Interview with Satyen Mamtora: Ester oil, ultra-high voltage and TARIL’s next transformer shifts

Transformers and Rectifiers (India) Limited (TARIL) has doubled its transformer manufacturing capacity to 33,000 MVA over the past two years and is now targeting 75,000 MVA, alongside expanding into high-value segments such as high-voltage direct current (HVDC), ultra-high-voltage systems and export markets across more than 40 countries. The company recently secured a landmark HVDC transformer repair order from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) and commissioned a 1200 kV transformer, signalling its intent to move up the technology curve. Against this backdrop, Power Peak Digest spoke with Satyen Mamtora, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director, TARIL, on the company’s capacity expansion roadmap, preparations for evolving grid requirements, and the outlook for India’s transformer industry over the next five years.

1. TARIL doubled production in two years to 33,000 MVA. As the company heads toward 75,000 MVA capacity, which internal capabilities like supply chain, workforce or automation, are you strengthening the most?

Over the last two years, our focus has been on building a scalable and future-ready manufacturing ecosystem rather than simply adding capacity. As TARIL progresses toward 75,000 MVA installed capacity, we are simultaneously strengthening three critical pillars backward-integrated supply chains, advanced manufacturing automation, and specialised workforce capabilities.

Scale in this industry cannot come only from adding machines or capacity. It has to come from execution reliability, engineering depth and the ability to consistently deliver high-quality products across diverse customer requirements

We have already initiated multiple backward integration projects covering CTC, bushings, pressboard, and fabrication to improve supply-chain resilience, quality control, and execution efficiency. At the same time, we are increasing automation across winding, testing, and material handling processes to enhance consistency, productivity, and delivery timelines. This becomes especially important at a time when global supply chains remain volatile and customers are increasingly prioritising delivery certainty and long-term reliability.

Another major focus area is talent development for high-voltage, export-grade, and niche transformer applications. The transformer industry is entering a phase where execution reliability and technological capability will matter as much as manufacturing scale. Our objective is to create an integrated manufacturing platform capable of supporting India’s long-term transmission and energy transition requirements. We also believe the next phase of growth in the transformer industry will be driven by technology capability, faster execution cycles and the ability to support increasingly complex grid infrastructure requirements.

2. With private sector participation in transmission rising, is TARIL seeing a meaningful shift in its order book from traditional utilities toward private developers? And more broadly, which customer segments, like utilities, renewables, data centres, or exports, are currently driving TARIL’s pipeline?

Yes, we are seeing a gradual but meaningful diversification in the demand landscape. Traditionally, utilities formed the largest part of the transformer market, but today we are witnessing increasing participation from private transmission developers, renewable energy companies, industrial infrastructure projects, and emerging sectors such as data centres.

What is interesting today is that demand is no longer being driven by just one segment of the power ecosystem. We are seeing simultaneous investments across utilities, renewables, industrial infrastructure and emerging digital infrastructure sectors

Renewable energy and grid modernisation are currently among the strongest growth drivers for the industry. India’s planned energy expansion toward 1,121 GW installed capacity by 2035-36 will require significant investments in transmission and transformation infrastructure, especially for renewable evacuation and grid balancing. Customers today are increasingly looking for partners who can offer execution reliability, faster delivery timelines and strong engineering support alongside manufacturing capability.

We are also seeing increasing opportunities in sectors such as railways, green hydrogen, and energy-intensive industrial applications. The rapid growth of renewable energy, data centres and industrial electrification is also increasing the need for higher-efficiency and application-specific transformer solutions.

In parallel, export demand remains strong, particularly from markets investing in grid upgrades and renewable integration. TARIL’s diversified product portfolio and presence across more than 40 countries position us well to participate in these evolving opportunities. India’s power infrastructure expansion is creating long-term opportunities not only in domestic markets, but also for Indian manufacturers to strengthen their position globally.

