每日吃瓜

The 13th India Roads Conference (IRC) 鈥� hosted by infrastructure think-tank FIRST Construction Council in partnership with Construction World and 每日吃瓜 magazines as part of the 9th Edition of India Construction Festival (ICF 2023) - brought together policymakers, industry leaders and experts under one roof to discuss innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and funding opportunities that will revolutionise the road construction landscape in India. 

The 13th India Roads Conference (IRC) 鈥� with the theme of "Road Construction Business: Establishing safe, sustainable, inclusive and intelligent road network in India聺 鈥� explored new opportunities for stakeholders in the road construction business.

Pratap Padode, Founder and President, FIRST Construction Council, stated, The capital expenditure on the road sector has increased by almost 5 times from Rs 512.04 billion in 2013-14 to Rs 2.41 trillion in 2022-23. The total length of National Highways has increased by 59 per cent from 91,287 km in 2013-14 to 145,240 km in March 2023. This year, the government has set a target to build 13,800 km of highways, which requires adequate funds and the right technologies.聺

Speaking at the 13th India Roads Conference, Vivek Kumar Dewangan, CMD, REC Limited, said, As a leading PSU, REC is contributing sincerely to the countrys economic growth. We are helping India march forward in its unprecedented journey of development.聺 Acknowledging the fact that a strong road network is imperative for a nation's growth, REC looks to help India build robust infrastructure, he concurred.

The theme of the first-panel discussion was Shaping regulations for safe and sustainable roads聺. Experts shared insights, experiences, and best practices in developing effective policies that prioritise road safety and sustainability. The panel members included: Ajay Kumar Mishra, President, Dilip Buildcon; Akhilesh Srivastava, Road Safety Ambassador-International Roads Federation (IC); Indrabhushan Gokhale, Country Manager, TEREX India; Nikhil Bagalkotkar, Head of AEC Technical Sales - APAC, Autodesk; SK Nirmal, Secretary General, India Roads Congress; and Dr. Satish Pandey, Principal Scientist at Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). The panel was moderated by Dibyendu Sengupta, Director, PwC.

The second-panel discussion delved into the realm of utilising technology to enhance road project management. The discussion aimed at showcasing successful case studies, highlighting emerging technologies, and providing insights on implementing technology-driven solutions for effective road project management. The panel discussion鈥漷hemed revolutionising road project management鈥漺as moderated by Gaurav Chawla, Founder & CEO, GKC Consultants. Panel members included: Kasturi Srinivas, Industry Sales Director, Transportation, Bentley Systems; Manideep Saha, Consultant - Digital Transformation, Project Management; PK Mathur, VP 鈥� Techno Marketing & OTR Product Development, BKT; Dr. Smruti Ranjan Parida, DGM 鈥� System & IT Automation, ADANI Road Transport; Sunil Desai, Director 鈥� Dextra India; and Thumu Karthik, CEO, LivSYT (DevIndia Technologies).

The third panel discussion was about accelerating road infrastructure with better monetisation and financing opportunities. It sheds light on the various financial mechanisms that can fuel the growth of road infrastructure and foster collaboration between public and private sectors. It will focus on exploring innovative financing models, the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in sustainable road development, and strategies to attract capital for road construction. Moderated by Suneet Maheshwari, Udvik Infra, panelists were: Ashish Kumar Singh, Chief General Manager, Finance, National Highway Authority of India; Abhishek Mukherjee, Senior Infrastructure Specialist & Freelance Consultant, ADB; Harsh Singhal, Founding Partner, Edhina Capital; Neeraj Sanghi, CEO, Highway Concessions; Palash Srivastava, CEO, IIFCL Projects; Pawan Kant, CEO, LTIDPL IndVIT Services (IM to IndInfraVIT Trust); and Satyan Kumar, Head 鈥� Project Finance & Treasury, Sekura India Management.

The fourth and final panel discussion was on EPC, HAM, BOT - The Right Ratio for Business?

The panelists included: RK Pandey, Former Member Projects, NHAI & Former ADG, MoRTH; Mandeep Singh, COO - Engineering and Contracting Division, Casagrand; Rajesh Chaabra, President - Management Assurance, Welspun Enterprises; and TR Rao, Director (Infra), PNC Infratech. It was moderated by Suneet Maheshwari, Udvik Infra.

Attendees gained valuable insights from dynamic panel discussions, insightful keynotes, and cutting-edge innovation showcases. IRC 2023 helped participants understand the industry trends and forge valuable partnerships, and, thus, made a big contribution in building safer, greener, and more efficient road networks.

Panel discussion 2

From L-R: Gaurav Chawla, Founder & CEO, GKC Consultants; Kasturi Srinivas, Industry Sales Director, Transportation, Bentley Systems; Manideep Saha, Consultant - Digital Transformation, Project Management; PK Mathur, VP 鈥� Techno Marketing & OTR Product Development, BKT; Dr. Smruti Ranjan Parida, DGM 鈥� System & IT Automation, ADANI Road Transport; Sunil Desai, Director 鈥� Dextra India; and Thumu Karthik, CEO, LivSYT (DevIndia Technologies).

Panel discussion 3

From L-R: Suneet Maheshwari, Udvik Infra; Ashish Kumar Singh, Chief General Manager, Finance, National Highway Authority of India; Abhishek Mukherjee, Senior Infrastructure Specialist & Freelance Consultant, ADB; Harsh Singhal, Founding Partner, Edhina Capital; Neeraj Sanghi, CEO, Highway Concessions; Palash Srivastava, CEO, IIFCL Projects; Pawan Kant, CEO, LTIDPL IndVIT Services (IM to IndInfraVIT Trust); and Satyan Kumar, Head 鈥� Project Finance & Treasury, Sekura India Management.

Panel discussion 4

From L-R: Suneet Maheshwari, Udvik Infra; RK Pandey, Former Member Projects, NHAI & Former ADG, MoRTH; Mandeep Singh, COO - Engineering and Contracting Division, Casagrand; Rajesh Chaabra, President - Management Assurance, Welspun Enterprises; and TR Rao, Director (Infra), PNC Infratech.