Interview Times 
Er. Ashok Kumar Basa’s career traces the path of an engineer who has quietly shaped some of India’s most significant structures while earning respect across national and global engineering circles. What emerges is not just a record of achievements, but the story of a professional devoted to strengthening the country’s infrastructure and the institutions behind it.
His journey began at the Regional Engineering College (REC), Rourkela—now NIT Rourkela—where he graduated in 1980 as the top rank-holder in Civil Engineering and the recipient of the Best All-Round Gold Medal across all branches. That early academic brilliance soon translated into national recognition when he secured a high rank in the UPSC Combined Engineering Services Examination in 1981, marking the start of a career built on precision, discipline, and an unspoken commitment to nation-building.
Over the decades, Mr. Basa has contributed to India one landmark structure at a time. His expertise in bridge engineering, hydraulic structures, and structural rehabilitation is reflected in projects that continue to shape the country’s infrastructure—from the 1800-metre RCC Flyover near Cuttack Railway Station and the 2000-metre Prestressed Concrete Bridge across the Mahanadi at Jobra, to the 1400-metre steel railway bridge over the Brahmani at Jenapur. His work on the historic 1890 Brahmani Railway Bridge and the 254-metre suspension bridge at Dhabaleswar further established him as an engineer with a deep understanding of both modern and heritage structures. His contributions also extended to public architecture, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.
What sets Mr. Basa apart is not only the structures he built but the standards he helped uphold. His technical depth and credibility earned him membership in two of India’s apex code-making bodies—the IRC’s Bridge Specifications & Standards Committee and the BIS National Building Code Committee—a distinction achieved by very few engineers in the country. His long association with professional institutions includes serving as President of the Institution of Engineers (India) in 2014 and as President of the NIT Rourkela Alumni Association from 2022 to 2024. He has also led engineering organisations in the private sector, notably as Director (Technical) at B. Engineers & Builders Pvt. Ltd. since 1984 and as Managing Director of C.E.M Engineers & Consultants Pvt. Ltd. since 2011.
His work has travelled far beyond India. As an invited speaker, Mr. Basa has addressed engineering communities and institutions in cities such as Geneva, Paris, London, Kyoto, Melbourne, Beijing, and Shanghai. In 2022, he spoke at the United Nations STI Forum, reflecting the global relevance of his technical insights. His leadership found a wider canvas when he was elected Executive Vice President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) for the 2022–2025 term—only the second Indian to ever hold this role. He also chairs WFEO’s Strategic Planning Committee and earlier led the International Professional Engineering Agreement appointed by IEA, New Zealand.
His scholarly contributions mirror his professional ethos—meticulous, thoughtful, and guided by public interest. He has edited the reference book Rehabilitation and Retrofitting of Structures (McMillan, 2010), contributed a chapter to WFEO’s 2022 volume on engineering resilience, and published eighteen technical papers in national and international journals. His national memorial lectures at CRRI, IEI, and COEP Pune continue to influence engineering discourse across the country.
The recognitions that have followed him over the years form a quiet ribbon of honour rather than a badge of self-promotion. Awards such as the Visvesvaraya Award (2025), Distinguished Alumnus Award of NIT Rourkela (2024), S.B. Joshi Memorial Award (2014), IRC Medals, and gold medals for structural engineering research all reflect a lifetime of work rooted in excellence and integrity.
Er. Ashok Kumar Basa’s story is one of an engineer who continues to build not only structures but trust, standards, and ideas for the future. His legacy stands tall—much like the bridges he has strengthened across India and the institutions he continues to guide with clarity and purpose.