3. TARIL received a landmark HVDC transformer repair order from PGCIL. Does this open the door for the company to manufacture new HVDC transformers, and what is the roadmap for entering that segment?

The HVDC transformer repair order from PGCIL is strategically significant for TARIL because it validates our technical capability in handling highly specialised and critical transmission equipment. For us, this is not just a servicing assignment, but an important capability-building milestone in a highly specialised segment of the power transmission industry.

In this industry, repair and servicing assignments often become the first step toward deeper technology participation and eventual manufacturing qualification. Successful execution of this order will further strengthen our technical credentials in the high-end transmission segment. In a sector like HVDC, technical credibility and execution experience are built progressively over time through complex projects and engineering exposure.

Globally, HVDC systems are becoming increasingly important for long-distance renewable power evacuation and interregional power transmission. As India expands renewable integration and evaluates ultra-high-voltage transmission infrastructure, the long-term opportunity for domestic HVDC capability development becomes very substantial. As India moves toward larger renewable integration and long-distance power transfer corridors, advanced transmission technologies like HVDC will become increasingly important for grid stability and efficiency.

We believe India will gradually need stronger domestic capability development in advanced transmission technologies to support its long-term energy transition goals. Our approach toward this segment will remain phased, technology-driven, and aligned with evolving grid requirements. We believe building competence gradually while maintaining engineering reliability is the right long-term strategy for participation in this highly specialised space.

4. The CEA is planning for 1150 kV transmission lines and has also mandated Ester Oil in 10% of new transformers. How is TARIL preparing for these simultaneous technological shifts in its product design?

The industry is clearly moving toward higher voltage systems, stricter grid reliability standards, and environmentally safer insulation technologies. At TARIL, we are proactively aligning our R&D and engineering capabilities toward next-generation transformer platforms that can support these evolving requirements. The shift is no longer only about achieving higher voltage capability, but about building smarter, safer and more sustainable grid infrastructure for the future.

We have already demonstrated our capability in ultra-high-voltage systems through the successful commissioning of a 1200 kV transformer, which positions us strongly to support any future requirements in the 1150 kV and other ultra-high-voltage segments. Our experience in developing and testing advanced high-voltage technologies has equipped us with the technical expertise needed for next-generation grid infrastructure. Going forward, the transition toward higher voltage systems will require continued advancements in insulation coordination, thermal management, testing infrastructure, and material compatibility to ensure reliability, efficiency, and grid resilience at scale.

At the same time, Ester Oil-based transformers are gaining global acceptance due to their superior fire safety, environmental benefits, and suitability for urban and critical infrastructure applications. We are continuously adapting our product designs and testing capabilities to align with these evolving industry standards.

As India’s transmission network becomes more renewable-intensive and urban infrastructure becomes more power-dependent, transformer technologies will need to evolve significantly in terms of safety, efficiency and operational reliability.

We believe future transformer technologies will increasingly be driven by a combination of reliability, sustainability, and grid efficiency requirements.

5. The West Asia crisis and Red Sea disruptions have impacted global shipping routes and raw material supply chains. Has TARIL felt any pressure on logistics costs, material availability, or delivery timelines as a result?

Like the broader manufacturing sector, we did experience intermittent pressures related to freight costs, shipment schedules, and the availability of certain imported components during the recent geopolitical disruptions. There were periods where shipment visibility and delivery planning became more dynamic than usual, particularly for imported components and freight schedules.

However, the industry today is significantly more resilient because of the supply-chain learnings from the pandemic period. Companies are actively diversifying supplier networks, strengthening inventory planning for critical materials, and increasing localisation wherever feasible.

These disruptions have reinforced the importance of localisation, backward integration and supply-chain diversification for critical power infrastructure manufacturing.

At TARIL, our proactive planning and focus on backward integration helped us manage delivery commitments without any major disruptions. Going forward, supply-chain resilience and localisation will continue to remain strategically important for the power equipment industry.

6. The CEA has standardised technical specifications for distribution transformers, including ISI and BEE star rating requirements. How do you expect these changes to influence manufacturing practices and pricing in the distribution transformer segment?

