Maa Karni Infratech: Adopting New Technologies to Build Sustainable Roads

Maa Karni Infratech is committed to advancing sustainable road construction in India through the adoption of innovative materials, technologies, and industry best practices.
Rohit Agarwal - Director, Maa Karni Infratech
What smart and sustainable road construction practices can the Indian industry follow for sustained growth and development of high-quality roads and highways?
As a growing economy and developing country, India has a good scope for infrastructure development, including smart and sustainable roads. The government has a clear vision to promote smart roads that are self-sustaining, which can result in substantial savings on reconstruction and further capital investments.
Currently, the government is increasing the average lifespan of highways by extending the defect liability period and the maintenance period. Instead of continually investing in new infrastructure, a more efficient approach is to redevelop and reconstruct existing infrastructure. This will not only save money but also maximize the utility of the existing assets.
There is a lot to learn from international markets, especially from technological giants like Germany and Japan. For instance, the cold milling technology used in these countries involves recycling existing roads and repaving them with asphalt pavement. This method saves energy, raw materials, resources, time, and costs. The Indian government is increasingly focusing on such technologies to make roads self-sustaining and improve their longevity and efficiency.

What innovative materials and technologies can India’s road construction industry adopt to build smart and sustainable roads and highways, and how can the government support the industry in using green building materials including industrial by-products?
There has been a growing trend in the use of innovative materials such as fibres and plastics in road construction. By integrating these materials, we can enhance the strength and durability of roads while addressing the major issue of plastic waste, which is difficult to decompose. This approach not only resolves the durability concerns but also provides a sustainable solution to the problem of waste management. In addition to plastic, materials like fly ash are becoming essential components in the green building initiative.
The government incentivizes the use of green building materials by offering certifications that can save money and enhance eligibility for new tenders. The use of fly ash bricks and other fly ash materials is now mandatory in the country. For instance, in concrete highways, the IS codes permit up to 30% blending of fly ash. This is particularly beneficial in regions with an abundant supply of fly ash, such as the western part of the country and areas near coal plants. The inclusion of fly ash not only reduces costs but also improves the durability and eco-friendliness of the infrastructure. As a result, contractors are increasingly prioritizing eco-friendly materials. This shift not only helps protect the environment but also optimizes resources and planning.
The government is actively promoting these sustainable practices through tender requirements and other incentives. This focus on recycling, soil stabilization techniques, and the use of advanced materials underscores the commitment to building a more sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure. In some tenders, fulfilling certain conditions is mandatory. Technologies pioneered by Germany and other countries are being adopted, allowing significant savings in fuel, time, manpower, and resources. By recycling and reusing existing materials on-site, substantial transportation, mining, and aggregate costs are eliminated, along with the associated energy losses from producing and transporting new materials. This not only reduces costs but also saves time.
India is making remarkable progress in soil stabilization and other advanced recycling techniques. For instance, soil stabilization machines can perform ten times the amount of work in a fraction of the time, significantly enhancing efficiency. Consequently, prioritizing eco-friendly materials and deploying advanced technologies such as milling, recycling asphalt pavement (RAP), and soil stabilization are becoming standard practices.
Regarding asphalt production, recent advancements allow for higher recycling rates. Current codes permit up to 60-70% recycling of existing asphalt pavement material using double down tracking blending techniques. This is a significant increase from the previous 30%, resulting in substantial cost savings. Using these eco-friendly and advanced recycling methods, India is setting a strong example in sustainable infrastructure development.

