FCC

Construction leaders recognised: L&T, ITD, Afcons, NCC

2025-09-05

Mumbai Metro Line 3 soon to start,” said Ashwini Bhide, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Managing Director, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), during her fireside chat with Pratap Padode at the 23rd Construction World Global Awards (CWGA) 2025. Her announcement struck a chord with the audience, resonating with what Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), had earlier shared in his keynote address: that Mumbai’s transformation was not just about megaprojects, but also about delivering them sustainably and ahead of schedule.

Mukherjee highlighted the timely execution of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), completed nine months ahead of schedule (excluding the COVID period). “The project, once debated, has today enriched the environment: flamingo numbers have risen, aquatic life is thriving, and JICA now showcases it globally as a model of India–Japan cooperation,” he said, underscoring MMRDA’s commitment to safe, sustainable infrastructure.

Looking ahead, Bhide painted a larger picture of Mumbai’s growth trajectory. “Over the next five years, Mumbai is set to undergo a billion-dollar transformation. We have already prepared a Growth Hub Plan for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with the ambitious target of achieving a USD $500-billion economy. To reach this milestone, key projects have been identified, along with the policy changes required to support them. At the heart of this transformation lies infrastructure,” she said, reaffirming infrastructure as the anchor of economic progress.

Against this backdrop of ambitious urban renewal, CWGA 2025 celebrated leaders steering India’s infrastructure story. The most anticipated honours went to Ashwini Bhide (Public Sector) and Jayanta Basu, MD, ITD Cementation India (Private Sector), named Construction World Persons of the Year for their role in shaping the country’s transformative growth. K Subramanian, Chairman of Afcons, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his enduring contribution to India’s infrastructure landscape.

Padode, Founder, ASAPP Info Global Group and Editor-in-Chief, Construction World, called on the industry to move “beyond contractors to creators—of unique skillsets, proprietary technologies, and niche capabilities.” He also spotlighted the concurrent RAHSTA Expo, showcasing cutting-edge innovations across roads and highways, with more than 100 exhibitors displaying construction equipment, geotextiles, crash barriers, and geospatial technologies.

Adding depth to the festival, the day also featured the Japan-India Road Engineering Seminar, where Praveensingh Pardeshi, Chief Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and CEO, MITRA, addressed the audience on future-ready policies and collaboration.

Celebrating India’s Builders

The CWGA rankings spotlighted excellence across categories, reaffirming Larsen & Toubro as the Largest & Most Profitable Company, while NCC, Kalpataru Projects International, and Afcons Infrastructure dominated the ultra-large category. ITD Cementation, HG Infra, and Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon topped the large segment, while Ceigall and Varindera Constructions made their mark among mid-sized firms.

Part of the India Construction Festival (ICF), the awards came alive within a larger ecosystem of dialogue and discovery. The 11th ICF also hosted the 15th RAHSTA Expo & Conference and the 2nd National Summit on CIRP in Infrastructure and Real Estate Business, bringing together policymakers, financiers, builders, and technology leaders. Discussions ranged from financing models for road projects to digital technologies, insolvency frameworks, and strategies for building a connected, future-ready India.

With over 150 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors, the festival provided a 360-degree view of India’s construction sector—an industry at the heart of the nation’s ambition to grow into a $500-billion economy in the years ahead.

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