New Delhi: Former Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of POWERGRID Dr Rajendra Prasad Singh has been nominated as Chairperson of Board of Governors (BOG) of Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIT-Bhubaneswar). According to an order issued on August 31, Dr Singh has been appointed on the post for a period of three years with immediate effect. He is also serving as an Independent Director of Azure Power Global Limited since October 2017.
Dr Singh is known for his singular contribution in bringing economy in project cost as well as operational cost through his non-conventional approach. In spite of interruptions in getting World Bank loan due to sanctions imposed after India tested the nuclear device at Pokharan, POWERGRID, under his leadership, built the Talcher (Odisha)-Kolar (Karnataka) 2,100-kms transmission system in 33 months with an investment of Rs. 3300 crores against an estimated time of 42 months and expenditure of Rs. 4200 crores, i.e. 9 months ahead of schedule with a cost saving of Rs 900 crores. This feat was recognized by the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who as PM inaugurated the project and held it as an example for others to emulate.
Under his leadership as CMD, POWERGRID, during Gujarat cyclone, the damaged transmission systems were restored in record time, and during Orissa cyclone, the power supply was restored in record 11 days.
Dr Singh is also known for his contributions in the Indian power sector, particularly the establishment of the national power transmission grid and modern load dispatch centres. His expertise in grid management and recovery is widely recognised and he was invited by the US Department of Energy and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) following the grid issues in the US Northeast in 2003. He was responsible for restoration and normalization of grid operation during natural calamities in India. He is the recipient of many national and international awards including from the World Bank, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, USA), and the SCOPE Excellence Award.
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