Like many young boys in the bustling city of Bombay, India, Vikrant Joshi dreamed of becoming a cricket player. Amid the city’s daily hustle, and the 1980s chaos of protests and road closures, he found escape in his studies at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). There, Vikrant dove headfirst into the world of engineering.
“At the time, life as a student was not easy,” Vikrant said. “India’s economic, political and social challenges were daunting.”
But the rigorous and highly competitive education system at IIT shaped Vikrant into a resilient and skilled engineer.
“I emerged not as a cricketer, but as a young engineer eager to take on the world.”
After graduation, Vikrant’s journeys took him across the globe, to almost every country that had anything to do with oil and gas. His growing experience and expertise eventually led to ConocoPhillips. He joined the company in 2013 and over an 11-year career has supported the assurance and execution of global capital projects in Alaska, Europe, Australia, Asia and Canada.
Today, Vikrant serves as a secondee at Port Arthur LNG, one of the largest LNG projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast, where he revels in what he calls “the opportunity to participate in building the LNG infrastructure that will provide greener energy for generations to come.”
At Port Arthur, Vikrant wears many hats, managing the engineering and construction of marine infrastructure, and Outside Battery Limits or OSBL modules as well as four tugs necessary to maneuver LNG tankers at the offloading jetty.
Despite such a demanding career, Vikrant never lost sight of his passions. He practices Hatha Yoga and enjoys biking, often participating in the ConocoPhillips MS150 team.
“But cooking and the study of mathematics are my favorite hobbies,” he said, “I take every opportunity to indulge in both.”
At the cornerstone of Vikrant’s life is his close-knit family. He and his wife, Swati live in Fulshear, Texas not far from ConocoPhillips Houston headquarters.
“We’re empty nesters now. Our children Shalaka and Aniket are pursuing careers in the Northeast.”
Vikrant’s aging parents live in India. He makes long trips home often, staying closely involved in their care.
Commitment to the community is evident through his support of the Houston Food Bank, aiding children and seniors, and the IIT Bombay Heritage Fund, assisting needy students from his alma mater.
“I’ve been blessed,” he said, “and I’m deeply aware of the responsibility to give back, to try to give others the same chance at a better life.”
As he looks to the future, Vikrant has a unique vision for retirement: “I’m planning to take up further education,” he said. “I will be a lifelong student of mathematics.”
Vikrant’s journey from the streets of Bombay to the vast LNG project of Port Arthur is a testament to his resilience, his passion for learning, and his unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on the world.