Kshitish Nadgauda, Senior VP & MD (Asia), Louis Berger

With the number of mammoth and complex projects being launched, contractors and consultants will need to invest more time and money in training project managers and other key staff to ensure that they are able to effectively lead and manage such projects.

Opportunities & Challenges

The infrastructure boom that commenced around 2016 is expected to continue unabated, especially following the recent elections and the government’s determined focus on the exponential augmentation of civil infrastructure. Not only will the number of opportunities grow exponentially, but the scale, magnitude and complexity of projects will be unparalleled and unprecedented.

Construction companies as well as consultants in India will need to gear up and adapt to more sophisticated project management and control techniques to meet the demands of such mammoth and complex projects. All stakeholders must work together in a collaborative rather than confrontational manner to ensure that projects are completed on schedule and within budget. Contractors and consultants will need to have intense focus on training and development, given the anticipated shortage of experienced technical and managerial resources.

Project Managerial Skills

Louis Berger is a leading infrastructure consultant providing study, design and project and construction management services across a wide range of infrastructure sectors. We work closely with all stakeholders, including owners/clients and contractors. We have a keen understanding of the issues faced on infrastructure projects including highways/expressways, major bridges, tunnels, rail, metro rail, and airports.


With the larger number of mammoth and complex projects being launched, contractors and consultants will need to invest much more time and money than before in training project managers and other key staff to ensure that they are able to effectively lead and manage such projects. The use of project management software and technologies will need to be increased, including scheduling and monitoring programs and techniques, site inspection and approval tools, etc.

Louis Berger has developed a training and certification program for Project Managers, before being assigned these projects. By using sophisticated tools and techniques, the overall construction cost would surely be optimized.


Modern Tools & Techniques in Construction

It is critically important for contractors in India to adopt newer technologies given the scale, magnitude and complexity of projects. Examples include use of TBMs for tunnelling, sophisticated fabrication software for steel bridge elements, state-of-the-art asphalt paving equipment and techniques, BIM technology to efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage infrastructure projects, and so on.

The implementation of such newer technologies has already dramatically improved adherence to project schedules and helped in maintaining budgets. The quality of construction has also witnessed significant improvement through use of modern techniques. Last but not the least, jobsites have become safer for workers as well as the public.


Order Book

During 2018-2019, we focused on the delivery aspects of the major projects that we had secured in the previous year and which were getting off the ground in 2018. These included major bridge and tunnel projects, and metro rail projects. The roll-out of tenders for new projects was slow in 2018-2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Currently, we have a robust Order Book with several major and minor projects in hand. We are now keen to expand in all sectors over the next 4-5 years, mirroring the anticipated upsurge in the number and size of infrastructure projects to be launched. We are keen to pursue work in the Ports sector as well. We are continuously on the lookout for good quality technical and managerial resources.