— Ramkrishna Telang, President - Business Development, Welspun Infratech Ltd
Welspun
Infratech Ltd, formerly
known as MSK Projects
(India) Ltd, plans to
leverage on the
burgeoning infrastructure
space. Founded in 1976,
WPL is part of the $3-
billion Welspun Group.
Ramkrishna Telang, in an
email interaction with
Lalitha Rao, talks about
the company's plan to
enter other infrastructure
space like monorail and
metro rail, ports and
airports among others.
India has planned to invest 
50
lakh crore in infrastructure sector
during the 12th 12th Five-
Year Plan. What are the opportunities
for Welspun Projects Ltd?
In addition to our core strengths
of water supply, roads and buildings,
we will participate in sectors
like mono/metro rail, solid waste
management, ports, airports and
other infrastructure projects.
What are your plans for Maharashtra?
Are you implementing
any projects in the state other
than energy and integrated
steel plant projects?
We are interested in projects in
Maharashtra and are participating
mainly in water and road
sectors. However, at present we
are already implementing energy
and steel plant in the state.
Land acquisition has been a
major hurdle in highway development.
How can the Maharashtra
government help complete
land acquisition well
before awarding the project?
The state government should
take advance measures in
acquiring land required for the
road project and the land owners
compensated adequately in
the current market rate. These
measures need to be taken at
the planning stage itself and
not during the stroke after the
bidding process is initiated.
Unless the authority is in possession
of at least 90 per cent
land required for the project,
they should not initiate the
bidding process.
At the policy level what measures
can further boost private
sector participation in infrastructure
projects?
The measures to include tax
structure and benefits, modification
of termination clause,
reduced interest on finance, tax
on interest paid to foreign lenders
currently being born by Indian
companies, stringent qualification
criteria, and FDI framework
should be introduced.
What does the current portfolio
of Welspun Projects Ltd
comprise?
The current portfolio of Welspun
Projects Ltd includes projects in
water sector, buildings and roads
cumulatively valued at
750 crore.
We would also focus in transportation
sectors like mono/metro
rail, ports and airports.
What is your current focus in
road sector? What are the typical
challenges encountered during
execution of NHAI projects?
In addition to NHAI projects, we
will also focus on state PWD
road projects which we feel will
have limited competition and
also give adequate returns.
The typical challenges that we
face are land acquisition, statutory
clearances, shortage of labour,
and ever-increasing prices of bitumen,
cement, steel and other construction
materials.
What opportunities do you
envisage in the estimated $15-
billion water market in India?
Requirement of water will see a
quantum jump as more and
more water supply projects are
announced. In addition to
growing requirement of water,
recycling and desalination of
plant will become necessity
of the future. We have carried
out extensive studies in water
supply sector and envisage
large amount of investments in
the field.
What are the barriers to private
sector investment in urban sector,
especially in critical water
supply and sewerage?
As I see it, there are no barriers
to private sector investment in
urban sector. We are not used to
paying for water and recycled
sewage, and this psyche has to
be removed from people's mind.
What is your strategy for the
12th Five-Year Plan?
Strategy for the 12th Five-Year
Plan includes participation in
maximum number of projects in
our core sectors, new sectors like
solid waste management, secondary
acquisitions, and tapping
international market.