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Anil Sasi

New Delhi, Sept. 14 Former executives of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) are in keen demand. With a bevy of private sector firms eyeing the opening up of the nuclear power business, there is a mad scramble among the prospective players to rope in retired NPCIL personnel to spearhead their nuke forays.

Reliance Infrastructurehas already constituted a nuke power initiative group and hired former NPCIL Chairman, Mr V.K. Chaturvedi, to head the venture.

GMR Energy, a unit of GMR Infrastructure Ltd, has roped in a posse of ex-NPCIL executives, including a former top-level official of the State-owned nuclear monopoly. Tata Power, another contender in the fray, has roped in Mr Sharaf Ali Bohra, former NPCIL Director, in an advisory role.

“NPCIL executives are the only ones who have any experience in the nuclear power generation space, especially in setting up and operating nuclear projects. So they are the most sought after talent pool right now,” an official with a private firm eyeing the sector said.

The NPCIL honchos are being taken on board by private firms not only for charting out the technicalities of their respective nuclear forays,but also for establishing contact with global nuclear suppliers.

If estimates firmed up by industry body Assocham are anything to go by, nearly 40 companies, including Videocon, Vedanta Resources, Lanco Infratech, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd and the JSW Group, are in the fray. With each of these firms hiring nuclear professionals for undertaking the groundwork, conservative estimates suggest that this could throw employment avenues for between 200 and 300 experienced hands in the near-term.

Currently, private firms are not permitted to set up nuclear stations in the country as the Atomic Energy Act 1962 restricts entry into the sector for firms having a minimum 51 per cent Government stake. Private sector firms, which have to wait in the wings till the Centre amends the Act, are, however, gearing up for the opportunity by doing the groundwork to gain the early mover advantage.

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