India Inc begins hunt for people as N deal nears

With Indo-US nuclear deal just a few days away, Reliance Power, Tata Power, Larsen & Toubro and the Godrej group are set to add more people for its nuclear power divisions.

With Indo-US nuclear deal just a few days away, large private sector companies have begun hunt for people to spearhead nuclear power initiatives. Reliance Power, Tata Power, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and the Godrej group are set to add more people for its nuclear power divisions.

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The Godrej group, which already has a nuclear power equipment division, is in the process of finalising plans to hire more people.“We have to expand facilities and hire people.” said Adi Godrej, chairman,Godrej group. “We are in the process of doing that. A lot depends on how the government frames its policies,” he said.

Reliance Power, which is exploring opportunities in the nuclear power industry, has formed a team.“80-100 people are required in the initial stages. Extensive training is needed to equip people with the demands of the nuclear power industry,” said a Reliance Power official who is in charge of the nuclear power division.L&T has set up a team of engineers, headed by its senior vice president (Heavy engineering and construction) and member of board, MV Kotwal, for its nuclear power generation projects. L&T will mainly produce equipment used for setting up plants.

“We have been supplying reactors and firewalls to the existing projects including Tarapore and Koodamkulam. We have formed a team specifically for the nuclear projects and are developing various technological instrumentations,” said MV Kotwal, senior vice president, L&T. Companies like L&T will enter the business after the government amends the Atomic Energy Act which allows only public sector companies to produce nuclear power. Two days ago, the US congress had passed Indo-US nuclear deal.

Though companies are not providing details about their hiring plans, recruitment industry sources said that private sector companies are hiring people with international experience “Nuclear scientists, with global experience, are in the process of joining large Indian companies,” said a senior official in a Mumbai-based recruitment firm, requesting anonymity.