KEC International aims 15-20% YoY growth

Today, our order book stands at over Rs 17,000 crore. This year, we are looking at 15 per cent overall growth for the company.
Vimal Kejriwal, MD and CEO, KEC International Ltd

What’s your comment on the recent developments in the Indian power sector?
In the past couple of years, we have witnessed that the volume of orders has come down, though the state sector is growing well. The composition has changed predominantly from power grid to private players and SEBs. The most important development is, orders from SEBs are becoming larger and more ambitious in terms of technology deployment. They are more aggressive in terms of adopting next-gen technologies inspired by mobility. So, the technological advancements are one of the changes that industry has witnessed over the last few years. Very recently we received an EPC order for the construction of 765 kV transmission line in Tamil Nadu.

What kind of smart solutions you are bringing in your process?
Today we see that a lot of the next-gen equipment are becoming smarter day-by-day. The way construction is happening has changed with use of smart technology to fast track better quality more from the EHS angle, mechanisation etc. Smart and digital mechanisation is happening for the first time on the construction side. A substation that used to take 18 months of construction time has now reduced to 6 months due to digital mechanisation and we have proven this in our Bikaner sub-station project for Powergrid. Also, we are deploying drones for stringing.

How do you look at the performance of your company?
With a low base, we have grown by more than 100 per cent Y-o-Y in the last three years. Today, our order book stands at over Rs 17,000 crore. This year, we are looking at 15 per cent overall growth for the company.

How promising do railways look for the company as an area of operation?
Railways are proving to be one of the core pillars of our growth and we are optimistic that it will continue to lead our growth in future.

What are the other areas of business for the company?
Other than railways, we are also looking at solar sector. We are looking forward to developing a 30 MW solar plant in Andhra Pradesh which will be completed this year, while we have already completed 150 MW of operational plant.

What’s your comment on the continue fall in tariff?
The recent fall in solar tariff is a signal of pressure on reducing CAPEX. So, to meet this tariff cost and make profit would always be the key to handle such situations. The EPC market is yet to mature. There are lots of small players and initial developers who are looking forward to growth. So, the market is getting competent and it is going to stay.

In the next 5 years, what is company’s growth target and future plans?
The company aims to continue growing at 15-20 per cent Y-o-Y in the upcoming years. It also aims to focus on railways, transmissions. We are very well present in SAARC nations like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which contributes around 50 per cent of overall business. Further, we would expand our presence in overseas markets.