Vijay P. Namjoshi, chief executive officer, Coastal Gujarat Power Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, brings to the table over three decades of experience in all aspects of thermal power development. He joined Tata Power in 1983 as a graduate executive trainee after completing his mechanical engineering from Mumbai University. Over the years, he has acquired expertise in the erection and commissioning, operations and maintenance, and renovation and modernisation (R&M) of greenfield and brownfield units. Notably, he was associated with the commissioning of India’s first 500 MW unit at Tata Power’s Trombay TPP in Maharashtra. His previous roles include chief of the 667.5 Jojobera TPP and deputy project manager at the 1,050 MW Maithon TPP in Jharkhand.
Namjoshi always wanted to be a part of the power sector. He remarks, “Being raised in Mumbai, I have seen the growth of Tata Power over the decades and its role in lighting up lives. During our college days, we understood that power is the most critical component for the economic growth and welfare of the nation, and this motivated me to join the power sector.” Now, with the growing influx of renewables, he believes that technology and innovative solutions are required to improve the flexibility of the existing fleet of TPPs. He sees electric vehicle charging, smart cities and distributed power as some of the key upcoming trends in the sector.
Talking about his most memorable assignments, Namjoshi recalls, “The R&M of Unit 4 of the Trombay TPP, which was installed in 1965, is unforgettable. It was carried out with minimum investment and the machines started giving 150 MW output with higher efficiency than 500 MW sets that were installed much later.”
Regarding his management style, Namjoshi believes in encouraging high performing teams that deliver consistently by creating an atmosphere of mutual trust, continual improvement and healthy competition. He is constantly on the lookout for new ideas and processes to enhance operational efficiency, reduce environment impacts, boost profits, and improve customer satisfaction.
On the personal front, he says he enjoys gardening and reading as well as spending quality time with his family. He wants to watch the French Grand Slam at the Roland Garros Stadium with his daughter. Sometime in the future, he aspires to write a book on different cultures, having worked across various locations with diverse people.