E. Sreedharan(Metro Man Of India)

E Sreedharan

• He served as the Managing Director of Delhi Metro between 1995-2012.

• He is also known as a person who completes scheduled sections before their target date and within their respective budgets.

• It was due to his efforts, the Delhi Metro is fully operational before its schedule time.

• Being a Civil Engineer he joined Indian Railways Service of Engineers

Early Career

• Given a Charge to construct a bridge washed away by a cyclone

• The Railways set a target of six months for the bridge to be repaired

• Sreedharan's boss, under whose jurisdiction the bridge came, reduced it to three months

• Sreedharan was put in-charge of the execution and he restored the bridge in just 46 days

Challenges

• Kolkata MetroIn 1970, as the Deputy Chief Engineer, he was put in charge for implementation, planning and design of Kolkata metro, the first ever metro in India.

• Konkan RailwayHe retired from Indian Railways as Member Engineering in 1990 the Government needed his services and he was appointed the CMD of Konkan Railway.

The project was unique in many respects. As was first such project undertaken by Indian Railways as it involves 93 tunnels and 150 bridges cutting through mountains on soft soil over a stretch of 720 Km

Delhi MetroProject

Delhi Metro

The need for a reliable public transportation was felt in Delhi for a long time. A comprehensive traffic and transportation study completed in 1990 highlighted the urgent need for a rail-based transit system comprising a network of underground elevated and surface corridors to meet the traffic demand projected for 2021. To make this dream a reality , the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) was registered on 3rd May 1995 and it is solely responsible for the construction and operation.

Reason

• Population of over 1 million.

• More registered vehicles than Mumbai, Kolkata & Chennai put together.

• Automobiles contributing to more than two – thirds of the total atmospheric pollution.

• High rate of road accidents

Challenges• DMP is the biggest urban invention in India since independence

in 1947

• Project has to be executed in very difficult urban environment

• Being the capital city, all actions under close scrutiny of VIPs

• Project implementation period compressed from 10 years to 7 years

• Metro being constructed to world class standards with frontline technologies

• Expertise and technology not available in the country.

The Delhi Metro Project• Second project in country after Kolkata Metro:1984.

• A 50:50 joint venture of GoI and GNCTD

• DMRC incorporated under Companies Act 1995

• Duration of completion of Phase I – 10 years by the end of 2005

• P-I to connect Delhi’s business, education and shopping districts.

Funding & Cost Structure• GoI and GNCTD arranged the all capital required.

• Initial estimation of cost in 1996 Rs 60 billion

• Revised estimation cost in 2002 was Rs 89.27 billion

• Final cost of project approx Rs 99 billion 2.2 million passenger/day to become the project viable later revised to 1.5 million passenger/day

• Economic IRR 21.4% & Financial IRR 3%

• This project was exempted from custom and excise duties.

• Repayment period 30 years including 10 years grace period.

The Project Team• Mr. E. Sreedharan was appointed as project manager and

managing director in Nov 1997.• A technocrat retired from IR in 1990.• Earned reputation for completing the project on time and

within budget.• 70% of senior staff hired on deputation from IR• DMRC opted lean structure.• Effective contract awarding and procurement process (to

tackle with time, cost and corruption)• Contract awarding process transparent and simple & fair and

just• Removed subjectivity from tender evaluation.

Continued…• Had two departments: project organization and operation &

maintenance• Experts required from: Civil, electrical and communications

area etc.• Young 18-30 years motivated team of professionals personally

interviewed by MD.• Faced skill shortage problem everyone was new to metro

project• No technical institute of such kind in the country.• Suitable candidates sent Hong Kong MTRC for training.• Metro Training School at Shastri Park• Unique work culture: hard working, dedicated and

professionally competent

The Project Plan• Individual accountability.• Daily monitoring of progress.• Weekly reviews and targets.• Delhi Metro Act, 2002

Superseded Delhi Municipal Laws.Lower courts barred from issuing stay orders.Dedicated team of lawyers to prevent property disputes.

• Cost centersManpower.Energy.Material & maintenance.

Road Blocks• Low Financial IRR prompted second thoughts on the project

• Criticism due to inability to recruit, 70% were deputed from Indian Railways

• Lack of experience & specialized experts in Civil, Electrical & Communication Engineering

• Loss of Rs 5 million if one day lost

• Difference of opinion on gauge to be adopted

Critical Success Factors

• ‘We mean business’ attitudes.

• Efficiency, courtesy & integrity in corporate culture.

• Corruption free Contract Awarding System & Procurement

Process.

• Autonomy in decision making.

• Advance planning in utility diversion, minimizing public

inconvenience.

What exactly Sreedharan does as a Project Manager ?

His Beliefs as Project Manger

• Punctuality

• Professional Competence

• Fast Decision Making

• Ethical in behavior

• Courage to stand and take decisions

• Trade offs between the project goals of cost, time and performance

Learning's from him

• Lets deadline motivate rather than pressurize you

• Work with honesty, others will co-operate

• Believe in yourself, believe in impossible

• Criticism not deter you

His Achievements

• Railway Minister's Award (1963)

• Padma Shri by the Government of India (2001)

• Man of the Year by The Times of India (2002)

• CNN-IBN Indian Of the Year 2007: Public Service (2008)

• Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India (2008)

Thank you for viewing

Yogesh VijayJIIT, Noida