What are the challenges faced by road contractors in India in the adoption of eco-friendly materials?
The primary challenge lies not in the adoption of eco-friendly materials and advanced technologies but in raising awareness and aligning current codes and practices with these innovations. For example, while the IS code may allow up to 30% usage of fly ash, specific tender conditions may restrict it to 15%, limiting the potential for greater sustainability. This discrepancy can challenge the broader adoption of eco-friendly materials.
While the government is actively promoting the use of sustainable materials, the initial capital investment for advanced machinery, such as soil stabilizers and milling machines, is much higher. Currently, India lacks domestic manufacturing facilities for these specialized machines, which are primarily produced by multinational companies in Germany and other countries.
Consequently, contractors face significant costs related to importation, including manufacturing, transportation, and associated duties. This high initial investment makes it challenging for smaller contractors to afford these advanced machines. Larger contractors with substantial turnover can manage these costs, but smaller ones struggle to do so, which limits the widespread adoption of these technologies. Establishing manufacturing facilities for these machines in India could significantly reduce costs, making these technologies more accessible to a broader range of contractors and potentially doubling the adoption rate of eco-friendly practices.
Therefore, while the government's policies and the available technologies are progressive, overcoming these financial and regulatory hurdles is essential to fully realize the potential of sustainable infrastructure development in India.
Smart technologies such as LiDAR, drones, and GPS are enhancing project planning, execution, and monitoring processes. How is Maa Karni Infratech leveraging such technologies?
Our major priorities are time saving and work progress because we receive early bonuses for completing projects ahead of time. It is very difficult to rely solely on manpower and labour for completing projects, so we mostly depend on automation and technology to make everything easier and more convenient, and to execute projects more efficiently.
We have made significant investments to resolve specific issues that can only be solved through automation and technology. About 7 to 8 years ago, we installed GPS in our fleet, making it an essential and mandatory tool to track our machines and monitor our progress. Currently, we are focusing on driver and operator comfort programs. Various technologies, such as sensor and data analysis, provide us with operator behaviour data, which help us improve efficiency and, ultimately, project progress.
Technologies like LiDAR, drones, and ADAS are trending these days. Fuel filtration sensors for products like diesel, bitumen, and steel, which constitute significant amounts in projects, help address pilferage issues. Automation and related technologies help us to reduce / eliminate losses through pilferage.
We are looking forward to adopting more new technologies. If there are any ongoing resources or initiatives in this field, we are ready to collaborate with those teams to provide a real and live platform for experimenting and executing their research.
Drones are now being used in projects for various purposes. For instance, when a project is completed, we may want to film the project for presentations to showcase the actual work. If a stretch of highway is 50 kms long, it is impossible to see the entire stretch in a single shot. However, if you film the 50 kms in 5 minutes, you can easily view the entire stretch on your mobile phone. Live drones serve multiple purposes: they help us get our bills cleared by providing visual proof of progress, and they allow us to monitor and track the project's progress in real time.
Besides construction equipment, what value added services are OEMs offering contractors?
These days, equipment manufacturers are focusing more on the service aspect of their business. While they continue to conduct R&D on new products and technologies, their emphasis is on providing a complete solution rather than just selling a product. They offer on-site support through manpower and frequently send new demo machines to gather feedback and monitor the progress of their machines on-site. By performing data analytics, they aim to identify and eliminate any loopholes in their systems, thus continuously improving their technology.
We also support them by providing convenience and facilities for their engineers, allowing them to easily travel and stay at our sites. They supply labour, manpower, and equipment to enhance the performance of their machines and address any issues. For example, with a soil compactor, if the work can be reduced from eight passes to five, we communicate this target to them. They then come on-site to check the mode we are using, such as vibration and oscillation, and provide guidance.
An important aspect of their support is the training of our operators and drivers. They provide on-site training and have special programs where they invite our drivers and operators to their factories for comprehensive training, ensuring that the machinery is used effectively and efficiently.
Basically, it's about the return on investment. Whenever we invest in new machines or purchase new equipment, we consider the capital investment and operating costs. We also evaluate the returns we are getting from that particular machine in terms of work progress, time savings, interest associated with our running bills, and overheads such as employee salaries. There are both direct and indirect expenses associated with these investments.
Most of the time, it is beneficial to invest in high-tech equipment, but this depends on the type of application and the scale of the project. For large projects, such as those worth 500 crores or 1000 crores, investing in high-tech equipment is recommended. For smaller projects, the decision depends on the specific situation and project requirements.
What is the way forward to ensure sustained growth of road infra construction industry?
The way forward should be a win-win situation for both the client and the contractor. We should aim for a common consensus through regular meetings with various departments, where we can discuss and explore different suggestions, options, and methods. Both parties can work together to make the implementation of new technologies and construction practices more sustainable in the long term.
I believe that the government is focusing on automating road construction and fostering exponential growth in the field through use of advanced technologies and various resources. They are adopting good practices already established in the global market.
At Maa Karni Infratech, our future direction is clear. We are very open to new technologies and experimentation. We are always ready to try unconventional methods that are not yet widely practiced. We have a dedicated R&D and technical team that continuously conduct new experiments and incorporate feedback from site demos. This approach ensures that we remain at the forefront of innovation in our field.
Focusing on automation and eco-friendly practices is crucial for the future of construction. Additionally, adopting technologies and best practices from countries where they are already in use can greatly benefit our industry. Even if we don't have the infrastructure to build certain types of machines, we can still implement design elements and concepts from these countries.
We believe that leading by example and innovating in our own right, we can contribute to the advancement of our industry. Addressing issues such as the lack of adherence to lane systems by implementing sensor technologies to enforce lane discipline on highways can significantly reduce accidents and optimize the use of our infrastructure. There are companies working on solutions for this issue, and collaborating with them could lead to significant improvements in road safety and efficiency in the long run.