Rodic is currently embarking on this transformative journey where we will have the opportunity to receive on cloud accessibility from anywhere and anytime, says Satish Kumar Sharma, CEO, Rodic Consultants Pvt Ltd.

What is your take on the pace of execution of the construction and infrastructure projects ever since Covid happened?
There was a lot of uncertainty with the outbreak of Covid-19 in India which further intensified when construction workers started travelling back to their native places, assuming that there will be a long pause in projects. By April 2020, the supply of construction material got impacted due to stringent lockdown rules applied by each state. However, as work started picking up pace slowly, many sites were operational with 10-20 per cent capacity. We also ensured strict safety guidelines for our warriors who were fighting the pandemic from the frontline. 

Since the Indian construction industry is labour intensive, its safety, stability, and efficacy have always been a challenge for on-time delivery and execution of infrastructure projects. While the sector has picked up in the last quarter of the year, it has yet to regain pre-Covid momentum.

What needs to be done to ensure construction and infra projects are realized on time keeping in mind the new normal which entails distancing?
Digital transformation through automation is the need of the hour. Rodic is currently embarking on this transformative journey where we will have the opportunity to receive on cloud accessibility from anywhere and anytime. Web and mobile-enabled platforms will be fully integrated with Rodic’s platforms, tracking the project status from the HQ etc.

Internally, we have been providing regular training programs on how to use Microsoft Teams so that every individual is well equipped and can be reached on days when they are remotely working. 

I would also be looking forward to the 2021 Budget as the government needs to provide additional cash flow facilities to ensure smooth and timely completion of projects in such challenging times.

• To aid the process of growth ensuring business continuity by allowing remote working.
• Motivation may be in the form of additional compensation or social engagement periodically. Additional paid leave may also be considered as a part of it.
• Review of Mediclaim/group Mediclaim policies makes it better and effective.
• The biggest challenge in applying the above suggestion is the additional cash flow requirement. Therefore, Govt. should look to facilitate additional liquidity into the system by various means as already they have started a few.

Do you feel once the vaccines are available, it will allow the sector to regain lost ground?
The construction sector has been adversely hit by the pandemic. To administer the vaccine at such a large scale will take a considerable amount of time. Nevertheless, there is a lot of optimism around it and we are hopeful that the sector will gain momentum once the vaccine is launched.

As we strive to become “Atmanirbhar” what changes do you feel it will have on the project funding? To become Atmanirbhar doesn’t imply that we cannot accept international funding. Atmanirbhar means to develop and utilize indigenous machinery, manpower, and material for more and more projects execution. Therefore, we don’t expect any concrete change in the project funding process.

What are some of the projects your firm is executing currently?
We have more than 72 ongoing projects at the moment. Projects that were due for the inauguration in December (last year) were the R block Digha Bridge Project in Bihar and the ADB Manipur Road project.