Executing and delivering the first solar train project in India
Executing and delivering the first solar train project in India for Indian Railways was a trendsetter achievement for Jakson: Sameer Gupta
Q. How was the year that went by for your organisation?
The last fiscal was a very good year for Jakson Group. We closed the year with revenues of around INR 2500 Crores with our Powergen and EPC Businesses registering impressive growth. Our solar business has been stable with growth in roof top and manufacturing vertices. We have been strategically selective in securing land based solar EPC jobs. Both our Powergen and EPC businesses carry a very healthy order book and we are confident of growing by around 15% plus in the coming fiscal at a group level.
The highlight of last fiscal was Jakson’s growth in Electrical EPC business. We were awarded several projects under flagship Government of India programs like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) for rural & urban electrification projects. As an organization with a strong heritage of empowering the society with “energy & power solutions” we are proud to be associated with such historic and noble projects of the Government.
Jakson also successfully executed several prestigious projects across its various business lines. These include the first solar powered train for Indian Railways; installation of a solar rooftop plant at President’s Estate (RashtrapatiBhawan) in Delhi; phase I of the rooftop solar project for Delhi-Meerut Expressway; rooftop solar projects at IOCL petrol pumps across North India; Phase II electrification project of Kochi Metro Rail Network; rural electrification projects in Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh and Alwar in Rajasthan amongst several others.
Q. What are the innovations you could showcase recently as a trendsetter?
Executing and delivering the first solar train project in India for Indian Railways was a trendsetter achievement for Jakson. Jakson showcased its innovative engineering capabilities by successfully executing this project that involved retro-fitting solar panels on the roof of train coaches of Indian Railways. It was a complex design and engineering challenge to affix solar panels on the roof of train coaches that run up-to speeds of 120 km per hour. The engineering team devised an innovative solution to mount solar panels on the roof of train coaches. Fifty such coaches of Indian Railway trains have been successfully solarized using this technology. The generated solar power will be used to power lights and fans inside the coaches for use by passengers. This project is helping Indian Railways offset 450 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year, save significantly on diesel costs and also contribute to the environment.
Q. What are the dynamics of your industry and what measures do you take to stay ahead?
Jakson is an energy and engineering solutions company. The key to staying competitive in this industry is being innovative, adapt to market and customer needs; design & develop customized engineering solutions; and ensure customers are satisfied with the delivered solutions. Jakson has always been at the forefront of adopting innovative technologies across its various lines of business. A perfect example of this organizational DNA is Jakson “Silent Gensets”. We were the first company to introduce this concept in the country way back in the year 1998, much before competition and government regulations came into effect.
Q. What are the value additions you envisage to keep up your brand promise and to delight the customer in a competitive environment?
We are working on several new technologies. We are exploring how to integrate new age technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, automation, cloud and data analytics into our existing businesses to deliver better value to our customers and to empower them to stay competitive in the marketplace. We are also exploring growth areas in the energy and engineering space that are in alignment with our existing businesses.
[As told to P.K. Balasubbramaniian]
