~ October 15-16th, 2020 ~It is true that the impact of COVID-19 impact on India Inc in FY2020 was only for a few days – the last two weeks of March. But many would agree that the Indian economy was already in trouble and COVID-19 only exposed the fault lines.Nevertheless, despite all the obstacles, uncertainties and challenges, a few entities managed to persevere and prevail, posting growth and exhibiting excellence, keeping their growth intact. And these are the companies, from the universe of construction, contracting, engineering, building materials and construction equipment that the Foundation of Infrastructure Research Studies Training (FIRST) honours– many of whom will be awarded for their outstanding work at the 6thINDIA CONSTRUCTION FESTIVAL2020.Organised by FIRST Construction Council and Construction World magazine, the INDIA CONSTRUCTION FESTIVAL has seen participation of the entire Indian construction industry. The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has lauded this platform for its ability and intention of showcasing the best and encouraging the industry by setting standards of excellence.The India Construction Festival Online, to be held virtually for the first time ever due to the ongoing pandemic, on October 15-16, 2020, will comprise four sub-events:EventDateTime10th India Roads Conference: Panel 1 – Implementation of roads and highways proposed under Bharatmala and expressways15th October3:30-4:30 pm10th India Roads Conference: Panel 2 – Financing road projects for HAM and EPC companies – Challenges& Mitigation15th October4:30-5:30 pm8th Equipment India Awards15th October5:30-6.30 pmConstruction World Leadership Summit: Building Growth in a COVID Economy16th October4:30-5:30 pm18th Construction World Global Awards16th October5:30-7.00 pmDr Sukhbir Sandhu, Chairman, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), will be the Chief Guest at the INDIA CONSTRUCTION FESTIVAL to be held on October 15-16.Once again, the Festival has the partnership of New York-based Engineering News-Record magazine, popularly known as ENR – the world’s oldest and largest circulated engineering magazine – to honour and felicitate not only India’s fastest growing construction companies, India’s Top Challengers and India’s Bestselling Equipment Companies but also felicitating Global Leading Design and Engineering Firms.Last year, the INDIA CONSTRUCTION FESTIVAL was a celebration of victory! More than 60 awards and honours were conferred upon leading Construction Companies, Global Design and Engineering Firms and Building Materials and Equipment Companies (See box for Winners of 2019).And, this year too, we will bestow a similar number of awards on deserving companies.While the assessment criterion for the EQUIPMENT INDIA Awards is based on sales; the CONSTRUCTION WORLD Global Awards follows a statistical model developed by FCC to analyse and present India's Fastest Growing Construction Companies. The model uses financial data of the last six year, and companies are categorised under 'Large Category' if the turnover for the current year is greater than Rs75billion, under 'Medium Category' if the turnover is over Rs20billion but under Rs75 billion, and under 'Small Category' if the turnover is under Rs20billion, but over Rs 2 billion. The analysis for both awards is then presented to an eminent jury (independent jury panels for both award categories) to finalise the set of winners from among the shortlisted companies. These are India's first and most prestigious awards recognising the contribution of the construction industry. These are the only set of awards that rank companies based on their financials and profitability.Further, handpicked by the jury for outstanding contribution to their industry, CONSTRUCTION WORLD Global Awards will once again recognise the ‘CONSTRUCTION WORLD Person of the Year 2020’ in the Public Sector as well as the Private Sector. Further, at the two-day event, the EQUIPMENT INDIA Awards will also recognise the ‘EQUIPMENT INDIA Person of the Year 2020’ title!FIRST has also created another model for the Top Challengers Awards where companies including infrastructure developers, building materials and construction equipment are also considered and selected on the basis of their ability to grow over the previous year despite challenging circumstances. These companies too will be recognised at the CONSTRUCTION WORLD Global Awards.This year, the esteemed Jury Advisory Panel for the 18th CONSTRUCTION WORLD GLOBAL AWARDS virtually met on 17th September, members of which included:Benjamin Breen, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Global Head of Construction, Project Management InstituteFarid Ahmed, Divisional Head Marketing – OHT, Apollo TyresMohamed Ali Janah, President, IFAWPCA, MaldivesPradeep Singh, Former Vice Chairman, IDFC ProjectsRK Narayan, COO, Allcargo Logistics ParkVijay Agrawal, Executive Director, Equirus CapitalVipul Roongta, Managing Director and CEO, HDFC Capital AdvisorsAnd, the esteemed Jury Advisory Panel for the 8th EQUIPMENT INDIA AWARDS virtually