Project management: The central nervous system fuelling Viksit Bharat

India’s economic ascendancy marks a pivotal moment in global economic history. The nation recently surpassed Japan to secure its position as the world’s fourth-largest economy, with projections indicating it will overtake Germany within the next three years to claim the third position.

This remarkable trajectory stems from deliberate policy frameworks designed to transform India into a developed nation within approximately two decades—aligning with the visionary concept of Viksit Bharat.

As India charts this ambitious course, the expertise of skilled project managers stands as perhaps the most critical resource in translating economic potential into tangible development.

Infrastructure development forms the backbone of economic transformation, and project managers serve as the central nervous system of these initiatives. Whether constructing highways, ports, airports, or energy facilities, these professionals maximise project efficacy through meticulous coordination.

A single project manager may oversee operations involving hundreds or even thousands of skilled professionals and labourers, ensuring alignment toward common objectives. Their expertise prevents costly delays, budget overruns, and coordination failures that would otherwise hamper progress. Building a robust cadre of project management professionals represents the most effective strategy to enhance productivity across India’s vast workforce.

Navigating India’s complex administrative landscape

The Indian administrative landscape presents unique challenges that magnify the importance of skilled project managers. These professionals begin their critical work well before construction commences, navigating complex approval processes across central, state, and local jurisdictions.

As sustainability and environmental considerations increasingly influence project approvals, managers with expertise in securing environmental clearances, land acquisition, forest permissions, and various regulatory requirements become indispensable.

Their interpersonal skills and tactical approach can prevent costly implementation errors and ensure smooth progression from concept to completion—a capability essential to realising the Viksit Bharat vision.

Strategic resource optimisation

Resource optimisation stands as another domain where project management excellence drives economic transformation. India’s infrastructure ambitions include expanding highway networks by 54,000 kilometres within the decade, developing 50 new airports over five years, and constructing six mega ports in the next two decades.

These monumental undertakings demand precise allocation of human resources, materials, finances, and equipment. Project managers trained in modern methodologies bring professional tact to these allocation decisions, ensuring maximum output from limited inputs.

Leveraging technology

Technological integration represents a further dimension where skilled project managers add exceptional value.

Many contemporary managers leverage Generative AI (GenAI) and advanced analytics to process continuous streams of project data, yielding insights that might elude even veteran professionals.

This technological proficiency enables real-time adaptation, resource reallocation, and performance optimisation—transforming traditional project execution into a dynamic, data-driven process that enhances outcomes while reducing costs.

Building project management capacity

As India pursues its economic transformation agenda, the project management profession must evolve to meet emerging challenges. Educational institutions, industry associations, and government bodies must collaborate to develop specialised project management curricula aligned with India’s development priorities.

These programs should emphasise not only technical skills but also the cross-cultural competence needed to manage international collaborations, which are increasingly common in major infrastructure projects.

The path to Viksit Bharat demands excellence in execution across thousands of critical projects. Project managers will serve as the lynchpins in this national transformation, translating ambitious goals into completed infrastructure that drives economic growth.

Their ability to coordinate complex activities, navigate regulatory landscapes, optimise resources, and leverage technology will determine how rapidly India progresses towards its goal of becoming a developed nation.

By investing in project management capability at institutional and individual levels, India can establish the implementation excellence that will turn the vision of Viksit Bharat from aspiration into achievement—creating lasting impact for its 1.4 billion citizens and reinforcing its position as a global economic leader.

The author is the managing director (South Asia) of US-based Project Management Institute (PMI), an organisation for project, programme and portfolio management.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.

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