Key Highlights
- Harsharan Kaur Trehan becomes the first female technocrat to hold a board‑level post in Punjab State Power Corporation Limited.
- She assumes the role of Director (Commercial) on 20 February 2026 for a fixed two‑year term.
- The appointment follows a distinguished three‑decade career covering transmission, sub‑station, hydro and thermal projects, as well as material management.
- Her mandate includes boosting billing efficiency, revenue collection, and adherence to regulatory guidelines.
Detailed Insights
The Punjab Government, through Secretary (Power) Basant Garg—who also serves as Chairman‑cum‑Managing Director of PSPCL—issued an order that formalised Trehan’s appointment. The decree explicitly limits her service to two years and requires retirement upon reaching the age of 65. She replaces the erstwhile Director (Commercial) Hira Lal Goyal, whose resignation in August 2025 created the vacancy.
Trehan’s professional journey began in 1987 as an Assistant Engineer with the former Punjab State Electricity Board. Over more than thirty years she contributed to transmission‑line design, sub‑station architecture, hydro‑electric schemes, thermal‑plant operations, and the Investment Promotion Cell. In May 2021 she broke another glass ceiling by becoming PSPCL’s first woman Engineer‑in‑Chief, leading the Material Management division. After retiring in October 2022, she returned to public service to steer the corporation’s commercial strategies.
During her stint as Deputy Chief Engineer (Regulation), she was instrumental in revising the Supply Code, Commercial Regulations, and the electricity‑supply instruction manuals. As Engineer‑in‑Chief (Material Management) she supervised procurement activities with an annual outlay exceeding ₹1,000 crore, emphasizing transparency and cost‑effectiveness.
The significance of her appointment extends beyond PSPCL; it signals a shift toward gender‑balanced leadership in India’s utility sector, traditionally dominated by men. Observers anticipate that her presence will encourage more women engineers to aspire to senior roles in public‑sector undertakings.
Key Concepts
- Director (Commercial): Senior executive responsible for revenue generation, billing systems, and compliance with market regulations.
- Engineer‑in‑Chief (Material Management): Head of procurement and inventory functions, managing large‑scale budgets to ensure efficient supply chain operations.
- Supply Code: A regulatory framework that governs the terms of electricity delivery, pricing, and consumer rights.