Powering progress: Raghav Gupta

Economic development hinges on strong national infrastructure such as energy generation, transmission and distribution, highways and rail links, access to water, civil infrastructure and more.

In recognition of this fact, the Government of India has embarked on an ambitious journey to revolutionize the country’s infrastructure landscape to enhance connectivity and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Spotting this opportunity, Jakson Infra stepped up to the plate and rapidly diversified its services, says Managing Director Raghav Gupta.

"Having joined Jakson Group in 2017, I took up my first leadership role in Jakson Infra in 2020, which at the time was primarily focused on energy distribution," he explains.

"The COVID-19 pandemic created a lot of pent-up demand across a wide variety of sectors so we decided to spread our wings and expand our competencies."

A new chapter

Today, Jakson Infra goes beyond typical infrastructure services by offering a comprehensive suite of engineering, procurement and construction services. Its diverse portfolio now caters to a wide range of infrastructure development projects, acting as the cornerstone for a robust and sustainable energy infrastructure.

"Essentially we are expanding our services across three prongs. One is civil infrastructure, the second is power infrastructure and the third is water infrastructure – three areas the current Indian government is focusing on," Gupta explains.

"Our first step toward diversification was a INR2,000 crore [US$233 million] water project in Uttar Pradesh, which will provide clean water access to 200,000 consumers in rural areas by 2024. This was a huge experiment for us because it was a completely new domain."

Encouraged by this success, Jakson Infra has continued to branch out with the construction of a 500-bed hospital in Nandurbar, Maharashtra. Valued at more than US$70 million, the project includes the construction of the medical college, hospital and related buildings, dedicated to enhancing healthcare services for tribal communities and the wider population of Nandurbar.

Another area Jakson Infra is focusing on is completing the electromechanical work for metro stations. First announced on 1 January 2025, Jakson Infra was awarded the electrical and mechanical contract for Bangalore Metro’s highly anticipated 57-kilometer blue line, which will connect Silk Board to KR Puram and extend to Bengaluru International Airport via 30 stations.

Jakson Infra has also decided to go deeper into the transmission segment, Gupta says.

"Transmission is not only going to be the backbone of the country, it’s going to be the backbone of the world. I think in the next two or three years you’ll see an outlay of one lakh crores [US$11.6 billion], and we are now one of a small number of contractors in the country able to compete," he reveals.

"As these initiatives demonstrate, we have the capabilities in engineering, procurement, design, construction, project management, quality health and safety. We have a strong ecosystem available to us, we just need to deploy it and keep building on it."

Secrets to success

Thanks to Jakson Infra’s successful diversification and increasingly prestigious projects, the company has been growing rapidly.

"In 2022 we were a INR400 crore [US$46.6 million] company, and in 2023 we reached INR1,000 crore [US$115 million]. This year, God willing, we will touch INR1,200 crore [US$138 million] with an open order book of INR5,000 crore [US$578 million], which will translate to INR2,200 crore [US$254 million] revenue next year," Gupta says.

"I think our biggest differentiator is that we are the new kid on the block in a very saturated market full of much bigger companies. We are courageous, and we don’t shy away from taking on a challenge.

"While taking on challenges and not delivering on them is a death sentence, we believe that taking on progressively bigger challenges is what’s helping us achieve our exponential growth."

But beyond sheer ambition, Gupta firmly believes in the importance of working with trusted partners and establishing a dependable supply chain.

"Without the right vendors, no project can be successful. Thankfully for us, it’s very easy to attract vendors because Jakson has existed for over 75 years, and we’ve generated a lot of goodwill over that time. But on top of that, we walk the talk, we do what we say and that gives them assurance," he says.

"For example, we work a lot with vendors before putting in a bid, and if we win a contract without any negotiation, we work with our vendors as planned. I think we are one of the few companies that actually still practices this.

"The benefit is that we are fast to respond, everything is clear and all parties are aligned on the project timeline. Then, by having our vendors believe in us, it allows us to bid for even more exciting projects."

Gupta says the company is also focusing on talent acquisition and development.

"It’s crucial for us to get the right people on board, helping them align with our culture, our thought process, our agendas, and then actually enabling them to deliver," he explains. "It’s not just about ticking boxes, it’s filling positions with the right people and aligning them with our goals."

Looking ahead, Jakson Infra and the wider Jakson Group has clear plans to penetrate the Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation regions in the near future, extending its core competencies of building transmission and civil infrastructure to foreign government institutions, according to Gupta.

"Building one structure at a time, we are laying the foundation for a smooth transition toward a cleaner and empowered future," he adds.