Walking on water

RELIABLE ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY CAN UNLOCK OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIA’S RURAL COMMUNITIES. AS CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL HYDROELECTRIC POWER CORPORATION, ABHAY KUMAR SINGH IS DETERMINED TO DO AS MUCH AS HE CAN FOR THIS CAUSE IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

- HO YUN KUAN

Much has been said in the past decade about India’s burgeoning economy and its potential influence on the world stage, but little notice has been given to one of the most important tools contributing to the country’s growth: hydroelectric power. Since its establishment in 1975, the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has been working quietly in the shadows to boost India’s capacity in harnessing this renewable energy source. Abhay Kumar Singh has played a key part in its efforts for the past 35 years.

A civil engineer by training, he joined NHPC in 1985 as a Probationary Executive for the Tanakpur hydroelectric project, which was built across the Sharda River in Uttarakhand, India, and completed in 1992. He followed that triumph with countless others throughout his illustrious career at the company, gradually climbing the ranks in positions such as Head of Project and Executive Director. In February this year, Abhay accepted a well-deserved appointment as Chairman and Managing Director.

Given his planned retirement in 2022, his tenure at the helm is expected to be a short one. With this in mind, Abhay has entered into his new role with ambitious plans for the Subansiri Lower Power Project, which is currently under construction. The biggest hydroelectric project undertaken in India so far, it is located on the Subansiri River near the town of North Lakhimpur in Northeast India and will be built to have a capacity of 2,000 megawatts Its completion is planned for 2023, but if Abhay has his way, it will be sooner. “I have set a personal target to see that at least one unit (250 megawatts) is commissioned before my retirement,” he reveals.