Power is a good index of how the economy is picking up. Deepak Amitabh, chairman and managing director, PTC India, said, demand in the first quarter of this year looks better than that of the previous year. As commercial activities have now started opening up, power demand is picking up. “People have realised that power is a basic sector and without that the country cannot move. So, we have started seeing good traction.”

On prices, he said, it is the short-term agreements that are seeing more fluctuations, the long-term rates are fixed. When demand picks up and supply is limited, rates rise, but in the shorter-end of the market, he said in an interview with CNBC-TV18, adding that this quarter, the rates have started firming up.

According to him, there are some supply-side issues, but demand is picking up and it is quite active.

Talking about the business outlook, Amitabh said, “We have always said that our business model is based on market design. So, we have invested in technology and manpower.”

The company started an advisory services business a couple of years back, and the acquisition of IL&FS Energy Consulting Business would help strengthen that advisory business, he said, adding that the acquisition was done for a very small amount.

When asked about clean energy and its impact on power companies like theirs, he said that it is too early to make predictions. It is a long-term vision. However, there will always be a need for every type of energy - be it renewable, thermal, biomass, and conventional energy.

For entire interview, watch the video

(Edited by : Dipika)