VRUGISHA THAKKAR

Vrugisha is a transmission line engineer at Verdantas, where they design and analyze high-voltage lines up to 230 kV across varied terrain. They build structure loading diagrams and framing plans for steel lattice towers, tubular poles and wood poles, then turn those into material lists and construction drawing packages that field crews and procurement teams can use. Their work also covers digital terrain models and structure placement for long-span crossings, mountainous regions and environmentally sensitive areas.

Their path into this work started in mechanical engineering. They earned a Bachelor of Engineering at Gujarat Technological University, then a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Florida. Along the way they interned in design and planning roles at Oswal Machinery and Larsen & Toubro, and taught aerospace propulsion and computational fluid dynamics as a teaching assistant at Florida. That mix of hands-on design and analysis shows up in how they approach line design today.

Vrugisha is known for careful drawing work and quality checks. At ASEC, now part of Verdantas, they reviewed structure, framing, construction and material list drawings before moving into full transmission line design. They hold an EIT license and a graduate certificate in engineering project management, and they have published research on bird strikes in jet engine blades. They work in a wide set of CAD and analysis tools, from PLS CADD to Ansys and Fusion 360.