka itself holds a special place in India’s history, as it was the site of India’s first megawatt hydroelectric power station.

“We have a legacy of visionary leaders, technical savvy and bold thinking,” Pandey says.

“It’s our foundation. So we keep on exploring and trying to stay at the forefront of innovation. That’s what sets us apart from our peers.”