In conversation with Shailesh Deshpande: Discussing talent acquisition at Burns & McDonnell India

Understanding talent acquisition at Burns & McDonnell India: In conversation with Shailesh Deshpande on growing Bengaluru operations

Shailesh Deshpande, the newly-appointed head of the Bengaluru office of Burns & McDonnell India, brings with him over two decades of experience, bridging US and India operations. A driving force behind the company’s growth, he spoke at length about talent acquisition and the future of engineering resources in India
Q1 ) Could you share your professional journey and what inspired you to take on this leadership position at Burns & McDonnell India?


I studied in the US and then worked in a large corporation before moving to a small employee-owned startup, eventually establishing their office in Bengaluru, India. When I got an opportunity at Burns & McDonnell India to establish Environmental Services, I moved over and worked in the Mumbai office for 6.5 years.

Q2) Is there a specific moment in your career that shaped the leadership style you bring to this new role today?

I was fortunate to visit the US when the internet was just emerging, and seeing the world change so quickly sparked my entrepreneurial spirit. A defining moment came during the 2008 financial crisis, when the Houston, Texas office in my previous company was almost shut down. Instead of giving up, our marketing director and I personally reached out to long-time clients to keep those relationships alive. That effort paid off, and it strengthened my hunger to take on new challenges and trust in resilience during tough times.

Q3) What kind of workplace culture and environment can talent expect from Burns & McDonnell India, and what will appeal to potential talent to join the organisation?

Culture is one of the critical strategies for business success. We are committed to creating a people-first culture, and this has earned us recognition as a ‘Great Place To Work’ certified organisation. Flexibility to choose your working hours, location, and commute support is the bare minimum we provide. We nurture an ownership mindset in our people and enhance their ability to deliver technically-strong services to clients to make them successful. All this together creates an ecosystem that makes people happy when they come to work here.

Q4) From your perspective, why is this city an ideal fit for the Burns & McDonnell India family’s growth journey?

Bengaluru, either by design or by chance, has been ahead of other Indian states. From the time the Indian Institute of Science was established, the city has nurtured a culture of education and excellence. Consequently, the city became a magnet for top-tier engineering minds, fostering a self-sustaining ecosystem of innovation and specialised technical skills. With a culture of growth, it was natural that the IT boom gave the city a leg up and put Bengaluru on the global map. A global footprint led to the inflow of diverse talent, and companies have worked hard to increase this diversity by focusing on gender equality, hiring more women and bringing in those from the LGBTQ community. We are capitalising on an established ecosystem and hence have a great talent pool to dip into.

We have employees working in a broad range of groups at Burns & McDonnel India, including Transmission & Distribution, Power, Global Facilities, Business & Technology Consulting, and Environmental services.

Q5) What kinds of skills and professionals are you looking to bring into the team, particularly with an eye on innovation and modern technologies?

We need a broad talent pool to support our EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) projects and drive the integration of automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our work. This requires a mix of core engineers, power system planners, primary engineers, and automation specialists. The result will be a dynamic environment where engineering is fundamentally enhanced by technology, creating a continuous cycle of innovation.