Electric utilities firm GE T&D India announced the appointment of Rathindra Nath Basu as Additional Director in the category of Independent Director on the company’s Board, with effect from January 16, 2024. He has also been appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company with effect from January 16, 2024.
According to the company’s exchange filing, “we would like to inform that Board of Directors of the company at its meeting held on January 5, 2024 appointed, Mr. Rathindra Nath Basu (DIN No. 01192973) as Additional director under category of Independent Director with effect from January 16, 2024, subject to the approval of shareholders of the Company. Board of Directors of the Company also appointed him as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company with effect from January 16, 2024.”
Rathin Basu has worked over four decades, since 1978, in India’s Infrastructure sector, covering domains such as Generation, Transmission & Distribution, Large Industries and Transport mobility.
He started his professional career with NTPC [1978-83] in the advanced real time large computer application for Power plants, first time in India. Thereafter, he worked with ESPL/Westinghouse [1983-85] as a leader of a business to prepare the joint venture for real-time large automation systems for Power plants and Industrial plants in India.
Since early 1985, Rathin worked with the Global MNC groups [Cegelec/Alcatel Alsthom, Areva, Alstom & GE] in various leadership positions, including six Mergers & Acquisitions, to build and develop large industrial footprints, strong project management and software centres, to participate in building Energy & Industrial infrastructure for customers in India & South Asia. He was deeply engaged in his MNC employer’s commitment for ‘Make in India’ initiatives for high-tech technologies from mid-1990 onwards. He received the Business Standard award for Areva T&D India being named as the “best MNC Company operating in India”, in 2009, according to the statement.
Rathin was CEO of Cegelec India during 1989 to 2002, followed by a global role, as VP Power Distribution business, based in Paris HQ, during 2003 to 2006. Since 2007, Rathin was the Country President and Managing Director of Areva T&D India (the listed company which adopted subsequent names as Alstom T&D India, GE T&D India, due to M&A actions).
In 2014, Rathin expanded his role with additional responsibilities as Country President of Alstom India & South Asia, as well as Chairman of Alstom Power India (another listed company which changed its name to GE Power India in 2016, post-acquisition by GE) with scope covering 12 world class manufacturing facilities and 10,000 strong professional team.
After GE’s acquisition of Alstom’s global Power and T&D businesses in Nov’2015, Rathin moved to Paris HQ, in early 2017, in a global role as Chief Commercial Officer with responsibility of Sales, Marketing & Strategy of GE Grid’s global business of the size of $5.5 billion. He retired from GE in 2019.
Rathin holds BTech (Electronics) from Science College, Calcutta University and BSc (Honors in Physics) from St Xavier’s College, Calcutta University. He was a National Scholar at the High School level. He did his ‘Advanced Management Program’ at INSEAD, France, during 1997- 98.
He writes regularly for Energy Konnect, a leading emagazine for the Electricity Infrastructure of India, with his personal views on the future of India’s Energy sector, including actions needed for building a safe & secure energy infrastructure for India towards 2047.
