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A great learning and rewarding journey

Anil Sethi, Chairman, Subhash Projects & Marketing Ltd (SPML) tells Niranjan Mudholkar how is Company is geared up to make the most of India’s infrastructure story

Please tell us something about the origin of your company
Subhash Projects And Marketing Ltd (SPML) is a leading infrastructure development company with more than two and half decades of multi-disciplinary experience in water, power, environment, manufacturing, technology and infrastructure sectors.
Promoted by the Sethi family, the company that was incorporated in 1981 at Guwahati has evolved today into a multi-faceted conglomerate with offices across India. SPML was converted as a public Ltd company in August 1983. An ISO-9001: 2000 certified company, SPML has executed more than 400 projects across India and is currently developing infrastructure projects with projected
investments worth Rs.150

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What have been the highlights of SPML’s journey so far?
Some of the recent highlights have been our recognition as a preferred partner in the infrastructure growth story which is evident in our new businesses where the requirement has been as a total solution provider for large packages and also our foray into the PPP domain few years back.
SPML has also been successful in bringing high end technology driven innovative solutions to India through tie-ups with international domain leaders and technology experts.
SPML’s vision to create a mark in the global infrastructure sector is supported by its core strengths – a pan India presence, over 28 years of experience in turnkey projects, innovative in–house designs and engineering solutions, highly skilled team of over 2000 professionals complimented by its focus towards cutting edge technology and innovation. The Group has had a good record of delivering highest levels of quality, minimal cost overruns and on-time delivery.
It’s been a great learning and rewarding journey, we have been consistently receiving accolades and good words for our work.

What is your assessment of the infrastructure scenario?
Infrastructure is an issue of critical importance in India today. World-class infrastructure for India is a necessity so as to provide the platform for faster, consistent growth and become a major world economic power.
Opportunities in water and environmental engineering are immense. Investment of Rs2.3 trillion is proposed for water resource management in the XIth five year plan. Moreover, India’s water market is one of the largest in the world, with approximately one-third of the total estimated value dedicated for water provisioning, one-third for municipal water treatment and one-third for industrial water treatment.
The overall annual growth rate is 15-20%, with the drinking-water and industrial segments growing even more rapidly. India’s urban water demand is expected to double, and its industrial demand to triple, by 2025.
Similarly, the need for power is immense in our country and the shortfall is very evident. Therefore PPP models will be crucial to accelerate growth and increase output and efficiencies in this sector – and also an accelerated approach in all EPC projects is the need of the hour. In addition to this we also need more foreign collaborations so that we can replicate models that have worked elsewhere in the world after suitable customisation to India conditions. Also, an integrated solutions approach is a pre-requisite in meeting long term objectives. An ideal environment is one where clients / governments partner with one single entity for design, and construction as well as operation & maintenance and management to ensure ownership.
Long term contractual partnerships between private and public sector agencies for the identified initiatives, are crucial.

How has your company evolved vis-à-vis the infrastructural growth in the last 10-15 years? How geared up is your company to take advantage of the opportunities?
We are probably one of the few Infrastructure development companies in India with a three decade legacy and proven engineering and project management experience. Over the years we have been able to establish ourselves amongst our stakeholders be it our esteemed clients, vendors, supply chain or talent base.
Today, we are definitely a preferred partner in the infrastructure development sector. Having said that, as an organisation, we push ourselves to excel and create value to our stakeholders – therefore there is no place for complacency. As a focused unit, we are well prepared with the right resources and aptitude to leverage the opportunities that the market place has to offer.

What are the key challenges faced by your company? How are you addressing them?
SPML has been in the sector for over 28 years now, setbacks and roadblocks are all part of any business. Over these years, we have understood the need to focus on the long term vision and manage the everyday obstacles and hindrances.
We have been able to, through our learnings; institutionalize solutions that can mitigate most of these concerns. There is a constant effort to exchange our learning and best practices
internally so as to counter the known occurrences. Though it may sound cliché’, SPML, has time and again converted challenges to opportunities.

Your outlook for future?
SPML is consistently working towards bringing new, advanced technology and innovative solutions to expedite the growth and overall development of the nation. In the next five years we foresee aggressive development and growth in the domains of water and power.
SPML has also diversified into urban infrastructure solutions and innovative environmental solutions to become a complete infrastructure solutions provider.
We anticipate a good curve for the organization as the country surges ahead. and we are determined to reinforce our position as the preferred partner in this growth story.

Some of SPML’s completed projects
• First ever tertiary Sewage Treatment Plant of its kind in India - theYelahanka Primary/Tertiary Sewage Plant in association with OTV, France.
• Pali Water Pipeline Linkage project
• The Water Intake & Water Supply Package was a project for the Bakreshwar Thermal Power plant in West Bengal
• Rajiv Gandhi Lift Canal Water Supply Scheme - Phase II - Design, Build and Operation & Maintenance of 205 Km of combined conveyance system to drought prone areas in Rajasthan.
• Undertaken over 70 projects for ESCOMs across India in 2007-2008.

Some of SPML’s on-going projects
• Treated water - source for the generation of electricity for the prestigious Commonwealth Games. • One of India’s largest and first Comprehensive Underground Sewerage Scheme to be awarded to a private player- Design, Build, Operate & Manage Model: Underground Sewerage Scheme under JNNURM for Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation; providing, laying and commissioning 107 kilometers of sewer lines; design, construction and commissioning of 10 Pumping stations and 10 Sewage Treatment Plants (STP).
(Both lists are only indicative).