Demand for skilled manpower set to rise

The Prime Group is going to more than double its employee strength by the end of 2011

What is your view on the current state of the Indian economy, especially with reference to the power sector? What are the trends you foresee in this sector in the coming years?

The Indian economy has grown well during the last quarter, and looking at the growth in infrastructure, manufacturing and other allied sectors, we can say that the worst is over and we are on the path to recovery .

As far as power is concerned, growth has been slow, but looking at the thrust given by Government of India in this year's budget, capital expenditure allocation to the power sector is maximum. The 11th Five Year Plan has a planned capacity addition of about 78,000 MW in power generation, the highest amongst all previous plans. This will necessitate proportionate investment in transmission and distribution.

However, the major hurdle in the growth of power sector has been technical and com mercial losses, which remain among the highest among developing nations. This has led to poorer recovery and has discouraged investment from private companies, especially in transmission and distribution. But with the various measures being taken by Government of India for system improvement, we hope that the power sector will grow more comprehensively and at a faster pace in the coming years.

Do you think the job market is opening up? Would your organisation be recruiting in the next three to six months? At what levels and how many hires are you looking at?

Internationally, the job market is sluggish, but looking at the anticipated annual growth of 8 per cent to 9 per cent in GDP, as announced by the Union finance minister, our domestic companies will certainly be hiring skilled manpower in big numbers. One of our group companies, namely Prime Electric Ltd, is in the process of establishing a power transformer factory in Andhra Pradesh. About 500 people at different levels i.e. engineers, supervisors and technicians shall be required on a regular basis to run the plant operations. Phased recruitment

is the secret of your success?

The Prime Group has grown from being an idea to a multi-activity organisation with a focus on bringing technological innovation in the country . All of this and the awards and honours would not have been possible, had it not been for the unwavering commitment, enthusiasm and zeal of my entire team. These accolades are a recognition of the work done over the years by one and all at the Prime Group, and encourage us to contribute more to the society .

What are the corporate social initiatives taken up by the group?

The Prime Group, since its inception, has adopted the policy of inclusive growth by strengthening the fabric of society . We started by providing scholarship to poor children, after which a society -- ISHWAR (International Society for Human Welfare And Rehabilitation) -- was founded in 1995. This is a non-profit organisation dedicated to serving the needs of the physically challenged and economically weaker sections of society . It is actively involved in areas of education, scholarship, and providing prosthetics and orthotics services to the poor. The society has its own limb - fitting centres in Delhi, Gurgaon and Jaipur, and undertakes limb fitting activities across the country by organising various camps. We have also planned to adopt two villages in close proximity to our site at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, where we are setting up a large EHV Power Transformer. We propose to undertake sustainable, all - round development of these adopted villages.

What are your future plans for expansion, apart from the transformer manufacturing facility coming up in Andhra Pradesh?

In line with our concern for global warming and our support for green power, we are looking at the renewable energy segment as a major growth area for the future. With that in mind, we are in the process of venturing into hydro and solar-power generation. Additionally , we are in the process of setting up a fairly big engineering unit in Andhra Pradesh. It will cater to the power and energy sector, in particular, IT - and aerospace - related manufacturing is also on our radar. As of now, we are looking at a capital investment of more than Rs 2,500 crore in these projects, over the next five years.

Surinder Mehta,
Founder Chairman, Prime Group - India

for this has already commenced. Additionally, another 200 people are expected to be re- cruited for other group companies within the next 12 to 18 months. This will take the total strength of our employees to over 1,500, by end of 2011, from the present level of about 800.

What are the key skills / attributes you look for in a potential employee? Can you describe your recruitment process?

We always look for soft skills in addition to the professional competence in a potential employee. While professional competence can be gained through training and experience, skills like conduct / behaviour, ethics and loyalty are inherent in a person. We consider these attributes more important.

Our recruitment process consists of two phases. In the first phase, shortlisting is done based on qualification and professional experience, and in the second phase personal interviews are con ducted to assess the overall suitability for the desired position.

Describe the work culture of your organisation.

Our company is people oriented and we always consider our human resources as an asset. Therefore, any amount of expenditure on recruitment, training and development of an employee is considered as an investment rather than a liability . We try to develop trust and give complete freedom to work with enough delegation. We want our employees to feel that they own the company and consider any work being done (by them) for the company , as their own work. Our motivational schemes are designed to bring dynamism and cohesiveness to all our teams.

You have won a number of honours and awards through the years, the Padma Shri, which you got last year, being the latest. What