ERDA News, Volume: 42, Issue No: 2, April-June 2025

New HR Milestones

A. Learning and Development

At ERDA, we firmly believe that continuous improvement stems from constant learning and enhancing the knowledge, skills, and competencies of our most valuable asset—our employees.

i) Training on ‘Inner Engineering’ at Isha Foundation, Vadodara

ERDA deputed teams comprising Group Heads and Section Heads to participate in the ‘Inner Engineering’ program organized by the Isha Foundation, Vadodara. Rooted in the ancient science of Yoga, the program is designed as a technology for inner well-being. The sessions focused on cultivating balance, clarity, and awareness, while emphasizing the keys to building meaningful and fulfilling relationships—at work, at home, within the community, and most importantly, with oneself.

Participants at Isha Foundation, Vadodara

Expert Lecture

i) An Expert Lecture was organized at ERDA Campus for senior employees on the topic “Self-Managed Teams” by Mr. Kumar Priyaranjan. The session highlighted how adopting self-managed teams can transform workplace dynamics by fostering collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility. Moving beyond traditional hierarchies, the concept empowers individuals to lead from within, building trust, accountability, and collective problem-solving. The lecture inspired participants to explore new ways of learning and working together for greater effectiveness and growth.

Mr. Kumar Priyaranjan delivering the session on “Self-Managed Teams” & senior employees attending this session

ii) As part of World Environment Day celebrations, ERDA organized an expert lecture on the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” by Mr. Sushil Kumar Sharma. The session emphasized the urgent need to address plastic pollution and highlighted how every small action contributes to a larger impact. The lecture encouraged participants to adopt sustainable practices, reduce dependence on single-use plastics, and spread awareness within their communities.

Mr. Sushil Kumar Sharma delivering the session on “Beat the Plastic Pollution” & Employees attending this session

B. Celebrations

i) National Technology Day

ERDA celebrated National Technology Day on 13th May 2025 with enthusiasm and pride. The event began with a welcome address, ceremonial lamp lighting, and the introduction of the esteemed Chief Guest, Dr. Udaya Kumar, Professor & Chair, Department of Electrical Engineering, ABB Chair, and Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineers. Dr. Kumar delivered an insightful lecture on “Electromagnetic Field Computation Methods for Power Engineers”, inspiring participants with his expertise.

The celebration also showcased technical paper presentations by ERDA’s R&D team, highlighting cutting-edge work in:

  • Grid-forming inverter technology
  • Reversible aluminum-ion battery development
  • Smart controllers for energy storage optimization
  • IoT-enabled real-time condition monitoring systems for electrical insulators

The program further included the felicitation of winners of ERDA’s 2024–25 award categories, recognizing excellence and motivating employees.

Winners of ERDA Awards in different categories for the year 2025 receiving the award from the President & Director, ERDA

List of ERDA Award Winners 2025

Sr. No.AwardsAwardees
1P.R Deshpande Excellence Award
  • Dr. Nitin Shingne (TM1 Advance Material)
  • Mr. Ashish Singh (TM5A NPT Electronics)
  • Mr. Varun Jani (CTPT)
  • Mr. Shreyas Shah (Metallurgy)
  • Mr. Kunjal R Pandya (Third Party Inspection)
  • Mr. Kinjal K. Kothari (CRM)
  • Ms. Aastha Bhalgamiya (HR)
2Dr. Mylavarapu Ramamoorty AwardMs Shefali K Talati from TM4 – Power Systems Section of R&D division won the Dr. M Ramamoorthy Award for the Best Technical Paper category for the paper of “Assessment of Power Quality of Renewable Plants: Experience of Western Region of India”.
3Mylavaram Awards (For Excellence)
  • Mr. Dilsadhusen Kazi (Short Circuit Savli)
  • Mr. Dhaval S Mistry (Power System)
  • Mr. Natwarsinh P Chavda (P&A)
4Best Performance Award (For Outstanding Performance)

For Best Head of Section

  • Mr. Munaf Y Patel (Switchgear)

For Best Engineer/Executive – M1

  • Dr. Manmohan Singh Waldiya (TM1 Advance Materials)
  • Mr. Rakesh Rathod (P&A)
  • Mr. Ajinkya Bhagat (BD)

For Best Assistant Engineer/Corporate Staff – M0

  • Mr. Bhavesh B Rana (IP)
  • Mr. Kamlesh C Mali (CTPT)
  • Mr. Mayank H Soni (Solid Dielectrics)

For Best Technician – S2/S1

  • Mr. Rajeshsing G Mahera (CRM)
5R & D Awards
(A) Best Technical Paper Award

For paper: “Online Condition monitoring technique for high voltage insulators using NL acoustic camera”

  • Mr. Umesh Soni
  • Mr. Anil Khopkar
 (B) Best R & D Project

For R&D project on “Thermal Performance analysis of three different radiator designs with respect to three different types of transformer oil”

  • Dr. Manmohan Waldiya
  • Dr. Nitin Shingne
  • Mr. Anil Khopkar
 (C) Best Technical Report

For Technical Report on: “Root Cause Analysis of 33 kV Panel Electrical Fire at 100 MW Raghanseda Solar Project”

  • Mr. Kuldeep H. Ruparelia
  • Dr. Nitin Shingne
  • Mr. Anil Khopkar
 (D) Best InnovationNil
 (E) Best Patent Award

For Patent on: “Granted Indian Patent on Voltage Presence Indicator for safety application in electrical panel”

  • Mr. Hardik Khambhadiya
  • Mr. Asheesh R Dhaneria
  • Dr. Satish H Chetwani
6Long Service Award (for employees who have completed 20 years of continuous service at ERDA)
  • Mr. Nailesh Kadia (Power System)
  • Mr. Parag Makwana (IT)
  • Mr. Brijesh Sharma (Quality)
  • Mr. Vijay Rajput (TM3 Diagnostics)
  • Mr. Vasantkumar Kachhela (Metallurgy)
  • Mr. Devdatt Punekar (Power System)
  • Mr. Umeshbhai Solanki (IP)
  • Mr. Pragnesh Patel (Impulse – Makarpura)
  • Mr. Chiragkumar Amin (Lamps & Luminaires)
  • Mr. Prafulkumar Rathod (CRM)
  • Mr. Shaileshkumar Patel (CTPT)
  • Mr. Amit Chauhann (Mechanical)
  • Mr. Vijay Bariya (Civil Maintenance)
  • Mr. Keyur Gohil (Energy Meter)
7Best House Keeping Award
(for good house-keeping in laboratories)

Excellent Category

  • ERDA South, Rajahmundry section
  • Appliance Section

Good Category

  • Partial Discharge Laboratory
  • Calibration section
8Incentive Awards for Achieving Annual Revenue Targets for FY 2024-25Solid Dielectrics, Cables & Wires, TM5A and ERDA North Sections has achieved the revenue target for FY 2024-25 and were awarded with Silver coin

The event concluded with inspiring addresses by Dr. Udaya Kumar, Mr. Tapan Tripathy, President, ERDA and Dr. Satish Chetwani, Director, ERDA, encouraging continuous pursuit of innovation and excellence in the power sector.

ii) World Environment Day

The World Environment Day was celebrated at ERDA on 5th June 2025 with tree plantation drives held across its laboratories at Makarpura, Nerul, Savli, Rajahmundry, and North Laboratory. The initiative reflected ERDA’s commitment to sustainability and its responsibility towards creating a greener, healthier environment.

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