Sayaji Shinde brings to the table over 27 years of sector experience. He has been associated with KBL for more than two decades and has handled various marketing projects in the power and irrigation sectors. He was also head of KBL’s corporate global business development. Shinde also has experience in working in Africa. While working for companies such as Thermax Limited (India), Nu-way Limited (UK), Saacke Limited (UK), RTG GmbH (Germany) and Spirax Sarco Limited (UK), he has travelled and lived across a dozen countries in East Africa. He is member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and of the Executive Council of the Indian Pump Manufacturer’s Association.
Asked about his motivation to join the power sector, Shinde says, “I began my career with German firm KSB Pumps, where my first assignment was to install specialised primary coolant pumps in nuclear power plants. I liked what I was doing and therefore continued with it. I have been able to complete the full circle in power. I started with nuclear, then moved to thermal, steam and eventually to hydro. Today, I am heading all the four segments.”
Shinde adds that though thermal power generation is reviving slowly, it would take a year or two before the benefits for pump manufacturers start showing. Talking about the key issues in the sector, he notes that the contractual terms are far more balanced at the global level. It is fair to both the owner as well as to the contractor. However, there is room for improvement in India. “With the help of CII, we are trying to introduce the international contract law in the country.”
Shinde’s most memorable assignment has been commissioning India’s first concrete volute cooling water pump at Reliance Energy’s Dahanu thermal power station. “I felt a similar joy again after 20 years when we did an energy audit of this pump and found that the drop in efficiency has not been more than 3 per cent.”
His hobbies include travelling and exploring new places, and meeting new people. His family comprises his wife and their two sons. “My wife has been a great support in whatever I have achieved so far,” says the mechanical engineer. He also has a specialisation in project appraisal, risk analysis and project management from XLRI, Jamshedpur. Shinde wishes to pen down his experiences in the form of short stories at a later point in life.
Sayaji Shinde is Vice-President and Global Head, Power, Kirloskar Brothers Limited.