HPL Electric & Power Limited appoints Sawale independent director

HPL Electric & Power Limited appointed B A Sawale as an additional director designated as an independent director from November 12, 2026, for five consecutive years, subject to shareholder approval. Its November 5, 2026 filing cites his more than three decades of power-sector experience and oversight of Central Power Research Institute projects exceeding Rs 1,000 crore.

When does HPL Electric’s B A Sawale appointment take effect?

HPL Electric’s appointment of B A Sawale takes effect on November 12, 2026, subject to shareholder approval, and runs for five consecutive years. The board approved the appointment at its November 5, 2026 meeting under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.

The filing describes Sawale as an additional director who will be designated an independent director. His Director Identification Number is 09835478. HPL Electric also disclosed that Sawale is not related to any director and is not debarred from holding a directorship by an order of the Securities and Exchange Board of India or another authority.

The proposed start date follows the exit of Dhruv Goyal, an independent director whose second term ends at close of business on November 11, 2026. The disclosed sequence places Goyal’s cessation one day before Sawale’s planned five-year term begins, although Sawale’s appointment remains conditional on shareholder approval.

Who is B A Sawale and what is his power-sector background?

B A Sawale is a power-sector professional with more than three decades of experience across electrical engineering, energy metering, research and development, technical standardisation, regulatory affairs and institutional governance. He retired as Director General of the Central Power Research Institute, or CPRI, under India’s Ministry of Power on June 30, 2025.

During his tenure as CPRI Director General, Sawale led an organisation of approximately 800 personnel. HPL Electric said he oversaw major infrastructure development and research projects, including government-funded projects exceeding Rs 1,000 crore, indicating the scale of programmes managed in his prior public-sector role.

Sawale also served as chairman of the board of National High Power Testing Laboratory, Beena. The filing identifies the laboratory as a joint venture involving CPRI, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited and Damodar Valley Corporation.

His qualifications include a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from Amravati University, a Master of Technology in Digital Communication from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, and a Master of Business Administration in General Management from ICFAI University. He also completed a regulatory certificate programme on renewable-energy economics, policy and regulation at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

What smart-metering standards experience does B A Sawale bring?

B A Sawale brings experience in developing national and international standards for conventional and smart energy meters, digital metering systems and related technologies. HPL Electric’s disclosure specifically places metering standards alongside his electrical-engineering, research and development, and regulatory experience rather than describing a commercial operating mandate at the company.

Sawale is serving his third tenure as chairman of the Bureau of Indian Standards, or BIS, Sectional Committee ETD 13. The filing does not state the dates or duration of those three tenures, but says the committee role is current as of the November 5, 2026 announcement.

His international association includes the International Electrotechnical Commission, or IEC, and its Technical Committee 13. He has received the IEC-1906 Award from the IEC and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association, or IEEMA, for contributions to the power and metering sector.

The profile also records service as a member of the State Advisory Committee of the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission. Together with his association with national-level technical, regulatory and accreditation committees, these roles cover standard-setting and regulatory mechanisms, while HPL Electric says his experience is expected to provide insights and guidance to its board.

How does the board committee change with B A Sawale’s arrival?

HPL Electric will appoint B A Sawale as chairperson of its reconstituted Nomination and Remuneration Committee from November 12, 2026. The committee will have three members: Sawale as chairperson, Ajit Sood as member and Rashmi Vij as member, according to Annexure C of the November 5 filing.

The committee reconstitution takes effect on the same date as Sawale’s planned board appointment, while Goyal’s independent-director tenure ends the preceding day. HPL Electric disclosed the change in the same board-meeting outcome that included unaudited standalone and consolidated financial results for the quarter and half year ended September 30, 2026.

The filing does not disclose compensation terms for Sawale, the date of the shareholder meeting, or the voting threshold beyond saying the appointment requires shareholder approval. It also does not specify committee responsibilities beyond his role as chairperson of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee from November 12, 2026.

Separately, the board gave in-principle approval on November 5, 2026 to evaluate restructuring, including possible segregation of one or more businesses into separate entities through a scheme of arrangement. HPL Electric said the evaluation is intended to increase focus on different product verticals and unlock shareholder value, but did not connect that proposal directly to Sawale’s appointment.

Conclusion

HPL Electric’s November 5, 2026 disclosure sets out a planned five-year independent-director term for Sawale beginning November 12, alongside his appointment as chairperson of a three-member Nomination and Remuneration Committee. The change follows Goyal’s November 11 departure after a second term and adds a director whose disclosed background includes CPRI leadership, metering standards and regulatory committee experience.

The immediate item to watch is shareholder approval for the five-year appointment, since the filing makes that a condition of Sawale taking the role. Investors can also watch for further board disclosures on the in-principle restructuring evaluation, which may consider separating one or more HPL Electric businesses through a scheme of arrangement, although no structure or timetable was disclosed on November 5, 2026.