Musings of a nomadic NITW (RECW) Chemical Engineer from 1970-75 Batch!

My journey began in 1970, when I joined the Regional Engineering College, Warangal (Present National Institute of Technology – NITW), embarking on a path that would shape not only my professional identity but also my adventurous spirit. Studying “Chemical Engineering” at NITW set the foundation for what would become a truly nomadic and fulfilling career as a chemical engineer—a journey that I have cherished immensely.

I am deeply grateful for the remarkable teaching staff at NITW, whose dedication and knowledge provided us with a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of chemical engineering. This robust education equipped us to confidently face diverse professional challenges and adapt to varied environments throughout our careers.

My nomadic life is closely intertwined with Chemical and Petrochemical installations around India and around the world. As a designer and builder of these plants I had a great opportunity of visiting, living and working in remote corners of India and the world.

My earliest experiences in the field took me to places that, at the time, were far removed from industrialization.

Constructing chemical plants in Dewas, outside Indore—long before the area transformed into an industrial hub—was just the beginning. I also spent considerable time in Tonsa, Punjab; Gangtok, Sikkim; and District Kheda in Malaysia. In each of these distant locales, I was stationed for months or even years, fully immersed in launching these projects.

Despite their remoteness, these assignments offered opportunities for exploration and connection. For instance, while stationed near Indore, I spent a year absorbing the vibrant local culture and in Mohali and Chandigarh, I enjoyed the unique blend of tradition and modernity. The pristine beauty of Sikkim left a deep impression on me, as did the bustling energy of Penang, Malaysia, just across the water from Butterworth port enroute to the project site in district Kheda.

I have vivid memories of crossing daily by ferry, collaborating with local Chinese contractors, and engaging in the project challenges and camaraderie of building an international plant.

As my career progressed, I entered the demanding world of refinery and petrochemical plant design and construction. This chapter allowed me to experience even more far-flung regions, each with their own distinctive character and challenges. Building a pilot plant for coal-oil co-processing in Duliajan, Assam, stands out as a memorable experience. My travels often took me to Digboi, especially during turbulent times, and frequent trips to Numaligarh in Assam remain etched in my memory.

I recall journeys during the monsoon season, when flooding transformed the landscape and brought Kaziranga’s famous rhinos into view—an encounter that bridged the worlds of engineering and nature in an unexpected way. In such moments, it became clear to me how the building of the Plants in remote areas and the rhythms of the natural world are intertwined.

There was a time when I was traveling to Numalighar during a flooding time, when the Rhinos from Kaziranga forest could be sighted. It is a world away from Chemical Engineering but somehow relates to it in this case. Because one is a cause and the other is a result.

The nomad chemical engineer’s life is not all that rosy as it sounds so far.

There were tough encounters with the locals at another refinery site where I had drifted innocently to the banks of river Ganga for a visit only to be admonished and brought back to our lodging by our concerned site manager.

And to think of the times when against my wishes was to be provided armed escort outside the gates of another Refinery where warring factions could cause trouble for us.

Of course, the nomad chemical engineer is also thankful to NITW for providing a good base so that he can enjoy building plants in relatively nicer locales like Visakhapatnam, Koyali, Jamnagar and even an opportunity to visit the lands’ end town of Mithapur.

And then at a “surprisingly difficult to Site” this time in a supposedly conventional and easier state. The horrific experience of managing local contractors in the area while building a grass root Gas processing unit is an unexpected experience in an unpleasant direction though the intermediate halts at beautiful small towns were a small compensation. And imagine the nomad engineer’s plight when he has to build plant in another refinery in late 90’s when the unions were very strong. Here is when this nomad engineer thought that NITW, besides providing good basis of Engineering, should impart some training to Engineers on real life Project and interpersonal management aspects.

The benefits of NITW(RECW) education get reflected in the more exotic places where this nomad chemical engineer had opportunity to work and stay. That is the most beautiful Netherlands & Paris where work has taken me and was to stay for years. That compensated for all the trials & tribulations

Then of course NITW education paved the way as an icing on the cake of letting this nomad engineer to build plants in South Texas and Louisiana in the United States.

This life, rich with movement and discovery, has been inseparable from my identity as a chemical engineer and remains a source of pride and inspiration.

So, I can only conclude that our wonderful stay of five years at NITW paved the way for this exciting and rewarding nomadic career of over 40 years yielding an output ratio of 1:8.