Head - Project Engineering Division

• May 2021 - Present

Director - Engineering and Construction

• Apr 2005 - Mar 2023

Praxair India Pvt Ltd is a 100% subsidiary of Praxair Inc., a fortune 300 American multi-national organization and the 2nd largest globally in industrial gases business. In India, Praxair is the largest industrial gases supplier with a large number of onsite air separation plants, which are operated by the organization on build-own-operate principle. GSS is the engineering and project execution wing of Praxair and is responsible for design, engineering, supply / procurement, project management, construction and commissioning of these plants till handing over to the Operations group for reliable long term operation. As GSS India Director, I head a team of 140 employees, report to the International Director – Asia & Middle East based at Shanghai and I am accountable for meeting departmental KPIs (safety, schedule, cost, quality and reliability) while ensuring successful execution of new projects of approx. US$ 150 million every year (current projects under execution exceeds US$ 350 million). Earlier (prior to 2009), I worked as the project leader for the prestigious 1800 TPD Air separation plant project for Tata Steel (worth more than US$80 million), which was completed well within target schedule and approved cost.

Project Manager - Oversea Project

• Feb 2001 - Apr 2005

Project Head for the US $ 100 million Overseas Ferro Chrome Project in South Africa. This was the first manufacturing unit set up by the Tata Group outside India. Overall project engineering and project management till commercial production from the plant was the primary responsibility of the position. The job responsibility included establishing project feasibility, ensuring development of viable financial model, obtaining Board approval for the investment, discussion/ negotiation with various Govt. and statutory agencies in South Africa with regard to Environmental Clearances, investment incentives, purchase of land, power, logistics services at port etc. Conducting Techno–commercial discussion / negotiation with technology and principal equipment suppliers for selection of the supplier and finalization of contracts with them were other key challenges of the job.

Senior Manager - Internal audit

• Jun 1998 - Feb 2001

Led a team of seven professionally qualified and experienced audit executives. The job involved detailed planning and execution of internal audits at all 14 Plants & Branches of the company. The audit programme covered areas of project performance, manufacturing process, utilisation & maintenance of key equipment apart from various contractual, commercial, business performance and compliance areas. The job also included review of major projects and contracts at different manufacturing locations of the organization with focus on progress and control during the implementation stage and achievement of quantified / implied deliverables in the post execution stage.

Project Manager

• Feb 1990 - May 1998

Worked in the Project Management functions of their Contracts Division. The job involved preparation & control of schedule of activities, monitoring of engineering, contracting, procurement, installation and commissioning of industrial air separation plant projects, co-ordination with client / consultant for approvals, settlement of claims and demands. Principal responsibilities were timely completion of projects within estimated cost, realization of payment and ensuring targeted profitability (gross margins). The key success factor for achieving this was effective handling of contracts with the Customer and sub-suppliers / sub-contractors. As Project Manager (for the last two years of the duration), successfully executed one of the biggest capacity industrial Air Separation plants in India at that time for Bhilai Steel Plant in 1997-98.

Process Design Engineer

• Jul 1985 - Feb 1990

Started career after engineering as process Design Engineer in their Chemical Plant & Process Division. The job involved process conceptualisation for toxic / hazardous waste management systems, process engineering including selection/ sizing / optimisation of equipment, design of P&I diagram / control logic / system interlocks and de-bottlenecking process problems during commissioning. Started career after engineering as process Design Engineer in their Chemical Plant & Process Division. The job involved process conceptualisation for toxic / hazardous waste management systems, process engineering including selection/ sizing / optimisation of equipment, design of P&I diagram / control logic / system interlocks and de-bottlenecking process problems during commissioning.