Sumadhab Das, India
Tell us about your background
I got a first class honours degree in Production Engineering in Calcutta, and then worked for Siemens in India before moving to the UK to work for Allen Gears as a design engineer. I then moved to Nottingham to work for a company called Romax Technology as I wanted to specialise in the renewable wind energy business. Last summer, I moved up to Gamesa in Glasgow.
Why did you want to work in Scotland?
I was very keen to learn about British culture. There is a lot of history between Britain and Calcutta so I thought it would be interesting to find out what British people are like; how they work, how the industries work and I also wanted to specialise in renewable energy. My preference was to work for a leading wind turbine company so I was really pleased when the opportunity came up with Gamesa.
I also wanted to come to Scotland as I’d grown up in a busy city and I’d heard that Scotland was very picturesque and beautiful. By the time I moved up here I’d spent a lot of time with English people and wanted to know more about the Scots!
Can you explain more about your role with Gamesa?
I’m a Senior Drivetrain Engineer so I have the responsibility of selecting the gear boxes and generator interfaces, designing the main shaft, coupling selection and cooling systems, and developing new concepts for oil etc. I’m also responsible for designing other parts of the wind turbine, developing new ideas and training colleagues when required.
One thing I really like about the company is that there are people from all over the world - Spanish, Indian, English, and of course Scots – and it is a really friendly working environment. Gamesa is a big company with a very large design database, so I also have the opportunity to review what it already has, develop new ideas and learn a lot. I feel I can go far in my career with Gamesa.
How do you find life in Scotland?
I really like living in Glasgow. There are great shops and the people are very friendly – if I ask someone for information they are always quite happy to help me with anything. I’ve also made some Scottish friends and it’s interesting to be able to exchange our cultural differences!
What are your plans for the future?
I’m quite career-minded and would like to pursue my career in the UK, so I’d like to stay in Scotland for a long time. I’m going home to see my family at Christmas for three weeks – I find it easy to be able to stay in touch with friends and family so I never feel too far away.