From the Desk of SNS
Celebrating our ‘Back-to-Action’ heroes, many unsung!
Dear Colleagues,
The good news is that all the pandemic disruptions now seem behind us and thanks to all our planning and collective preparations during the lockdown, we have been able to move quickly from standstill to full flight. Of course, it has taken guts, courage, self-belief, and a conviction that we are all in it together with the result we have emerged even stronger, leaner, more agile, and better equipped to face the new normal. Not only have we proved it to ourselves but reaffirmed to the world that we are an organization with depth, strength of character and resolve to win against any odds.
Not only have we proved it to ourselves but reaffirmed to the world that we are an organization with depth, strength of character and resolve to win against any odds.
The largest order win – an even bigger responsibility
Speaking of winning, bagging two of the largest packages of the Bullet Train project, one of them the largest EPC project awarded till date in the country, cumulatively for almost INR 32,000 Crores is the best shot in the arm for Indian infrastructure and perhaps the first sure sign that the Indian economy is up and running again. For us, it represents another opportunity to execute timely to speed, scale, quality, and safety. Of course, it will certainly seriously test our project design, engineering, planning and execution capabilities, our skills at client & consultant management, procurement, talent acquisition, dealing with the media, the locals, and a whole host of other aspects. Our focused efforts to increase digitalization across our various businesses must be taken to a new level. It will require us to have a wide, macro perspective as well as a worm’s view, with a sharp eye for detail. We can draw confidence from our track record for having been there and done it, but at the same time, we must tread carefully to get it right first time, always.
It will require us to have a wide, macro perspective as well as a worm’s view, with a sharp eye for detail. We can draw confidence from our track record for having been there and done it, but at the same time, we must tread carefully to get it right first time, always.
Material and machinery are vital, Men even more so. We must be ready to take on any assignment, shoulder greater responsibility, be more accountable and flexible to succeed. Apart from drawing the best available inhouse talent, we need a sharp, focused, and precise strategy to onboard fresh talent that are the best in the industry. Am sure our successful strategy to re-mobilize labour after the lockdown should hold us in good stead to get the right mix and quantum of workmen for this mega project.
Successfully re-mobilizing 1,50,000 workmen
A huge triumph for us has been our success to re-mobilize close to 1,50,000 fresh labour across sites and geographies, to cover the shortfall caused by the migrant labour exodus before and after the lockdown. With foresight and a specially formed Task Force, we adopted a multi-pronged approach to identify and bring labour to our sites without depending completely only on our subcontractor network.
We stationed our people at different locations in the prime catchment areas of the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh, visited even small villages, interacted with Sarpanches and Gram Pradhans to source workmen while our motivational videos helped convince the fresh workmen that L&T cared for its workmen during these testing times. Even with interstate and intrastate movement at a standstill, we were still able to move people through specially arranged buses, trains and, in some cases, by air. Our concerted efforts resulted in our workmen strength increasing to 200,000 by August and we are already touching 220,000. Yet again we proved that where there is a will, there is a way.
Digitalization helps win the day
Our journey of digital transformation paid us rich dividends as our digital solutions helped us drive efficiencies across various fronts. Apart from superior project planning, execution, monitoring, material tracking and the like, the WISA (Workmen’s Induction & Skills Application) digital tool proved to be a boon for the humungous workmen remobilization effort. With a complete induction process in place that included an intelligent database and digital health screening, we had the means to readily reach out to our workmen and convince them to return to work. The largely ‘raw’ re-mobilized labour, with very little orientation towards construction, were effectively inducted and trained through AR & VR modules to prepare them to be productive at sites quicker while ‘ViewEHS’ ensured that they worked safely.
Celebrating our heroes, several unsung
All of this was only possible because of your effort, commitment, and passion. This issue of ECC NEWS profiles only 90 ‘Back to Action’ heroes, chosen by the various businesses and projects, for their exemplary work during a crisis.
This issue celebrates all you unsung heroes. We, as an organization, recognize your sacrifices, appreciate your selfless effort, and acknowledge that you have proved yet again that our people are our prime movers! Do take a bow!
There are however thousands of you out there across projects, across geographies who went out of your way to answer the call of duty, braving the dangerous situation, overcoming several restrictions, managing worried and agitated loved ones, to regularly travel to sites or offices to maintain progress. This issue celebrates all you unsung heroes. We, as an organization, recognize your sacrifices, appreciate your selfless effort, and acknowledge that you have proved yet again that our people are our prime movers! Do take a bow!
No looking back. Only pushing forward.
We have done very well. There should be no looking back. We must forge aggressively forward. Faster execution, prompt invoicing, more aggressive collections, and many more flawless handovers. The orders have begun to come, and it is in our hands to write our destiny. Our mantra going forward remains the same:
Drive progress. Collect cash. Keep performing.
S.N. Subrahmanyan
CEO & MD
Larsen & Toubro
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.