Road Paved With Success

- Manu Balachandran

Vinod Kumar Agarwal has his priorities set. Though he sits with an order book that exceeds ₹14,500 crore, the 58-year-old managing director of GR Infraprojects, one of India’s largest infrastructure companies, believes there should never be any compromise on the quality of work his company undertakes.

“Our father taught us not to compromise on quality, whatever happens,” says Agarwal. Perhaps, it’s this unwavering focus that has helped Udaipur-based GR Infraprojects grow over the past two decades.

From being a small road contractor that built roads in rural India, GR Infraprojects is now involved in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for development of highways, flyovers, bridges, buildings and airfields. The company has revenues of ₹3,280 crore; this year, it plans to list itself on the bourses, seeking a valuation of more than ₹13,000 crore. Over the next few years, it plans to diversify into areas such as railways and water management.

“Our father always said, buy the best equipment because instead of chasing numbers, if you focus on performance, your business will grow manifold,” says Agarwal.