Power companies to re-skill workforce as tech giants enter sector

New Delhi [India], Dec 10 (ANI): With technological giants like Google and Apple foraying into the power sector, traditional organisations are looking to re-skill their resources - both in terms of use of technology and talent management.

Industry leaders deliberated on pertinent issues, and various challenges faced by the power sector and possible solutions at the 7th Power HR Round Table organised by UPES.

There were also recommendations made during the discussion to use a large amount of consumer data available to power companies for entering into other related businesses.

"Technological disruptions like artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, augmented reality etc. are impacting the power sector as well and it has become imperative to re-train and re-skill resources for emerging careers where the demand is more than the supply," Jayant Kumar, Chief Human Resource Officer, Tata Power Co Ltd said, on Sunday.

Kumar also added that curiosity, courage and comfort with technology were the traits of a future digital worker.

Ashis Basu, CEO (Corporate), GMR Energy Ltd, during the CEO panel discussion on 'Power sector transformation: Impact of digitisation', said, "Power distribution companies (Discoms), due to their nature of work, have access to huge consumer data and they can use this data to foray into other allied businesses just the way cab aggregators are delivering food or e-commerce companies providing video-on-demand services."

Other panellists at the discussion were AS Khushwaha, General Manager, Power Grid Corp of India Ltd, Gargi Chatterjea, Executive Director (Regulatory and Corporate Affairs), CESC Ltd, Sanjeev Mehra, Managing Director, Tata Power Trading Co Ltd and Sidharth Jain, Founder and Managing Director, MEC Intelligence. (ANI)