India in 2025: The Role of Project Management in Meeting Opportunities and Threats

An interview with Raju Rao, owner and principal consultant for Xtraplus Solutions, Chennai, India

Hi, I'm Kelley Hunsberger for the Project Management Institute and today I'm speaking with Raju Rao, owner of Xtraplus Solutions in India and contributing author to the book Project Management Circa 2025. In his chapter, "India in 2025: The Role of Project Management in Meeting Opportunities and Threats," Raju discusses several factors-including innovation and professional development-that will contribute to project management's success in the country over the next decades.

In your book, you describe that there's a surplus of manpower in India, but there is a shortage of skilled professionals. What does that mean for project management professionals in India?

Raju: We have a lot of people; we have a lot of people who are actually qualified. But whether they're able to get the job, is a different point, you know. So, we are having a debate here about employability. That means we have people who are capable, but it would not be possible to employ them immediately. They require some kind of training, some orientation and maybe some increase personal competency in a particular domain or field.

Are there any particular industries that need project management professionals in India more than others?

Raju: At this moment, we have a lot of projects on the construction front. At least for the next two to three years, a lot of projects going on in the roads sector. And we believe there will be a lot in the environment and those areas.

What are some of the steps being taken to develop these project professionals?

Raju: Currently we have a lot of organizations, for example, PMI and IPMA, who are trying to promote the concept of project management through chapter. That's going on. There are quite a few conferences that are being held by people who are involved in these businesses at various areas. So the general dissemination of knowledge is taking place.

Just one last question, where would you like to see project management in India by 2025?

Raju: What I would expect is it is at least recognized as a discipline to implement in any kind of thing-it's what worldwide, people are trying to say. And it starts getting used in all of the fields. Today, it's not happening.

We use it in some areas, either through practice or through established processes, you know. But that can be applied in so many different areas. And that's not happening. I would expect, and I would be happy, if that happens.

I also feel, that because so many projects are going on here, compared to probably the rest of the world in the next decade, there is a good chance for experimentation and learning from India, from the project management field. There are a lot of test cases one can have on what went wrong and what went right.

For more information on The Future of Project Management and Project Management Circa 2025, please visit our Future of Project Management page.

Raju Rao, PMP, is owner and principal consultant for Xtraplus Solutions, a project management consulting and training company based in Chennai, India. Mr. Rao has extensive experience in industrial process and project management. He has worked on projects for the Dubai, United Arab Emirates International Airport and engineering company R J Associates Bombay. He has also consulted for companies in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai in India, and in the United States.