ES. Please share with us your role at GEPL. What inspired you to start GEPL?
Dilip Deshmukh. Role- I am Director of GEPL I wanted to implement knowledge and experience that I gained in reputed electrical supply companies like BEST, BSES and Reliance Energy Ltd.(REL) AND apply my own ideas to render safe, reliable, prompt, and quality electrical services of all kinds under one roof. Actually, Electrical Engineering is my passion. During my last job with Reliance Energy, when REL declared to close “Operation & Maintenance” services to the clients, that triggered and inspired me to put myself forward to help all those clients and Grade Electrical Private Ltd was born in 2005 for rendering following services:
- Turnkey Projects
- Electrical Consulting
- HV/EHV Maintenance
- Electrical Safety/ Energy/ Power Quality Auditing
- Exhibition Electrical Infrastructure.
ES. What are your immediate objectives and strategy for leveraging and executing the company’s aims and vision in the Indian event industry? How has the journey of Grade electrical been so far?
Dilip Deshmukh. My preliminary objective is to a proud partner (contractor) for the event organizer. To achieve this objective I have set following objectives
a) enhancement of electrical safety at the venue of event since day of possession till completion of dismantling.
b) Render prompt services to the event organizer.
c) To seek opportunities for energy saving by using energy c) To seek opportunities for energy saving by using energy saving equipment/ apparatus and plugging electrical leakages.
d) Not to be complacent on today’s achievement.
The strategies to bring my objectives in reality are very simple
a) Failsafe planning under which manpower and material planning is done well in advance. While doing this emergencies and exigencies faced in past are considered.
b) Use of advanced equipment, switchgears, wires and cables that ensures increased safety as per type of installation (indoor/ outdoor), better isolation to minimize leakage in electricity and also ensures prompt interruption of power supply before any fault/ mishap takes place in electrical energy flowing at the place of an event.
c) Emphasis on ‘Quick connect coupler’ type fitting and ready to use materials that saves lot of time and energy.
ES. What makes your role crucial in any event? What tasks does your team perform when there are unexpected electrical interruptions?
Dilip Deshmukh. Setting up electrical network for more than two events at the same date that too at multiple locations makes my role crucial in an event. Actually, the hall supervisor is capable for handling all sorts of electrical interruptions. In rear case, if he requires help, there is an immediate backup support available at the location of event on 24 hours basis ready with instruments, devices, tools and equipment for quick troubleshooting.
ES. What are the SOPs and practices used to render quality & safe services to the events? What makes GEPL unique?
Dilip Deshmukh. Our SOPs are very progressive and amended time to time based on our experience in past event. This helps us for continual improvement. Presently, we have four SOPs in place –
The first SOP is for planning, material issuing and loading.
The second SOP is on execution from day of possession till the night before day of start of an event.
The fourth SOP is on dismantling and loading of material back to our warehouse.
Before sending our execution team to the place of event, they are given ‘in class’ and practical training on personal and equipment safety. The staff is involved in toolbox briefing post event on learning from any incidence/mishap/ near miss or any good practices that has been witnessed during event. They are also acquainted about new emerging techniques, tools, equipment and instruments in the field of electrical engineering. Use of safest, energy saving electrical material and deputation of qualified, trained manpower makes GEPL unique in rendering electrical services to Indian Event Industry.
ES. Which product and service does GEPL boasts of and is considered unmatched in its segment?
Dilip Deshmukh. GEPL is the only company which carries two measurements at event that are unmatched in its segment-
a) GEPL carries thermography of electrical installation that has been set up, before the day of event and during the event, as a proactive step to identify any hotspot. A quick action is taken if any hotspot is noticed. This averts any mishap such as electrical sparking, arcing or fire, throughout event.
b) GEPL also carries leakage current measurement of all electrical installations in the event to ensure that the leakage current is well below “Let Go” current. This minimizes the probability of electrical shock in an event.
ES. Who are your key clients? Kindly share some of the recent shows and events that you have handled. Any crisis situations that you have managed, and what lessons you have learned that you would want to share with us?
Dilip Deshmukh. Our key clients are Nesco- Mumbai, BIEC- Banglore, GJEPC, Informa Markets, MMI, Messe Frankfurt, Hyve India. Recently we have successfully completed P-mec, India ITME, IIJS-Mumbai, India Wood, India Racing league- Hyderabad, Bauma Conexpo India, Analytica Anacon & India Lab Expo- Hyderabad, Palm Expo-Mumbai, Elecrama-IEML, Alucast-Chennai, Smarter E- Gandhinagar, Kisan – Pune & G20 summit meetings for PAN India. The crisis situations that we had faced in past was shortfall of material when more than 2 exhibitions are set simultaneously. That time we could manage it with cooperation by our material suppliers. We bought material of alternate makes but of the same specifications and quality. From this experienced we learned that we shall stock additional two sets of switchgears and we did it. Secondly, at the stage of planning, we take our suppliers in confidence and ask them to be ready with ample stock of material as a part of an exigency.
In our opinion, the terminology used as “temporary” referring to electrical installation in Indian Event Industry, is slightly incorrect because the electrical distribution that GEPL set in an event is as good as “Permanent” one. In word “temporary” there is wide scope for casual approach but in “permanent” perfection is expected by default.
ES. What is your message to the industry?
Dilip Deshmukh. My message to the industry that choose your event partner (electrical contractor) who is technically qualified and has safety at its apex which he exercises honestly on the field. GEPL is a pioneer company in setting up electrical power distribution work in events. My mantra to my workforce is “Never be complacent on today’s achievement. There are always ways to make it still better”. As far as personal safety is concerned, GEPL believes in one statement “MONEY IS REVERSIBLE BUT LIFE IS NOT”. Now many competitors have entered in this Industry, but GEPL as ever takes pride on its quality, reliability and safety in services. We always stand by our partner (Event organizer) with full strength to make their event a grand success.
