— Rajesh Solanki, Director, Miraj Instrumentation Services (I) Pvt. Ltd
Miraj Instrumentation Services (I) Pvt. Ltd is a Thane-based contractor that offers electrical and instrumentation installation services in various sectors, including power plants, as well as design and detailed engineering services. Rajesh Solanki talks to Projectmonitor on prospects for his company in the power industry.

Can you briefly outline the genesis and growth of your company since its inception in 1995? What are your goals for the next one decade?
I started the company in 1995 and we have been continuously growing since inception. Today, we have a team of around 1,000 workers and 150 engineers. In the next decade, we can see ourselves with a team of around 10,000 workmen and a turnover of `400-500 crore.

What are the various electrical and instrumentation installation services offered by your company?
Erection testing and commissioning of electrical equipment and calibration; installation and testing of process control instruments; and installation of panels, cable trays, laying of cables etc. for power plants, refineries, receiving stations, substations and various other industrial plants.

Highlight the role played by your company in the Indian power sector.
We have carried out electrical and instrumentation work for various power plants in India and Abroad. We have worked for BHEL on its Jindal power plant project, Raigarh (4x250 mw), Santaldih (1x250 mw), Badmer (125 mw), Chhabra (2x250 mw), Obra (210 mw), Sepco in Korba (4x135 mw) etc. We are also carrying out instrumentation work for Lanco Infratech Ltd for its 2x600 mw power plant in at Udupi in Karnataka.

Infrastructure has got maximum outlay. What opportunities do you foresee for your company?
The development of infrastructure will involve the setting up of new power plants, thus, generating new opportunities for electrical and instrumentation contracts all across the country.

Given that India is targeting new power generation capacity of around 17,000 mw per year, what prospects do you see for Miraj Instrumentation Services in the power sector?
Setting up new power plants will generate huge opportunities for getting contracts for electrical and instrumentation work. We are preparing ourselves for executing these projects. We also work for mega power plants in minimum possible time. We are increasing our manpower strength and other setup.

Considering that your company deputes skilled and experienced manpower for various projects, what is your view on the shortage of skilled manpower across all sectors including the power industry?
In the power industry, skilled staff is required for erection, testing and commissioning of equipment. As you are aware, despite the shortage of power in India the government was not keen to put up new power plants till 2003 after which the government aggressively started approving new plants, including in the private sector. This resulted in shortage of skilled manpower arising out of the difference in the supply and demand ratio.

We cannot get skilled manpower directly from e n g i n e e r i n g institutes. They need practical experience in the field after executing some work under seniors. It takes time for an engineer or a technician to learn some skill. Therefore, initially we faced shortage of skilled manpower due to the sudden increase in demand but now and in future we may not have much problem of skilled manpower.

Does Miraj Instrumentation offer its services to the overseas market?
Yes, we are already executing erection jobs for electrical and instrumentation projects in Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar etc., mostly for gas-based power plants. At present, we have around 450 workmen working in the above referred countries.

Which has been your most challenging assignment till date?
Working for power plants and refineries are the most challenging jobs as they are time bound projects and normally no extensions are granted. Every project is a different challenge. For instance, we worked in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a power plant under threat of LTTE. We are also executing work in Assam, for Bongaigaon refinery. Working in the deserts of Rajasthan is also a different experience.