PANEL DISCUSSION

Session Synopsis: With global investors increasingly eyeing India's road infrastructure sector, international investment has become a critical component in driving large-scale road projects. This session will delve into the experiences, challenges, and opportunities that international investors face when investing in Indian road infrastructure. It will explore how the government's policies, regulatory frameworks, and reforms like the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) are fostering an investor-friendly environment, and the potential growth trajectory in the coming years.

Focus of Discussion:

• International financing trends in India’s road and highway sector
• Experiences of global investors in road development projects
• Investment risks, challenges, and mitigation strategies
• Government incentives and support for international players

Moderator: Vijay Agrawal, Managing Director, Equirus Capital

Speakers:

• Muraleemohan M, COO, Maple Highways
• Vineet Sarawagi, Senior VP - Business Development, Interrise
• Gaurav Chaturvedi, CFO, Nxtinfra
• Manish Chitkara, MD Highways, Sekura India Management Ltd.
• S.K Survace, Chief Engineer, MSRDC

• PM Gati Shakti & improved cross-ministry planning
• Challenges in Project planning & execution
• DPR & Site investigation – How it help reduce risk & claims
• Land acquisition – Has anything changed?

Moderator: Bharat Parekh, Executive Director, CLSA

Speakers:

• Ashish Kataria, Director, Ashoka Buildcon
• Dr Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation
• Vinod Yadav, Director Transport, NCC
• Akhilesh Shrivastava, Road Safety Ambassador, International Road Federation
• Abhishek Chaudhary, President - Business Development & Strategy, Welspun Enterprises Ltd.
• Shatrughan Singh, Chief Commercial Officer, Birla Pivot

PANEL DISCUSSION

Session Synopsis: Innovation & Sustainability in the construction industry is both duty and opportunity, discovering ways to reduce construction phase emissions and embodied carbon from construction materials, and analysing how construction management firms, suppliers and contractors can work collaboratively in order to minimise the environmental impact of the construction process.

Focus of Discussion:

• Use of waste plastic materials for road construction
• Construction Going Green with Bio-bitumen mix
• Green Technology- Use of emulsion-based cold mix instead of hot bitumen mixes
• Use of low carbon cementitious product / GGBS

Moderator: Pankaj Sharma, Senior Manager, CFA Institute India

Speakers:

• Dr Satish Pandey, Principal Scientist, CRRI
• Satyanarayan Purohit, Vice President, Dilip Buildcon
• Monika Shrivastava, Head Sustainability, JSW Cement
• Neeraj Kant Jha, Sales & Marketing, MS Agarwal
• Prof. Dharamveer Singh, Department of Civil Engineer, IIT Bombay

PANEL DISCUSSION

Session Synopsis: : MoRTH and NHAI have missed their national highway construction targets in six of the past 10 years and are likely to miss them in FY24 as well. NHAI’s debt stood at Rs 3.35 lakh crore at the end of March 2024, as against Rs 24,188 crore in 2014-15, a 14-fold rise in less than seven years. The government is now looking to reduce its debt to Rs 1 lakh crore by 2024-25.

Focus of Discussion:

• Success parameters of BOT, EPC and HAM
• BOT Revival Strategy
• Existing challenges in the above

Moderator: Suneet Maheshwari, Chairman, Udvik Infrastructure

Speakers:

• Sudhir Hoshing, CEO, IRB Developers
• Ashish Kumar Singh, Chief General Manager - Finance, National Highway Authority of India
• Sandeep Upadhyay, Managing Director, Centrum Infrastructure
• Jagannarayan Padmanabhan, Senior Director, CRISIL Limited