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Infrastructure Management

Build a sturdy future

With the Budget this year, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley brought the infrastructure sector to the forefront of development by announcing policy measures and substantial government spending.

Build  a sturdy future


Gauri Chhabra

With the Budget this year, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley brought the infrastructure sector to the forefront of development by announcing policy measures and substantial government spending. The estimated total outlay for the sector is a significant Rs 2,21,246 crore. The Budget announcements coupled with increased spending on these sectors would create a ripple effect and bring about a renewed interest in Infrastructure as a sector and also strike a tangent at the spurt of career opportunities it would create. Let’s take a look.

MBA in Infrastructure

With specialised MBAs being the latest trend the one in infrastructure is a two-year course, with a curriculum specifically designed to train students in the theory and technique involved in regulatory processes, competition policy and infrastructure service delivery, and cover typical business administration subjects like marketing, strategy and finance, focusing on the needs of the infrastructure sector.

And it goes way beyond  theory to include the practical knowledge and the   skill set required to enter the rapidly evolving infrastructure domain as a part of the process of infrastructure service delivery, regulatory process, and competition policy, as well as helping the managers understand regulation from technical, economic, social, legal and political perspectives. This programme develops the competence in infrastructure services for commercial or institutional buildings such as office complexes, shopping malls, hospitals and hotels etc. The programme is designed specifically for the growth of young professionals into managerial positions administering the electrical, mechanical, civil, electronics and IT infrastructure. 

This programme not only provides an immediate thrust to the successful candidate in infrastructure management but also ensures realisation of their long-term career in a high-growth industry.

The course will provide you with technical, managerial tools to enhance your data management and decision-making abilities and understand management processes relating to accounting, finance, marketing, organisational behaviour, business law, and computer applications. Business administration is about managing interactions across diverse stakeholder groups in a sustainable manner. You will be exposed to a range of soft skills required, and presented with opportunities to imbibe them through various pedagogical tools. It will not only equip you to choose from an exciting bouquet of career options in project management, consulting, policy making, business development, investment, financial analysis, and social sectors, but also develop a potential to improve and shape the built infrastructure fabric of the country.

Getting in

The course is available for fresh graduates without work experience as wel as for those with experience.  For fresh graduates, the eligibility is generally a bachelor’s degree with at least 50 per cent marks or equivalent. For graduates who have work experience in government, regulatory bodies, industry, research or academic institutions, or consultancy, a minimum work experience of two years is usually required. 

Admission to any of the IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) requires passing Common Admission Test (CAT) along with graduate degree from a recognised college and university. However, other b-schools requires passing either MAT, CAT, GMAT, JMET or XAT each of which qualifies candidates for entrance into any management institutions in India.

Apart from these entrance tests there are few business schools which conduct aptitude test individually which qualifies candidates for that particular business school.  The shortlisted candidates of the IIMs and some other leading management institutes are expected to write essays. Group discussions and personal interviews are also conducted generally to determine the personality traits and communication skills of the candidates. 

Career pathways

After an MBA in infrastructure management, you can seek employment in various sectors such as construction companies, IT companies, urban infrastructure development, infrastructure providers, consultants, financial institutions. While professionals are offered an abundance of technical opportunities, one can even get an opportunity to become a part of the construction team. Very few Indian companies are playing in the infrastructure management outsourcing space. 

Construction jobs are reasonably tedious when compared with other field. Additionally, jobs in infrastructure would include warehouse managers, infrastructure managers, civil engineers and inventory executives.

Valuation manager: As a Real estate valuer, you would provide unbiased estimates of a property’s value and quality and work for banks or for valuation firms and will normally value properties by finding comparable sales in an area or by estimating the discounted value of cash flows expected from a property. Real estate valuers work in the credit departments of banks and housing financial institutions and take credit decisions on whether to extend credit to a borrower and the maximum amount that should be extended to a borrower. Valuation professionals also act as independent land economists to determine the value of land and property portfolios for mortgage, taxation and probate and collateral purposes.

Property manager: Leading real estate owners require professional property managers who are responsible for negotiating leases, ensuring that tenants are satisfied, that rent is paid and that rents reflect market conditions. You would require good interpersonal and analytical skills and a fair amount of negotiating prowess. This job is personally rewarding and allows you to really learn the real estate markets, and if you have an entrepreneurial stint, you can start a business of your own.

Facilities manager: As a facilities manager, you would be required to manage the portfolios of property held by your organisation and be responsible for long-range planning of property strategies, the acquisition of new properties for branch offices or facilities, and the administration of new and existing buildings and facilities. You would manage major facilities, such as residential complexes, shopping centers, offices, universities, industrial, health and transport facilities and help reduce operational costs, reduce exposure to risk and increase the quality and productivity of the facility you manage.

Leasing manager: Such managers specialise in representing landlords or tenants in the transactions of commercial real estate properties for lease. They may also specialise in representing buyers and sellers in the sale of commercial real estate properties. One could even end up specialising in investment property transactions.

Project manager: Construction project managers are responsible for managing and controlling all construction operations of construction projects. They start from the planning and design stage and ensure that construction projects are completed on time and within budget, meeting quality standards and safety requirements. A project could be - coordinating anything from a relatively small scale building, like the conversion of a loft in a house right up to a huge project. In doing so, they take responsibility for the total control of a project from initial conception to the finished product. You have to coordinate a lot of different professions, which involve a significant amount of communicating and organising. 

Quantity surveyor: As a quantity surveyor, you would be responsible for estimating and monitoring construction costs; ensuring that the project is within budget; preparing tax depreciation schedules; estimating replacement cost for insurance; mediation and arbitration. You also advise on development feasibility, procurement routes, contractual management, and manage all costs of a construction project. You tend to work closely with the client or the contractors to ensure a project is efficient, on budget and profitable. You would be synonymous to the accountants of the industry, enjoying high levels of responsibility. Apart from a great understanding of the building process and legal issues, you also need to be comfortable working with numbers, analysing drawn or written information and reporting back to the client or design team.

INSTITUTE SCAPE

  • SAMVIT School of Infrastructure Business, Pune offers a two-year full-time Post Graduate Programme in Infrastructure Business (PGPIB). The course contents of this programme are equivalent to an MBA. It also offers short duration certification courses in infrastructure, construction.
  • The National Institute of Construction Management And Research (NICMAR), Pune offers two-year full-time courses in construction management, project engineering and real estate.
  • Adani Institute of Infrastructure Management, Ahmedabad offers a one-year full-time Post Graduate Programme in Infrastructure Management. 
  • Amity School of Urban Management, Noida, U.P.
  • TERI University, New Delhi
  • University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun

— The writer is a Punjab-based career consultant

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