Since joining Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in 1999, Sachin Pandit has been engaged in the engineering and design of a wide range of power projects, including thermal, combined cycle and nuclear power plants. In addition to his core engineering responsibilities, he has contributed to strategic management initiatives and IT systems within the project engineering division of BHEL. Currently, he leads the civil engineering function at BHEL as Additional General Manager and Head Civil, where he is responsible for the design and engineering of all structural components, including foundations, chimneys, cooling towers, machine foundations and associated infrastructure across all BHEL projects.
According to Pandit, at present, the power sector in India is confronted with an urgent need to enhance the stability of its electricity supply. Over the past decade, India has made significant progress in integrating renewable energy, with installed renewable capacity reaching over 180 GW, accounting for approximately 43 per cent of the total installed power capacity. However, the intermittent nature of renewables underscores the pressing need for strengthening base load power generation, particularly through thermal sources, to ensure grid stability and meet rising demand.
As per Pandit, the recent sudden resurgence in demand for thermal power projects, following a prolonged lull of over a decade, has emerged as one of the most formidable challenges facing the nation. Over the past 10 years, the availability of key resources required for setting up power plants has diminished significantly, resulting in a pronounced mismatch between demand and supply. In the current scenario, remobilising these resources and achieving the ambitious capacity addition targets present a highly complex and demanding task.
One of the most memorable assignments in Pandit’s career has been leading the engineering efforts for the 2×660 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Project in Bangladesh, which stands as BHEL’s largest export order to date.
Pandit advocates for a systems-driven approach to management, wherein responsibilities and actions are clearly defined and systematically assigned.
Pandit is a civil engineering graduate from IIT Delhi (Class of 1999), with additional post-graduate qualifications in civil engineering, besides a management degree acquired during the course of his career.