Power is a dynamic sector and is interwoven in all aspects of our day-to-day lives. It will never lose its importance. There will be technological ups and downs along the way, but power will always be a key sector of the economy,” observes Sanjay Jadhav, president, Sterling & Wilson Powergen. Jadhav has over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, manufacturing, project execution and supply chain management, handling products such as lighting, switchgear, electrical contracts, and most recently, diesel gensets.
In his current role, Jadhav manages the entire value chain of the diesel genset vertical at Sterling & Wilson, including manufacturing and project execution, sales, marketing and after-sales services in both the domestic and global markets. Prior to this, he worked with General Electric as director, lighting and consumer products.
According to Jadhav, the state of the sector has improved tremendously over the past five years, mainly due to the narrowing of the demand-supply gap. “While historically there has been a 9-10 per cent deficit in demand and supply, in recent times, supply has grown and demand has remained stagnant,” he notes. On the diesel genset market, he says, “Power failures and power cuts are unpredictable and hence, diesel gensets are of key significance to ensure uninterrupted supply.” The diesel genset market growth is directly proportional to economic growth and growth in the infrastructure sector is likely to present major opportunities for this market. It could, however, witness stiff competition from evolving battery storage technologies. Jadhav recalls setting up Sterling’s global business in Nigeria as one of the most challenging yet enjoyable assignments he has worked on. “We set up operations in Nigeria two to three years ago in an environment where safety was a major issue. Despite this, we have been able to achieve success in that market.”
Jadhav has a very customer-centric approach to handling the business. An electronics engineer from the Walchand Institute of Technology, he also has an MBA from ICFAI University. In order to maintain a healthy work-life balance, he keeps his weekends free and likes to spend time with his family. Fitness-conscious, he makes sure he takes out time for exercise and yoga. “I don’t miss out on gymming and I love cycling,” he says. Jadhav is an avid reader with a preference for biographies. His favourite reads include Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch and Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.