Dr Rajendra Prasad Singh, former CMD, POWERGRID and independent director, Azure Power Global Ltd, has been nominated as Chairperson of Board of Governors (BOG) of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhubaneswar for three years with immediate effect.
Dr Singh is known for his singular contribution in bringing economy in project cost as well as operational cost through his non-conventional approach. In spite of interruptions in getting World Bank loan due to sanctions imposed after India tested nuclear device at Pokharan, POWERGRID, under his leadership, built the Talcher-Kolar (Odisha-Karnataka) 2,100 km transmission system in 33 months with an investment of Rs 3,300 crore against an estimated time of 42 months and expenditure of Rs 4,200 crore. It was nine months ahead of its schedule with a cost saving of Rs 900 crore. This feat was recognised by the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who as PM inaugurated the project and held it as an example for others to emulate.
