Against the backdrop of modest capacity utilisation and the world’s highest transmission and distribution losses resulting in massive power outages, there’s pressing demand for energy management professionals
With installed capacity to generate 162,366 MW of electricity — including 36,877 MW of hydro-electric power — the red-hot Indian economy is the sixth largest consumer of energy worldwide. How-ever of this sizeable installed power generation capacity, the system-wide plant load factor is a modest 63.07 percent. Moreover of the power generated, only an estimated 70 percent is available to bona fide customers because of the world’s highest transmission and distribution losses aka power theft, resulting in massive power outages and cuts which are a defining characteristic of the Indian economy. Against this backdrop the Indian economy — and Indian industry in particular — is experiencing a pressing demand for energy management professionals.
Unsurprisingly, the Energy Conser-vation Act, 2001 estimated additional demand for 16,000 certified energy managers and auditors in the period 2007-2012, besides a large number of energy professionals in the many areas of energy management. With the legislation of the Electricity Act 2003, which has set a target to make power available to every part of India by 2012, the demand for energy professionals is set to spiral, offering rapid upward mobility prospects in this new 21st century profession.
To qualify as an energy engineer/auditor, a degree in physics, chemistry, mathematics, economics or an engine-ering degree (electrical, mechanical, chemical etc), is the best preparation. But with energy management professionals expanding the ambit of their operations to cover conservation, exploration and development of alternate fuels, the country’s formal education system has woken up to the need to establish specialised institutes offering post-graduate programmes such as MBA (oil & gas management) to train aspiring energy analysts, managers and sundry professionals.
Among the well-known institutes and universities offering specialised study programmes in this newly-emergent field are University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun (www.upesindia.org); School of Energy Studies, University of Pune (www.unipune.ernet.in); IITs (Mumbai & Delhi); Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata (www.iiswbm.edu); Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (www.mdi.ac.in); Annamalai University (www.annamalaiuniversity. ac.in); Vellore Engineering College, Tamil Nadu (www.vit.ac.in); Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Madhya Pradesh (www.rgtu.ac.in); and School of Petroleum Management, Gandhinagar. Some of these institutes also offer training to mid-career energy profess-ionals, while others are developing energy management courses with a focus on training energy analysts and energy managers for the power sector.
For energy managers, analysts and auditors there are multiplying oppor-tunities in India and abroad. At home, major petroleum refinery companies including the public sector Hindustan Petroleum, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and ONGC, the oil exploration behemoth are rolling out the red carpet for professionals in this field. Likewise thermal and hydel power stations, electricity distribution companies, oil recycling companies, academic and research institutions are also looking for qualified energy personnel with entry level pay packages starting at Rs.8 lakh per year.
“Until recently, companies like Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum have been focusing on refining and marketing petro products. But lately we have ventured into oil exploration and will need to induct a large number of exploration and production professionals qualified in earth sciences. Simultaneously, we’ve ventured into green and alternate fuels i.e bio-fuels of the future. In short, jobs in the energy and related industries are becoming more varied and challenging. We are always looking for people who can multi-task and take challenging decisions,’’ says Neelesh Khulbe, senior manager of manpower planning and recruitment at Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), a major oil refining public sector undertaking (revenue: Rs.108,599 crore in fiscal 2009-10).
After graduating in physics and chemistry from Rohilkhand University in 1986, Khulbe read for a Master’s in applied economics and completed his education with an MBA in personnel management from the university. Soon after, he signed up with HPCL and served with the company in Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi. In 1995, he was promoted to senior officer, deputy manager and senior manager (HR) in 2005.
As shortages of all genres of energy intensify in India and globally, Khulbe forsees a bright future for energy professionals of all hues and stripes. “Efficient energy management by trained and qualified professionals saves comp-anies money, enhances productivity and improves their bottomlines. People who can make this happen can rise to the very top of energy corporations,” he says.
And give a massive boost to Indian industry groaning under frequent power cuts and outages.
Indra Gidwani (Mumbai)