met on 24th September; members included:Anant Raj Kanoria, CEO, iQuippoArun Sahai, COO, Ahluwalia Contracts (India)Devendra Kumar Vyas, Managing Director, Srei Equipment FinanceFarid Ahmed, Divisional Head Marketing – OHT, Apollo TyresGaurav Tiwari, GM – Mech, Dilip BuildconHS Mohan, CEO, Infrastructure Equipment Skill CouncilKennady V Kaippally, Country Manager, Bonfiglioli TransmissionsMahesh Madhavan, Head - Construction & Infra Practice, Feedback AdvisoryNeeravParmar, Senior Vice President - Contracts and Procurement, Shapoorji PallonjiSameer Malhotra, Director & CEO, Shriram Automall IndiaSamip Desai, Director, Moba Mobile Automation (India)Samir Bansal, GM India, Off-Highway ResearchSandip Shah, AVP-Head, Contracts & Procurement, Omkar RealtorsSanjay Koul, Managing Director, Timken IndiaSanjeev Nimkar, Managing Director, Kirloskar Oil EnginesSo tune in on October 15th and 16th as we unveil this year’s winners at the INDIA CONSTRUCTION FESTIVAL–the CONSTRUCTION WORLD Person of the Year 2020 in the Public Sector; CONSTRUCTION WORLD Person of the Year 2020 in the Private Sector; India’s Largest and Most Profitable Construction Contractor; India’s Fastest Growing Construction Companies; India’s Fastest Growing Steel Companies; India’s Fastest Growing Paint Companies; India’s Fastest Growing Tile, Ceramic & Sanitaryware Companies; India’s Top Challengers; ENR Top International Design Firms; ENR Top International Contracting Firms; Equipment India Person of the Year 2020; Bestseller in Asphalt Finishers; Bestseller in Backhoe Loaders; Bestseller in Compaction Equipment; Bestseller in Crawler Dozers; Bestseller in Rigid Dump Trucks; Bestseller in Crawler Excavators; Bestseller in Mini Excavators; Bestseller in Mobile Cranes; Bestseller in Motor Graders; Bestseller in Wheeled Loaders; Bestseller in Skid-steer Loaders; Best Debutant Award; Best Innovation Award.Winners at the CONSTRUCTION WORLD Global Awards 2019CW Person of the Year - Public:Kumar Keshav, Managing Director, Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation CW Person of the Year - Private:Sridhar Chinta, Managing Director, Navayuga Engineering CompanyLargest Construction Contractor:L&T Fastest Growing Construction Companies (Large): 1st Rank Tata Projects2nd Rank Afcons Infrastructure3rd Rank NCC 3rd Rank Dilip BuildconFastest Growing Construction Companies (Medium):1st Rank GR Infraprojects2nd Rank APCO Infratech2nd Rank Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon3rd Rank Ashoka BuildconFastest Growing Construction Companies (Small):1st Rank Welspun Enterprises 2nd Rank PSP Projects3rd Rank GHV GroupFastest Growing Cement Companies (Large):1st Rank UltraTech Cement2nd Rank Shree Cement3rd Rank Dalmia Bharat 3rd Rank ACCFastest Growing Cement Companies (Medium):1st Rank JK Lakshmi Cement2nd Rank Birla Corporation3rd Rank Heidelberg CementFastest Growing Steel Companies (Large):1st Rank Tata Steel 1st Rank JSW Steel (Largest Steel Company)2nd Rank SAILFastest Growing Steel Companies (Small):1st Rank Kirloskar Ferrous2nd Rank Lloyds Metals3rd Rank Sunflag IronFastest Growing Paint Companies:1st Rank Berger Paints India2nd Rank Asian Paints3rd Rank Kansai NerolacFastest Growing Tile, Ceramic & Sanitaryware Companies:1st Rank Cera Sanitaryware2nd Rank HSIL3rd Rank Kajaria CeramicsTop Challengers (in no order of ranking)Bharat Road Network Capacit’eInfraprojects Electrotherm India GallanttIspat Gayatri Projects HIL J Kumar Infraprojects JMC Projects (India) PNC Infratech PSP Projects Rail Vikas Nigam Welspun Enterprises ENR Top International Design Firms honoured:AECOM: 4th rankARUP: 13th rankBechtel: 42nd rankBlack & Veatch: 36th rankLarsen & Toubro: 28th rankLouis Berger: 98th rankShapoorjiPallonji and Company: 178th rankTata Consulting Engineers: 127th rankTata Projects: 207th rankENR Top International Contracting Firms honoured: AECOM: 70th rankAfcons Infrastructure: 136th rankBechtel: 13th rankBlack & Veatch: 134th rankLarsen & Toubro: 25th rankShanghai Urban Construction (Group) Corp: 155th rankShapoorji Pallonji and Company: 62nd rankTata Projects: 249th rankWinners at the EQUIPMENT INDIA Awards 2019Equipment India Lifetime Achievement Award 2019:Sumit Mazumder, Chairman & Managing Director, TILEquipment India Person of the Year 2019:Vijay Agarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, Action Construction EquipmentBestseller in Asphalt Finishers:Ammann IndiaBestseller in Backhoe Loaders:JCB IndiaBestseller in Compaction Equipment:CASE IndiaBestseller in Crawler Dozers:BEMLBestseller in Rigid Dump Trucks:BEMLBestseller in Crawler Excavators:Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery CompanyBestseller in Mini Excavators:Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery CompanyBestseller in Mobile Compressors:Atlas Copco (India)Bestseller in Mobile Cranes:Action Construction EquipmentBestseller in Motor Graders:Caterpillar IndiaBestseller in Wheeled Loaders:Caterpillar IndiaBestseller in Skid-steer Loaders:Doosan Bobcat IndiaBest Debutant Award:Escorts Construction EquipmentBest Innovation Award:JCB India