POWERGRID Establishes Centre of Excellence at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh under CSR Initiative

POWERGRID Establishes Centre of Excellence at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh under CSR Initiative

Chandigarh 5 October ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna Central Public Sector En-terprise under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, with its Regional Headquarters of Northern Region-II at Jammu, has established the “POWERGRID Centre of Excellence” at Pun-jab Engineering College, Chandigarh, under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The project has been implemented pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between POWERGRID and Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, on 06th June,2025 at an approximate cost of ₹17.19 crore. The initiative is aimed at fostering innovation, research and de-velopment in the power sector, addressing contemporary technological challenges and nurturing a skilled workforce equipped to meet the evolving needs of the industry. The establishment of the POWERGRID Centre of Excellence is expected to further strengthen the academic and research ecosystem at Punjab Engineering College by enhancing educational standards, encouraging innovation and promoting sustainable practices. The initiative will bene-fit students, researchers and academic communities, including students from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and other regions. Punjab Engineering College offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across various disciplines of engi-neering and technology.

During the handing-over ceremony, Vamsi Rama Mohan Burra, Chairman & Managing Di-rector, POWERGRID, formally handed over the POWERGRID Centre of Excellence to Prof. Ra-jesh Kumar Bhatia, Director, Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh. The ceremony was held in the presence of Dr. Yatindra Dwivedi, Director (Personnel), POWERGRID; Akhilesh Pathak, Director (Projects), POWERGRID; Naveen Kumar, Chief Vigilance Officer, POWERGRID; and Tarun Bajaj, Executive Director, POWERGRID Northern Region-II, along with other senior officials of POWERGRID and Punjab Engineering College. The occasion marked a significant milestone in strengthening industry-academia collaboration and promoting excellence in education, research, and innovation. Speaking on the occasion, Vamsi Rama Mohan Burra, Chairman & Managing Director, POWERGRID, reiterated the company's unwavering commitment to promoting excellence in ed-ucation, research, and innovation through impactful CSR initiatives. He emphasized that strengthening academic and research infrastructure is essential for nurturing future talent, foster-ing technological advancement, and creating sustainable value for society. He further highlight-ed that POWERGRID remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that contribute to nation-building and the development of a skilled and future-ready workforce. 

Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, Director, Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh conveyed his sincere gratitude forPOWERGRID’s significant contribution towards enhancing the institute’s educational and research infrastructure. He endorsed that the establishment of the POWER-GRID Centre of Excellence would help promote innovation, advanced research, skill develop-ment, and industry-academia collaboration, thereby benefiting students, faculty, and researchers alike. POWERGRID remains committed to implementing impactful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the areas of community development, healthcare, education, infrastructure development, and other sectors of national and social importance. Through these initiatives, the company continues to foster inclusive and sustainable development while making meaningful contributions to society and nation-building. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) is a Maharatna Central Public Sector En-terprise under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, engaged in interstate bulk power transmission. The company owns and operates 1,86,952 circuit kilometres of transmission lines, 292 substations, and more than 6,38,566 MVA of transformation capacity. By adopting the latest technological tools and techniques and enhancing the use of automation and digital solutions, POWERGRID has maintained an average transmission system availability of over 99.81%. The company's performance has consistently remained excellent, achieving challenging perfor-mance parameters stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Minis-try of Power, Government of India.

POWERGRID's Northern Region-II, headquartered at Jammu, oversees a vast transmission net-work spanning the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the States of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Haryana, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Through its dedicated efforts, POWERGRID continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring reliable and effi-cient power transmission across these regions, thereby contributing significantly to the nation's energy security and infrastructure development.