India Construction Festival 2012

The event brought together the movers and shakers of the industry.It has always been ASAPP Media’s endeavour to provide a common platform for stakeholders in the infrastructure, construction and allied sectors to air their views, share concerns, ideate future strategies and, of course, celebrate excellence. That was the genesis of the India Construction Festival, the first edition of which was held from September 12-15 in New Delhi. This landmark event was a great success, with the movers of shakers of the concerned sectors in attendance, networking and expressing their views with candour.The Festival comprised three key elements: the Infrastructure Today Leadership Summit held on September 12 and 13; the 10th Annual Construction World Global Awards on the evening of September 12 (read our report on page 72); and the 4th Equipment India Conference on September 14 and 15.The theme of the Infrastructure Today Leadership Summit was ‘The gaps between vision and reality in infrastructure’s voyage of learning’. Following a welcome address by Pratap Vijay Padode, Editor-in-Chief, Infrastructure Today and Managing Director, ASAPP Media, and keynote address by Atul Tandan, Chairman, ASAPP Media, guest of honour AK Upadhay, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, spoke about the vision and mission for infrastructure in India’s current Five-Year Plan and opportunities in infrastructure for private and international participation. There were a variety of illuminating sessions on ‘India’s infrastructure planning, policy and regulation’, moderated by Vinayak Chatterjee, Chairman, Feedback Infrastructure; ‘The power dilemma’, moderated by Sambitosh Mohapatra, Executive Director-Energy & Utilities, PwC; ‘Urban infrastructure’, moderated by Vinayak Despande, Managing Director, TATA Projects Ltd; ‘Airports’, moderated by Kapil Kaul, CEO-South Asia, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation; ‘Finance’, moderated by Luis Miranda, Chairman, Board of Advisor, Centre for Civil Society; ‘Roads’, moderated by Raghav Chandra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road, Surface Transport & Highways; ‘Rail’, moderated by RC Acharya, Former Member-Mechanical, Railway Board; and ‘Real Estate’, moderated by Harinder Dhillion, Senior Vice President, Sales, Raheja Developers Ltd.At the 4th Annual Equipment India Conference, held on days three and four of the Indian Construction Festival, stalwarts of the construction equipment industry deliberated on green initiatives – energy and fuel efficient equipment and machinery.Following a welcome address by Pratap Padode, the theme address was given by Vikram Sharma, Managing Director & CEO, Kobelco Construction Equipment Pvt Ltd.Samir Bansal, General Manager-India, Off Highway Research Pvt Ltd, offered an overview and sales forecast of the industry. Despite the current ‘lean phase’, he emphasised, “With an investment of nearly $1 trillion on infrastructure planned by the government in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, high long-term growth prospects of the construction equipment industry are very positive indeed.” Further, two keynote addresses were delivered: AM Muralidharan, President, Volvo Construction Equipment India Ltd, spoke of ‘Changing technology trends’ – “Whatever is good for the environment is good for business,” he emphasised – while Jehangir Ardeshir, President & Managing Director, Terex India Ltd, spoke of the ‘Challenges faced by the sector’. The sessions included ‘Green initiatives’, moderated by Premraj Keshyep, Managing Director, Conmat Systems Pvt Ltd; ‘Mining challenges’, moderated by Dr D Chakravarty, Associate Professor, Department of Mining, IIT Kharagpur; ‘Innovative methods of financing’, moderated by HS Bhattacharjya, CEO, Quippo Construction Equipment Ltd & Quippo Valuers & Auctioneers Pvt Ltd; a panel discussion on the ‘User industries’ perspective’, moderated by Hemant Mathur, Head-Construction Equipment Business, Larsen & Toubro Ltd.An interactive end to a most interactive event – this festival was indeed a celebration of the business of building India. See you next year!