Dr Tripta Thakur is currently Director General at the National Power Training Institute (NPTI), the apex body of the Ministry of Power (MoP), Government of India.
According to Dr Thakur, skill development will play a pivotal role, particularly in the power sector, where a significant energy transition is under way. In the current energy transition, the focus is on digitalisation, decentralisation and electrification. Emerging and disruptive technologies will be key drivers of change, and advancements like quantum computing will reshape the sector, she adds.
As the national body for training and capacity building, NPTI is committed to equipping sector professionals with cutting-edge skills. She added that the institute is launching various programmes in data sciences, analytics, cloud computing, digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, to cater to the sector’s changing requirements. Following the Central Electricity Authority’s cybersecurity guidelines issued in August 2021, the MoP has also mandated NPTI to provide cybersecurity certifications at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Over the past 15 months, she proudly notes that NPTI has trained and certified over 3,000 power professionals.
India’s per capita electricity consumption is only one-third of the global average, and this is expected to rise as India works towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. Therefore, skilling manpower at all levels, including linemen, remains essential. NPTI, along with Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, is addressing such gaps through hotline maintenance training.
Under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), the MoP has allocated dedicated funding for training and capacity building – a much-needed initiative to help discoms meet RDSS objectives. Similarly, under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the ministry has emphasised training discom professionals to handle the upcoming surge in solar energy adoption.
She adds that regulators should consider incorporating a dedicated training budget into the annual revenue requirement for utilities to create a more structured approach to skill development.
Overall, the future of the power sector depends on technological adoption and workforce readiness, especially as quantum computing and AI transform the operational landscape. “Organisations and nations that embrace these changes will lead the world,” she notes.