Proactive and effective monitoring for early project delivery

The infrastructure sector is one of the key drivers of the Indian economy.

- ALKESH KUMAR SHARMA

It is responsible for propelling India’s overall development, and has been a cornerstone for the country’s rapid growth of projects, particularly in the last few decades. It enjoys priority focus from the government, which is evident from the budgetary allocation of %11.1 trillion this year, and in the policies that would ensure time-bound creation of world-class infrastructure in the country.

Having been associated with project implementation for over 30 years across various roles, in Kerala and in the Government of India, and having handled several infrastructure projects, I have encountered various bottlenecks in project delivery across different sectors. Some of the key challenges include uncertainties in land acquisition and regulatory approvals, lack of comprehensive upfront planning and risk management, and most importantly, low maturity of project management processes to adequately plan for such factors.

Large infrastructure projects are complex and have multi agencies involvement, and require multiple clearance from various central and state agencies, leading to time delays and cost overruns due to poor coordination.