"I LET MY WORK DO THE TALKING"

Megha Engineering & Infrastructures MD P.V. Krishna Reddy on being low profile, the infra opportunity and much more 

- KRISHNA GOPALAN

IF DETAILS about the electoral bonds had not been made public, P.V. Krishna Reddy would have stayed under the radar for most Indians, despite managing a diversified `32,000-crore business. The attention makes the mediashy Reddy a little uncomfortable and he takes time to warm up but declines to talk much about the electoral bonds issue in an interview with Business Today. The MD of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures is known in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as a smart businessman who has capitalised on the opportunities that came his way. Known to manage relationships well across political parties, the 53-year-old has grown the company not just in India but also in markets abroad. In the interview—his first major one ever—he talks about his businesses, technology, and the way ahead. Edited excerpts:

You have a diversified business portfolio. How do you choose the segments you want to be in? 

We started our journey in 1989. Sometime in the 1990s, we decided to bring new technologies to India and create a business proposition around that. We entered solar power in 2005… it was a very new concept [then]. And [then] we went on to do a canal top project in Baroda (Vadodara)... perhaps the first time in India. Then, we had a 50MW solar thermal project in Maharashtra. Our approach has been simple—look for opportunities early in the day and see how they can work in India. It’s not just about money anymore. It is important for the larger Megha family of 40,000 employees to be comfortable. That is a big reason for taking a few big bets and making those diversification moves.