Headquartered in New Delhi, NKG Infrastructure has been constructing projects pan-India across segments including buildings, bridges, roads, power, waterworks and sustainable energy. With opportunities in the healthcare segments being a major area of focus, the company is also working towards the successful completion of the upcoming tourist destination, Bharat Vandana Park. SHRIYAL SETHUMADHAVAN virtually connects with Ankit Goyal, Director, NKG Infrastructure, to understand opportunities in the healthcare segment, the company’s upcoming projects, technology in use, and more….What were the major challenges that impacted project execution and how did you approach the same?The biggest challenge during COVID times was the lockdown, where construction could not be carried out at site. However, we utilised that time to do a lot of planning. Government contracts involve seeking approvals from clients and consultants. So we focused on seeking approvals for drawings and data sheets within the timeframe. We also went ahead and placed orders to vendors, and all of this came well within the realm of work from home. This ensured high morale of the staff as most labour and staff were restricted within a particular construction site. We also periodically carried out medical camps. We had resident doctors in place and tied up with local hospitals in case of any emergency. We also vaccinated nearly all our labour and staff, at our cost, and ensuredtheir safety during the time they stayed at site.Another challenge we faced was interstate movement of goods and people. Most of our work is for the healthcare sector and government projects. We took exemptions from local authorities, got e-passes made and ensured availability of maximum staff and labour to keep work going at our sites.The pandemic has certainly given a boost to medical infrastructure in the country. And NKG Infra has been a key contributor in this area. Please tell us about your key projects.We have been delivering projects in the healthcare space for the past 15-20 years. In the recent past, we have executed more than 15 projects. Some key projects include ESIC in Faridabad and Noida. We did one super-speciality block in Bikaner,Rajasthan, which was used extensively as a COVID-speciality hospital. We have built a satellite centre for PGI Chandigarh inSangrurPunjab.We have also executed a project for AIIMS New Delhi, which is a VVIP paid ward. Ongoing projects include construction of the first AIIMS in Rajkot, Gujarat, the first AIIMS in Deogarh, Jharkhand, and a sports injury centre in Delhi. We are doing a couple of hospital projects in Lakhimpur and Bulandshahr in state of Uttar Pradesh.We are also building a hospital in Karnal, the work on which commenced in March 2020.Delivering a hospital project demands time-bound execution. How do you ensure this?We have used Mivan technology in the recent past for expediting a couple of projects; this helped reduce slab cycle times. For example, in AIIMS Deogarh, while we would have achieved one slab in 20-25 days with conventional formwork technology,Mivan technology helped us achieve a slab cycle of seven to 10 days. Hence, from one and a half slabs a month, we were able to do an average of three to four slabs a month.Also, we are always on the lookout for new materials and systems that can be used to improve construction time. The use of new materials such as AAC blocks, fly-ash bricks and gypsum plaster not only reduces construction time and improves efficiency, but is more eco-friendly and saves on the environment cost as well. We have adopted the prefab technique in a couple of projects to reduce construction time. As a company, we are always exploring new technologies and products. In recent times, we are also exploring at adopting precast technology to reduce construction time.How do you monitor the progress of your projects and ensure smooth coordination between all stakeholders?Coordination is important for smooth and timely project executionas no. of stakeholders like government client, end user’s third – party agency vendor’s, contractor’s are involved. We use schedulingsoftwares such as Primavera and MSP for scheduling and resource planning. We use the latest Google Suite products to ensure collaboration and data sharing. We have started using Zoom for meetings at site and are conductingseveral meetings, especially to ensure desired progress and achieve required monitoring.We have adopted BIM in projects, which has helped us detect clashes in drawings much earlierand we have been able to work out the quantities of material as and when the drawings are Freezed.In your opinion, can PPP be the ultimate cure to India’s healthcare challenges, and how?PPP is the way forward. The Government has to be the key enabler by bringing in the vision and guidelines for implementing healthcare.Be it Ayushmann Bharat,Digital Health or any other government scheme, private players such as us should be the implementers. I see technology as the key disruptor that will enable India to take healthcare to its masses in the rural areas in the next 10 years. The private players need to step up and bring in latest technologies& enterprise. This has to be the model going forward.Evidently, the company focuses on green energy and water conservation. Are these considered in the planning and designing of your healthcare projects too? Most government projects we executeare minimum GRIHA 3-star rated and are energy efficient. We implement energy and water conservation measures wherever possible. The AAC blocks and flyash bricks we use are basically eco-friendly construction materials. Most of our projects are supported with solar rooftops.We implement rainwater harvesting measures andsewage treatment plants for wastewater recycling for reducing water consumption.How are works progressing on the 220-acre Bharat Vandana Park?This is a very unique and interesting project. Perhaps one of the largest government-owned amusement parks to come up in India. Some unique features include the building of “Mini-India,” where we will have miniature monuments from 33 states and Union Territories. So a tourist, by visiting this place, will get a glimpse of monuments across the country. Another unique feature is that the project will include an elevated walkway similar to that of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. There are vast green spaces and water reservoirs and restaurants within this park. The project is progressing well and we are hopeful that we will complete the work by the end of this year.Which segment contributes the maximum to your business growth?Our focus has been on buildings, wherein the healthcare segment computes the maximum turnover as on date. We recently ventured into waterworks as well and in the next three to four years, we expect 30-40 per cent of our revenue coming in from the water sector. Irrespective of this,healthcare and building projects shall remain on the upward trend.Please tell us about your equipment fleet.Most of the equipment at our construction sites is owned by the company. Our current fleet would be worth over Rs 500 crore.What is the company’s current orderbook and turnover, and how do you see this growing in coming months?Currently, our orderbook is close toRs 9700 crore and we will end this financial year at close to Rs1,600 crores of revenue. Of the 9700 crore, our healthcare and building segment would be around2500 crores, waterworks will be around Rs 4,000 crore and the rest shall come from roads, aviation, institutional and commercial buildings. In the next year, our target is to reach an order book of 20,000 crores and increase turnover to 3000 crores.