Mumbai, Oct. 27 -- Together with Indian Railways, entities like Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) are also transitioning. From executingc alone, it is now expanding across India's fast-growing infrastructure domain to become a major construction player. Speaking to Infrastructure Today's Manish Pant, Saleem Ahmad, Chairman & Managing Director-with additional charge as CMD, IRCON International-said RVNL is leveraging its engineering competencies to deliver projects globally. Edited excerpts.
RVNL has delivered over 17,000 km of railway infrastructure and executed big-ticket projects. What is the road ahead for RVNL? Over more than two decades, RVNL has evolved into one of India's leading infrastructure organisations, strengthening connectivity and capacity worldwide. This journey reflects the confidence of the Government, Indian Railways and our clients, as well as the dedication of our engineers and project teams. We see our achievements as the foundation for the next phase. Our focus will remain on speed, quality, safety, transparency and execution excellence. Projects such as the New Pamban Bridge and Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Link demonstrate our ability to undertake technically complex assignments. Every project also adds to our institutional knowledge and prepares us for larger challenges. Ultimately, infrastructure is about improving lives. We will continue to build reliable, efficient and lasting infrastructure that contributes to national development.
On taking charge at RVNL, you reiterated the mantra 'From Rail Infra to All Infra'. How do you see that vision shaping up? 'From Rail Infra to All Infra' is a natural progression of RVNL's evolution. It does not mean moving away from our railway roots; rather, it means applying our engineering expertise, project management capability, and execution experience to the wider infrastructure landscape. Our expansion into metro rail, highways, bridges, tunnels, telecommunications, renewable energy and industrial infrastructure has been deliberate and capability-driven. We are also using joint ventures, special purpose vehicles and public-private partnerships where these models create value and strengthen project delivery. Railways will remain an important part of our business. At the same time, disciplined diversification will enable us to participate more meaningfully in India's infrastructure transformation and create long-term value.
What makes the current phase of railway investment such a significant growth opportunity for RVNL? India is undergoing an infrastructure transformation of unprecedented scale. Initiatives such as the PM Gati Shakti, National Rail Plan Vision 2030, Reform Express Initiative, Rail Tech Policy, Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, National Infrastructure Pipeline and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 are supporting an integrated approach to infrastructure development. Railways are central to this transformation, with opportunities extending beyond new lines to capacity augmentation, freight connectivity, station redevelopment, high-speed and semi-high-speed corridors, signalling, multimodal logistics and urban transit. For RVNL, this is an opportunity to combine engineering excellence, project management capability, and timely execution to deliver technically challenging and strategically important infrastructure. I believe this is a defining decade for India's infrastructure sector.
With opportunities expanding across railways, highways, metros, ports and energy, where do you see the next wave of opportunities coming from for RVNL? Indian Railways will continue to be a primary growth driver, particularly through capacity augmentation, new lines, doubling, electrification, signalling and telecom, station redevelopment, freight infrastructure and multimodal logistics. Beyond railways, opportunities are emerging in metro rail, highways, bridges, tunnels, ports, renewable energy, industrial infrastructure and digital connectivity. We will pursue these selectively, focusing on areas where our engineering and project-management strengths provide an advantage. International markets also offer promising opportunities. We will explore them through strategic partnerships and a disciplined approach to business development. Our emphasis, however, is not simply on expanding the order book. Sustainable growth comes from selecting the right projects, managing risks, maintaining financial discipline and delivering with quality and timeliness.
How are you leveraging emerging technologies for project monitoring and sustainability, while expanding RVNL's global footprint? Technology is becoming a key differentiator in infrastructure. At RVNL, our objective is not merely to accelerate construction, but to improve safety, quality, sustainability and the long-term performance of assets. We are integrating digital project-management systems, BIM (building information modelling), drone surveys, GIS (geographic information system) and real-time monitoring into our processes. We are also progressively adopting AI, data analytics, IoT-enabled monitoring and Industry 4.0 applications for better planning and decision-making. Our flagship projects demonstrate this approach. The Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Link uses TBM (tunnel boring machines), mechanised tunnelling, robotic shotcrete and advanced (GIS) geological monitoring in challenging Himalayan terrain. The New Pamban Bridge incorporates advanced corrosion protection, durable materials and lifecycle engineering. We have also introduced India's first ROBO SMART cylindrical bearings on a railway bridge. As we expand internationally, technology, innovation and sustainability will remain central to our approach. We aim to combine engineering excellence with modern technology to create resilient and future-ready infrastructure.
How would you sum up RVNL's performance in Q1 FY2026-27, and what gives you confidence about the company's growth going forward? We are very pleased with the strong start to FY2026-27. In Q1, consolidated revenue from operations grew 10.55 per cent to more than Rs.43.21 billion, while profit before tax increased 28.91 per cent to over Rs.2.24 billion and profit after tax rose 18.73 per cent to over Rs.1.60 billion. Importantly, profitability grew faster than revenue, reflecting our focus on efficient execution, operational efficiency and prudent financial management. Our standalone performance was also robust, with revenue growing about 9.62 per cent and PAT by 21.72 per cent. Going forward, our diversified project portfolio, strong execution capabilities and expanding presence across infrastructure sectors provide a solid foundation for growth. We will continue to leverage technology and innovation, deliver quality infrastructure with speed and efficiency, and create sustainable value for stakeholders while contributing to India's infrastructure development and the vision of Viksit Bharat.
- Manish Pant
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Infrastructure Today.