The facility, dubbed the Chevron Engineering and Innovation Excellence centre or “The Engine,” represents a milestone for the 145-year-old, $200-billion revenue company as it aims to develop affordable, reliable and cleaner energy solutions for the world.”This is a unique commitment in Chevron’s history to build a world-class technology hub that will help deliver the innovations needed for the global energy transition,” Akshay Sahni, the incoming head of Chevron India, told TOI.
“We want to give employees here meaningful work that allows them to be part of solving the incredible challenge of providing affordable energy while building a lower carbon future,” Sahni added. Several of Chevron’s global competitors, including Shell, BP, Saudi Aramco and Sabic already have technology/ digital centres in India. Shell, in particular, has made big investments here.
Sahni, a mechanical engineer from Punjab Engineering College with a PhD from Stanford, brings a wealth of global experience, having worked for Chevron across the US, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, China, Thailand, and Bangladesh over the past 26 years.
After telling his mother he’d return to India within two years when he first went to the US for graduate studies, he is finally making good on that promise by relocating to Bengaluru next month, albeit 24 years late. The billion-dollar investment will be spread over 5-6 years, with the company aiming to hire 600 employees across disciplines like mechanical, civil, petroleum and computer science by the end of 2025. Chevron is finalising a long-term lease for office space in Bellandur, the city’s IT corridor, with temporary facilities already secured.
The Engine will serve as a global solutions centre supporting Chevron’s operations through cutting-edge work in digital technologies. “Our focus will be on establishing digital labs, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence and neural networks,” Sahni said.
The work at these labs will span a range of activities, from leveraging AI and machine learning to gain insights into subsurface geology-crucial for identifying prime locations for carbon storage and safer, more efficient drilling sites-to constructing digital twins of complex industrial facilities. These digital twins will play a key role in monitoring and optimising global operations, ultimately ensuring a more reliable supply chain. “Everything we do will be deeply rooted in AI, machine learning, high-performance computing, and robotics,” Sahni emphasised.
Robotics will also be a key focus area for The Engine. “We are already using robotics in various capacities, such as our four-legged robot ‘Spot,’ developed in collaboration with Boston Dynamics. This robot can navigate industrial sites, equipped with sensors and thermal cameras, to monitor equipment and identify potential issues before they become critical,” Sahni said.