The Chairman & CEO of Usha Projects (India) Pvt. Ltd. tells The Interview Times that pipelines, people and patience, not turnover alone, will define the next decade of industrial construction in the state.
A Legacy Carried Forward
Dr. Shaji Sivadasan describes Usha Projects (India) Pvt. Ltd. less as a business and more as an inheritance. His family’s association with Odisha goes back to the late 1960s, when his father began a contracting business here, working with organisations such as Coal India and SCEL. That proprietorship was incorporated as Usha Projects (India) Pvt. Ltd. in 2001, and Dr. Sivadasan, a technocrat with a management degree, chose to carry it forward. Though educated in Kerala, he says staying in Odisha was a natural choice, and that his bond with the state is now as much about belonging and responsibility as about business.
From Maintenance to Full-Scale EPC
The company began with industrial maintenance in coal and ash plants, urea and ammonia plants, boilers, pressure parts and conveyors. It gradually moved into cross-country pipelines carrying ash, iron ore, water, oil and gas, along with heavy fabrication, structural erection and complete EPC projects. Horizontal directional drilling has become an important part of that pipeline work, particularly for crossings beneath rivers, highways and railway lines where open excavation is impractical. He is quick to add that the technique demands route planning, ground investigation, surveying and skilled operators, not just drilling equipment.
Milestone Projects
Among the company’s defining assignments is NALCO’s ash disposal system from its Captive Power Plant at Angul to mine voids, covering engineering, pump houses and extensive ash slurry and return-water pipelines. Another is the 90-kilometre iron ore slurry pipeline for Brahmani River Pellets Limited, linking its beneficiation plant at Harichandanpur with its pellet plant at Kalinganagar. Executed across difficult terrain and restricted right-of-way conditions, these jobs taught him that engineering alone is never enough, and that planning, procurement, people, safety and commercial management must all come together.
Powering Odisha’s Industrial Expansion
Dr. Sivadasan expects the growth of Odisha’s power, steel and aluminium sectors to raise demand for dependable ash handling, material transportation and pipeline systems, since a failure in a single pipeline, conveyor or pumping system can disrupt an entire plant. He foresees greater emphasis on preventive maintenance, pipeline rehabilitation and fewer unplanned shutdowns, and believes experienced contractors can contribute as much by extending the life of existing infrastructure as by building new facilities. On technology, he favours better surveying, digital planning and equipment monitoring, but insists that tools must be backed by experienced people and sound engineering judgement.
The Hard Realities of EPC Contracting
He is candid about the pressures of the trade, where delayed approvals, scope changes, material price swings, site conditions and payment delays can squeeze even a well-run project. Scope, payment terms and responsibilities must be clear before a contract is signed, he says, and cash flow must be planned realistically. Safety and quality, in his view, can never be traded for speed or savings, and a project that looks impressive in turnover must still be commercially viable.
People at the Heart of the Project
For Dr. Sivadasan, the people at the site ultimately deliver the work. Training, risk assessments, protective equipment and open communication come first, so that workers can raise concerns without hesitation. Retention, he says, depends on treating people fairly, respecting their experience and giving them clear responsibilities, not on salary alone, and a company cannot grow sustainably unless its people grow with it.
Making Room for Homegrown Contractors
On how local firms can win a bigger share of the investment flowing into energy, metals and petrochemicals, he argues that homegrown contractors must meet the standards major clients expect in quality, safety, documentation, financial discipline and delivery. At the same time, he sees room for more participation through vendor development, specialised work packages and long-term maintenance contracts. Odisha, he believes, will grow stronger not only by attracting investment but by nurturing companies that can compete for major projects across India.
His ambition is a professionally managed engineering and EPC company with deeper technical capability and a presence beyond its established markets, expanded at a measured pace because growing too fast without the right people and systems invites trouble. Recalling his remark in an earlier CIO Mogul interview, he says tomorrow is not something to wait for but something to engineer.
Advice for the Next Generation
His counsel to young engineers and first-generation entrepreneurs is to learn the work on the ground and never accept an order merely because its value looks attractive. Understand the scope, working capital and risks before committing, he says, and remember that reputation takes years to build and should never be sacrificed for short-term gain.
