Sumeet Sharma, head of automation, communications and operational technology (OT)-cyber technology at Adani Energy Solutions Limited, has nearly three decades of sector experience. He has worked across diverse domains including oil refineries, thermal and solar power, and transmission. He has held leadership positions at Grasim Industries, Reliance Industries, Adani Power, Adani Transmission Limited and Adani Green Energy Limited. He has led a wide range of portfolios, including electrical maintenance of captive power plants, electrical asset reliability, power system automation, and O&M of large-scale solar projects. He has played a key role in developing electrical asset management systems and improving reliability through systematic maintenance and root cause analysis of critical assets.
Sharma notes that the power system is undergoing a major transformation with the integration of solar, wind and other non-conventional energy sources. This shift could impact system inertia and stability, making it essential to deploy synchronous condensers, inertia solutions and large-scale battery energy storage systems. He emphasises that people, processes and technology must evolve to adapt to these changes.
Highlighting the sector’s key challenges, Sharma points to the lack of real-time visibility into asset health. Further, while technology adoption is accelerating, he stresses the need for skilled electrical engineers to meet future demand and strengthen the talent pipeline. He also underscores the importance of testing and adopting new technologies for large-scale monitoring and diagnostics, while phasing out legacy systems. He also notes that cost-effective solutions are critical given the thin operating margins in the transmission segment. Going forward, Sharma aims to further strengthen OT security, which he views as a foundational pillar of modern power infrastructure.
His key assignments include engineering and implementing the electrical control system at Reliance Industries’ refinery, establishing the command-and-control centre at Adani Energy Solutions, and leading the development of the electrical control and monitoring system at the Kamuthi Solar Generating Station.
Sharma is an electrical engineer from the Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science, Indore. He is passionate about automation and technology and thrives on tackling complex challenges. He inspires his team to share his enthusiasm for driving digital transformation across the power sector.