It was a proud moment for A Ramakrishna, President (Operations) and Deputy Managing Director of Larsen and Toubro (L&T). President Bill Clinton, visiting Hyderabad, on being informed that the Hi-Tech City there had been constructed by L&T in just 15 months, told him, "Someone like you should come to Washington and build things faster there." The President was referring to a proposal to extend the White House by 200,000 sq ft, which he was informed would take 30 months to complete. The President's comment was recognition not only of Ramakrishna - who today ranks among the world's best pre-cast concrete structural designers -- and his organisation's competence but also of India's ability to construct world class structures in a short time at reasonable cost.
A citizen of Chennai, Ramakrishna completed his Master's degree from the Guindy Engineering College. At that time, he seemed all set to follow his father's footsteps and take up a career in teaching. But in fulfillment of an ambition to study in Germany - a country he had heard a lot about -- he went to East Germany on a scholarship and returned with ideas of executing what he had learnt there. He says L&T, with whom he has been for 38 years, allowed him to experiment and introduce concepts like pre-cast concrete structures, form-work, and slip form method in concrete constructions.
The multi-storeyed Devi Cinema complex in Chennai was one of the first structures where pre-cast concrete girders were used. Designed for minimum column interference, these pre-cast structures are elegant, extremely strong and very economical, using only half the usual amount of concrete.
Structures by his company like the Nehru stadium in Chennai, India's longest flyover in Bangalore, the Hi-Tech City in Hyderabad, Satya Sai Hospital in Puttaparthi, have all become national landmarks. The Nehru stadium was constructed in a record 260 days, the hospital at Puttapathi in eight months and the Hi-Tech city in 15 months. The Bangalore fly-over, also of international standards, was constructed without traffic being interrupted. The fact that these economically priced structures were of world-class standards gave him tremendous standing in his numerous contacts with Western scientists. All the disadvantages and complexes of being part of an under-developed third world country vanished.
Infrastructure is another area that Ramakrishna emphasises. L&T is already party to a tripartite agreement for the development of Indian ports. Its company, International Sea Ports (ISP) has taken up the operation and maintenance of the ports at Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) and Dhamra (Orissa).
Another of its companies, Airport Partners of India (API), has signed a similar tripartite agreement with regard to airports. Airports and ports with world-class facilities are greatly needed, says Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna, whose role in L&T now is more administrative than technical, admits that he sometimes misses his days as a technical person. However, he enjoys getting together a strong team to execute challenging projects in India and elsewhere. His own success he attributes to his efficient team. To enhance his colleagues' and staff capacity to take on leadership roles has been one of his prime objectives. "The day someone occupies my chair and brings greater success to the company, I will be a very satisfied man.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, on.Ramakrsihna's suggestion, has allotted around 60 hectares of land for the National Academy of Construction. About half the land will be used for the Academy and the other half for various world exhibitions, income from which will help pay for running the academy. Contractors in Andhra Pradesh have agreed to contribute ½ per cent of their commission towards this academy, which in the years to come will produce highly trained construction workers, supervisors and contractors.
Ramakrishna says he feels proudest doing work that speaks of India's greatness. He is convinced that Indians are equal if not better than the best in the world in the field of engineering. The focus on individual achievements, rather than teamwork and a system that hampers quick decision-making have been the country's greatest weaknesses. The Indian system does not allow risk taking and the provision to make mistakes. Both these aspects, he says, are an essential part of the learning process. An optimist, he believes India has the intellectual resources to become an economic superpower. The policy of globalisation, he thinks, will benefit the nation. Economic power will help the country do away with poverty and raise the standard of living.
