Gautam Biswas is the vice president of Holtec Asia’s Nuclear Power Division. In this role, he navigates the company’s rise as an important player in India’s drive to increase nuclear generation. He also interfaces with Holtec International’s technology headquarters in Camden, NJ and its other nuclear-focused operation centers located in the UK, Spain, Ukraine, South Africa and Brazil. Biswas is helping align Holtec’s US-centric SMR-300 to international norms and standards (50Hz, metric units, etc.) and developing a competent supply chain in India. 

Professional History 

Early in his career, Biswas worked principally in India’s indigenous PHWR program. Later, he became India’s principal technical interface with international Light Water Reactor suppliers.  

In 1983, Biswas joined the Department of Atomic Energy’s Nuclear Power Division (forerunner of NPCIL). In his subsequent 36+ years at NPCIL, he served in increasingly more senior management positions, working in diverse field disciplines such as design and engineering, safety analysis, procurement, localization programs and project site management. He retired from NPCIL in 2019 as Executive Director-Engineering (Light Water Reactor). Subsequently, he served NPCIL as an Advisor for one year followed by a three-year stint as Consultant to IDOM Engineering-Architecture-Consulting SAU, a Spanish Engineering Consulting Company. He was also briefly associated with Russia’s Tenex (for six months) as a Technical and Strategic Advisor. In addition, he was associated with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in an advisory capacity for review of design and safety of new builds. For about two and half years, he served as Chairman, Project Design Safety Committee (PDSC) of AERB, which is entrusted with holistic review of design and safety starting from initial construction to commissioning of the 700 Mwe indigenously developed PHWR plant. He also served as a member of two other PDSCs in the Country’s Fast Breeder Reactor and Light Water reactor programs. 

Industry Leadership 

Biswas is a noted nuclear engineering professional with over 40 years of technical and executive experience at India’s leading energy institutions.  Among his lasting contributions to the nuclear power industry is the development of the Primary Shut Off System for 220 Mwe PHWRs, first introduced at the Narora plant. He successfully completed indigenous development of several critical components of Reactivity Devices of first 540 Mwe PHWR reactor. Biswas also worked for five years at Rajasthan NPP site during construction and commissioning of the last two NPCIL 220 Mwe reactors. In addition to providing design support to construction and commissioning groups, he implemented an effective lessons-learned feedback program for the operating fleet which has been widely recognized as a creditable contributor to the excellent performance record of NPCIL’s 220 Mwe reactors. 

Education 

Biswas graduated from Jadavpur University, India in 1982 with a BE in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, he attended the Nuclear Engineering Training School at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India, earning an equivalent of Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering.