With Pathak taking charge, Shri Burra Vamsi Rama Mohan, Chairman and Managing Director, has relinquished the additional charge of Director (Projects). Prior to the appointment, Pathak was Executive Director, OSD (Projects), and had led major initiatives including the Arun-3 SAPDC Transmission Project in Nepal. He also has extensive experience in the development and commissioning of EHV transmission lines and substations.

The appointment is expected to further strengthen the management and operational coordination of POWER GRID’s transmission network in the region. NERTS plays a key role in ensuring reliable and efficient power transmission across the North Eastern states.

Kumar joined POWERGRID in January 1994 and has more than 32 years of experience in the power transmission sector. He holds a B.Sc. Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from B R Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, and was promoted to the position of Executive Director in July 2026.

During his tenure with POWERGRID, Kumar has served in various capacities across the North Eastern and Eastern regions, as well as at corporate and regional offices. His experience spans substation maintenance, operation and maintenance, consultancy, transmission line and substation projects, and project execution.

Kumar has also served at Jiribam and Seppa in the North Eastern Region, alongside assignments in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Gurgaon, Rajasthan and other locations.

REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of REC Limited, a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Power, handed over two project-specific Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to their respective successful bidders on 23^rd September 2026 — Barmer HVDC Power Transmission Limited, an inter-state transmission project SPV, to M/s Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) and Sakoli Power Transmission Limited, an intra-state transmission project SPV of Maharashtra, to M/s Ashoka Buildcon Limited. Both SPVs were awarded through the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) process conducted by RECPDCL, the Bid Process Coordinator, on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis. The SPVs were handed over by Sh. Rajkumar Sonkar, HoD (CS), RECPDCL, to the respective successful bidder, in the presence of senior officials from RECPDCL, the respective bidder company and Central Transmission Utility of India Limited.

Barmer HVDC Power Transmission Limited — Handed Over to M/s Power Grid Corporation of India Limited

M/s Power Grid Corporation of India Limited emerged as the successful bidder through the TBCB process for development of the inter-state HVDC transmission project “Evacuation of power from Rajasthan REZ Ph-IV (Part-5: 6 GW) [Barmer Complex] Barmer-II: 6 GW (Solar) (LCC Configuration)”, on a BOOT basis. The SPV was handed over by Sh. Rajkumar Sonkar, HoD (CS), RECPDCL, to Mr. Akhilesh Pathak, OSD (Projects), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, in the presence of Shri Prince Dhawan, IAS, CEO, RECPDCL, Shri Pankaj Pandey, OSD (Operations), PGCIL, and other senior officials from PGCIL, RECPDCL and Central Transmission Utility of India Limited.

The transmission project broadly envisages establishment of 6000 MW, ± 800 kV HVDC terminal stations at Barmer (Barmer-II substation) and South Kalamb, ± 800 kV HVDC Bipole line between Barmer-II & South Kalamb (~973.41 km), and 2 Nos. of Synchronous Condenser (Syncon) units at 400 kV level of Barmer-II PS, along with associated works. The project implementation schedule is 54 months.

Sakoli Power Transmission Limited — Handed Over to M/s Ashoka Buildcon Limited

M/s Ashoka Buildcon Limited emerged as the successful bidder through the TBCB process for development of the intra-state transmission project “Establishment Of 400/220/132 kV AIS Sakoli (Dist. Bhandara)” in Maharashtra, on a BOOT basis. The SPV was handed over by Sh. Rajkumar Sonkar, HoD (CS), RECPDCL, to Mr. Rajendra Burad, COO, Ashoka Buildcon Limited, in the presence of other senior officials from RECPDCL, Ashoka Buildcon Limited and Central Transmission Utility of India Limited.

The transmission project broadly envisages establishment of AIS Sakoli with 2 x 500 MVA, 400/220 kV ICTs & 2 x 315 MVA, 400/132 kV ICTs, 220 kV D/c line from Sakoli to Bhandara, 132 kV D/c line from Sakoli to Deori and Moragaon Arjuni, along with other associated works. The project implementation schedule is 24 months.

Secured under the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) route on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis, the mega-infrastructure project features the installation of a 6,000 MW, ±800 kV HVDC transmission system spanning ~1,000 km between Barmer-II (Rajasthan) and South Kalamb (Maharashtra), along with associated substations, transmission lines, and grid-strengthening works. The acquisition significantly reinforces India’s power grid infrastructure and accelerates the seamless integration of large-scale solar energy into the National Grid.

The meeting was chaired by Vamsi Rama Mohan Burra, CMD, in the presence of Dr Yatindra Dwivedi, Director (Personnel), Naveen Srivastava, Director (Operations), Amol Taori, Director ( Finance), Abhay Bakre, Govt. Nominee Director, while shareholders connected through virtual mode, read a statement.

During the AGM, the company’s key financial highlights, operational achievements, and future growth prospects, technological innovations and initiatives were presented. Further, queries raised by the shareholders were addressed by the management and the shareholders appreciated the company’s performance and conveyed their best wishes for its continued growth.

As of July 31, 2026, POWERGRID has commissioned and is operating 292 sub-stations and over 1,86,889 ckm transmission lines and 6,37,016 MVA of transformation capacity. With the adoption of the latest technological tools and techniques, enhanced use of automation and digital solutions, POWERGRID has been able to maintain an average transmission system availability of more than 99.81 per cent.

He was recognized for his outstanding leadership in enhancing POWERGRID’s operational performance through the implementation of ISO 55001 standards, advanced digital initiatives, and globally benchmarked asset management practices. During the conference, which saw participation from over 25 countries, he also delivered a key technical presentation on driving digitalization and reliability-centered maintenance, underscoring POWERGRID’s commitment to strengthening India’s power transmission network through innovation and excellence.