With a career spanning over two decades in India’s dynamic power sector, Ashish Gupta stands as a testament to dedication, expertise and learning. His journey from a young engineer to Senior Deputy General Manager (DGM) at the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (Powergrid) is marked by impactful roles, transformative projects and a steadfast commitment to the power sector.
Having graduated in electrical engineering from NIT Jamshedpur, he began his professional journey at IFFCO. Following his passion for the power sector, he joined Powergrid in 2005. Since then, he worked on key projects overseeing project planning, execution and commissioning of 765/400kV EHV substation. His memorable assignment has been implementing the world’s first 1,200 kV test station at Bina, Madhya Pradesh. He also contributed to designing of the distribution system modernisation projects of Northeastern states in India. In his current role as senior DGM, he is a key member of the team implementing cutting-edge advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) projects. He is currently working on the implementation of AMI projects for 7 million consumers in two discoms of Gujarat. His work focuses on engineering and project management, working with multidisciplinary teams for large-scale, technologically advanced AMI projects under the ambitious Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.
According to him, the Indian power sector is at the cusp of pivotal transformation due to a strong emphasis on renewable integration, digital transformation and rapid asset modernisation. He believes that despite significant progress, several persistent challenges – financial health of discoms, grid management due to fast-paced renewable energy integration, ageing infrastructure and continuous upskilling of the workforce to manage new systems and digital solutions – need to be tackled for ensuring the power sector’s goal towards sustainable growth. However, he is optimistic about the country’s power sector as it is embracing smart technologies and green energy at an unprecedented pace, with focus on grid modernisation, digital metering and sustainable practices setting new benchmarks for reliability and efficiency.
He is passionate about continuous learning, as is evident from his executive MBA in finance from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. He enjoys reading about history, emerging technologies and participating in industry forums.