Infrastructure continues to be one of the biggest contributors to our country’s economy and, with the launch of the National Infrastructure Pipeline in 2019, the sector is seeing a massive push from the government and its subsidiaries. What does one need for a successful career in this field?
Options aplenty
Professionals need to be open to technological innovations as well as a formal project management policy framework. There have been several innovations such as aerial surveys, building information modelling (BIM), and radio frequency identification (RFID), which are changing how construction is carried out. Terms such as big data, analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are finding applications in the construction sector. With a rapidly-changing landscape of products and methods available, students need to stay updated on topics such as Lean Plan Do (LPD), Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM), Bentley systems digital construction software suite, software CALCON, and so on.
With regard to the formal policy framework, the Quality Council of India is creating a standard handbook on infrastructure project management knowledge and practices called the Indian Infrastructure Book of Knowledge (InBoK) under the aegis of the NITI Aayog. This will help in creating a certified programme, and allow project managers well-versed with the latest practices to tackle various risks that may arise during different phases of a project.
Teaching these methods and policies in construction management degree programmes will enable students to consider the whole life cycle of a project and incorporate these learnings in the projects they undertake, allowing them to produce sturdy, long-lasting, and sustainable constructions.
Institutes offering such courses focus on topics such as project, site and contracts management, business development, software implementation, quality assurance and control and valuation among many others. Students have many programmes to choose from such as Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure Management (REUIM), Infrastructure Finance, Health, Safety and Environment Management (HSEM), and Contemporary Smart City Development and Management (CSCDM).
After pursuing studies in this field, options such as site managers, sustainability consultants, building services engineers, to name a few, are available.
The writer is the Director General of the National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR)
