TECHNOLOGY,
THE SPRINGBOARD
TO MEET OUR LAKSHYA
Dear Colleague,
Delivering to ‘Speed & Scale’ is what we are known for, but the projects that we are now executing, with more in the pipeline, are redefining both pace and complexity of execution. Mega projects require strong leaders, refined project execution skills, the ability to multi-task, manage multiple issues simultaneously and a mindset to welcome and embrace the ‘new’. Be it the mammoth High Speed Rail project, the solar projects in Saudi Arabia, the hugely challenging railway project in the Himalayas or the transmission line railway project in Jammu & Kashmir; the Bandra STP or the Central Secretariat; or even the several metro projects we are executing in various cities, both in India and overseas – all require a new and bolder approach and entirely fresh techniques and methods to succeed.
By 3D concrete printing a full-fledged flat at our Innovation Towers campus in Chennai, we have shown to the world that we are ready with 3D concrete printing technology and have perfected the art of creating a specialized concrete mix to speedily deliver made-to-order structures anywhere, anytime. Now, we need to drive home this advantage, capture both the imagination of our customers and the market to make a difference to our bottom line. This cannot be a one-off. We must have a whole suite of technology solutions to maintain our competitive edge with our customers.
TECHNOLOGY THE PRIME DIFFERENTIATOR
Technology, therefore, must be our springboard to meet our Lakshya goals, the prime differentiator that will improve our productivity & delivery, cut costs, reduce wastage, cut execution time, and thereby enhance our efficiencies. This is imperative to hold our own as clients are demanding more, delivery times are being crunched, and our margins squeezed. Starting with the site leadership, each one of us has a critical role to drive the adoption of digitalization in every sphere of project work for which it is equally critical to create and cultivate a digital mindset.
We cannot go digital if we are not prepared to shed our old ways and embrace new ones that are in sync with the times. It is a law of nature that the old must give way to the new; let’s follow it too. The young are more open to and can welcome change faster, for they carry little baggage. Let them take the lead in this huge change management exercise. Give them more responsibility, make them more accountable, and help them to become better leaders of tomorrow.
We have given the onus of leading projects to several budding talent and with time, the organization will be much the stronger, the leadership pipeline much the richer for it.
This issue of ECC News celebrates several young talent who have risen to the challenge, overcome the many disruptions with the support of their seniors and colleagues, to push progress and win accolades from their customers and key stakeholders. Kudos to all of them! This tribe must grow, and quickly. We need several more of such talent, with a healthy mix of the young and the mature, to lead the charge and take us forward in the pursuit of our Lakshya.
ON A GOOD WICKET; MORE TO BE DONE
The good news is that almost at the end of H1, we are certainly on the high road to gaining back the ground we had lost earlier due to a series of disruptions. Now, with the monsoons abating, we should be ready to push forward with vigor across all fronts to show impressive progress and, in several cases, hand over projects, duly completed on all counts, to safety and quality.
Much has been said about our Mission Zero Harm; just that we need to make it a reality. We cannot afford the LTIs we have been seeing across businesses, for they are all pulling us down. The EHS Council has been advocating better training modules and more focused behaviour-based training, which are imperative to achieve zero fatality.
With the experience and expertise we have garnered over the years, we are a rich storehouse of knowledge. We must continuously invent ways to share this knowledge across the organization. There should never be a need to reinvent the wheel because we have seen it all, done them all. Knowledge is another differentiator that can give us a decisive edge in the marketplace.
It is heartening that we have been mopping up several awards especially in the HR space that are acknowledging our best and robust human resources management & talent development practices. Even as the world recognizes and congratulates us for them, it is imperative that with these, we create the right set of people to achieve our goals.
The opportunities are many, and the field, though crowded, is not as well-equipped or well-prepared as us. We have the edge. Let’s take full advantage of it.
All the best!
A HISTORIC SIGNING FOR INDIA’S LARGEST EPC MANDATE TILL DATE
November 26th 2020 was a red letter day both for the Indian infrastructure sector and for us as the contract for the largest EPC order awarded in the country till date was signed between L&T and the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited. As our CEO & Managing Director, Mr S N Subrahmanyan described, “this order reflects an inflection point in the revival of India’s infrastructure sector and the first sure shot indication that our economy is up and running.” For L&T, it represents a great opportunity to make up for lost ground due to the pandemic and reaffirm our status as India’s foremost construction organization.
The mandate is for the design and construction of 237 km of viaduct between Vapi and Vadodara in Gujarat, four stations, a depot at Surat, 14 river, 6 railway & 42 road crossings and a 350 M long mountain tunnel.
“This project will give a huge thrust to economic and social development,” declared Whole Time Director & Senior Executive Vice
President (Civil Infrastructure), S V Desai, for whom and his team, the mandate is not only a huge win but an even bigger responsibility. “The project will generate employment for professionals like engineers, technicians, designers, architects and create livelihoods for skilled and semi-skilled workforce and construction workers. It will boost demand for construction material and machinery and even ancillary industries like hospitality, entertainment, health, tourism, real estate & housing and education will flourish during the construction phase,” he elaborated.