The CEA’s push toward standardised specifications, ISI compliance, and BEE star ratings is a very positive development for the transformer industry as well as for India’s power distribution ecosystem.

These measures will improve product quality, reduce technical losses, and create greater consistency in procurement standards across utilities and discoms. In the near term, manufacturers may need to increase investments in testing infrastructure, process control, raw material quality, and design optimisation to align with the stricter requirements. In the long run, these reforms will strengthen the credibility, efficiency and overall quality standards of India’s power distribution ecosystem

While compliance costs may increase initially, the long-term benefits in terms of efficiency, reliability, and lifecycle performance will be significant. We believe the sector will gradually move from price-led procurement toward performance-led procurement, which will ultimately favour organised and technologically capable manufacturers.

7. New players, solar manufacturers, EPC companies, and conglomerates are entering the transformer space. Is this good for the sector, or does it risk creating a quality problem?

Increased participation reflects strong confidence in India’s long-term power infrastructure growth story, which is positive for the sector overall. The scale of transmission expansion, renewable integration, and industrial electrification required over the next decade is substantial enough to create opportunities across the ecosystem. Healthy competition is positive for the sector because it reflects the scale of opportunity India’s power infrastructure and energy transition story presents

However, transformers are highly engineered and reliability-critical products where execution capability, testing standards, engineering depth, and lifecycle performance are extremely important. This is not a commoditised industry where pricing alone determines long-term success.

Globally, the sector has seen that aggressive under-pricing without adequate technical expertise can eventually create operational and reliability challenges. As the market matures, customers are likely to increasingly prioritise proven capability, execution reliability, product quality, and long-term performance over short-term pricing advantages.

8. India’s installed capacity is projected to reach 1,121 GW by 2035-36. How is TARIL positioning itself to capture demand from this massive expansion, particularly in solar, wind, and energy storage applications?

India’s long-term energy roadmap represents one of the largest power infrastructure opportunities globally. The planned expansion toward 1,121 GW installed capacity, combined with renewable integration, energy storage deployment, transmission expansion, and industrial electrification, will require substantial investments in transformation infrastructure. India is entering one of the most significant power infrastructure build-out phases globally, creating long-term opportunities across transmission, renewable integration and grid modernisation.

At TARIL, we are positioning ourselves around high-growth segments such as renewable evacuation, grid modernisation, railways, industrial infrastructure, and energy-intensive applications. Our product portfolio already includes transformers designed for solar, wind, and green hydrogen applications, which aligns well with the evolving energy ecosystem.

We are also strengthening our manufacturing scale, testing infrastructure, and execution capabilities to support this next phase of growth. As renewable penetration increases, demand for high-efficiency, high-reliability transformers and reactors will continue to rise significantly.

9. Looking ahead five years, where do you expect the biggest transformation for TARIL in terms of product mix, customer profile, export markets, or technology capabilities?

Over the next five years, I see TARIL evolving across three major dimensions.

First, we expect a significantly higher contribution from technologically advanced and high-value products, particularly for renewable integration, grid modernisation, and specialised industrial applications. Second, exports and private-sector infrastructure investments are likely to become increasingly important contributors to our overall business mix. Our focus will not just be on scaling volumes, but on building a globally competitive and technology-driven transformer manufacturing platform.

Third, we will continue investing aggressively in automation, digital manufacturing, advanced testing infrastructure, and backward integration to strengthen operational efficiency and supply-chain control.

The next phase of growth in the transformer industry will be driven by higher-efficiency products, digital manufacturing, grid modernisation and increasingly complex energy infrastructure requirements. The transformer industry globally is entering a highly strategic phase where energy transition, electrification, AI-driven data centres, and transmission expansion are all converging simultaneously. Companies that can scale technology, quality, and execution reliability together will emerge as long-term leaders, and we believe TARIL is strongly positioned for that opportunity.