Anand Bansal has invested three decades in the power sector in various capacities, starting with NEG-MICON, then moving to Enron Wind (now GE Renewables), at various locations and in different functions, rising to the position of managing director (MD), STEAG India (a wholly owned subsidiary of Steag Energy Services GmbH), and MD, BGGTS (a joint venture between BHEL and General Electric).
As chief executive officer of India Uniper Power Services Pvt. Ltd (a joint venture between India Power Corporation Limited and Uniper Kraftwerke GmbH), he is spearheading the company’s operations and introducing new technologies in the market, offering services to underperforming plants to make them profitable, ensuring successful implementation of contracts and team building.
Commenting on the state of the power sector, Bansal says, “In the short term, there is likely to be a consolidation of power assets and phasing out of inefficient and polluting old and small power plants. In the mid to longer term, the focus will be on the integration of various sources of power generation. With multiple sources for generation, there is an urgent need to undertake data analysis for better grid management. I see the maximum investments in the areas of predictive analytics and environmental compliance.” With regard to flexible operations of power plants, Bansal feels that the non-availability of consumption patterns and the lack of technological solutions for flexible operations of coal-based power plants are big challenges.
Bansal feels that one of his most memorable assignments was during his tenure as MD of BGGTS, when he and his team put back machines on the grid during the peak summer of 2014 in the midst of a challenging power crisis. “The most satisfying part was that we could achieve what none of us believed was achievable before the work commenced,” he says.
Bansal is a people’s person but is also a tough taskmaster, who likes to manage things hands on with a core focus on execution. To stay fit, he does yoga and swims, which helps him to be more productive at work and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Bansal likes nature and loves travelling to different destinations. His favourite book is The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, which explains, in a simple way, why there are no short-cuts in life.