Tech-Knowledge in Construction

RAMNATH VELAMATI, Managing Trustee, Empower MSME Trust, writes on the need of addressing the needs of smaller companies, which will ultimately benefit the infrastructure, construction and real estate sectors.

The Indian construction sector has been going through challenging times for the past several years. But for a few major construction companies who have been adapting contemporary methods of construction by bringing in digital design and machine led construction, many of the companies especially in the MSME sector have not been able to upgrade their systems and processes in line with globally emerging standards. 

This has led to a non-level playing field for the smaller and midsize players in the infrastructure, construction and real estate sectors that are unorganiSed and unable to employ skilled workmen with knowledge of advanced construction technologies, arrange project finance at competitive rates, and are also unable to buy modern construction equipment. 

Structural changes introduced by the government through demonetisation, introduction of GST and the RERA have further impacted the operations of the smaller companies. While India, as a developing country needs to rise to global standards to reach the status of a developed country, the transitional difficulties have been a death knell for this sector. 

There is, therefore, an imminent need to bring in the required knowledge and technologies into the sector to improve the quality of construction, reduce time to construct and introduce more equipment to transform the sector and bring in “ease of construction”. 

Empower MSME Trust (EMT), a social enterprise, has been in the forefront in engaging the construction industry in adapting to global standards and practices. With over four decades of experience in the infrastructure, construction and real estate sectors, I have been propagating the transformation of the sector to an industry status with a focused approach to bring in pre-cast and steel framed structural construction. As former chairman of AP-RERA, I have given several insights with respect to various regulatory factors, procedures and practices with a distinct knowledge in construction and advance construction technologies. I believe that adapting to factory fabricated or cast elements is the need of the hour to reduce dependence on unskilled and not so skilled workmen who have been going through severe hardships on account of the current pandemic. 

In this context, it is heartening to note that Government of Punjab has taken a very progressive initiative to plan building of India’s largest construction equipment and building material park at Rajpura, to introduce to the sector advanced construction technologies, digitally driven building planning through introduction of BIM (Building Information Modelling) leading to ML, VR, AR, AI and IoT led methodologies. Introduction to modern equipment, materials and processes and procedures is also on the agenda of the government. This unique initiative will largely benefit the infrastructure, construction and real estate sectors, especially addressing the needs of the smaller companies. 

Another crown in the planning of Punjab is to assess the demand of the sector first and custom design the industrial park in accordance with demands and needs of the sector. 

“Empower MSME” has been assigned the task to gauge the demand on the construction sector for participating in the appropriate verticals of the park. The park is planned to offer facilities for transfer of knowledge and technology through education, training and skill development, introduce modern construction equipment for display and onsite training along with facilities for leasing or renting equipment at affordable costs for small and midsize companies. A large multi-level infrastructure for display and trade of the entire range of building materials and mini R&D facilities are also being provided. Appropriate warehousing and logistics with affordable housing for workforce accommodation and migrant workers’ rental housing are the hallmark of this facility. 

Empower would like to appeal to the construction sector to strengthen this initiative of the Government of Punjab, which will be a boon to all members of this strong pillar of the Indian economy.