Struck by Crisis. Forged by Will
“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.”
The pithy observation of life by athlete and motivational speaker Roger Crawford has stood the test of time. It also sums up how Afconians have faced the Covid-19 pandemic that made 2020 the most trying year for mankind. As we adjust to the ‘new normals’, let us reminisce some key moments and how Afcons faced the pandemic last year.
A good beginning makes a good ending
The year began on a high. There was glitter and sunshine with the inauguration of Reach-3 of Nagpur Metro. Afcons had finished the 11-km elevated corridor in a record time of 28 months. Joy poured in with good news of two new projects from Bangladesh and one new job in Gujarat.
Employees gained new experience by mentoring tribal children in a school in the hinterlands of Maharashtra. The community engagement programme became an eye opener for employees who called it a life-changing experience. The energy was high and the spirit unputdownable. (Click for short film).
Then came time for reaping the rewards of hard work. Afcons and Afconians were feted by a series of awards. Afcons received the Equal Opportunity Enabler Award and was named the Best Employer in Bhutan. There was also an award for Best Talent Management and an Outstanding Leadership award that rounded up a much-deserving recognition for our HR team.
Next, Afcons won honours for being the Global Indian Company of the year, and a series of other awards for novel PR and Communication initiatives.
We ended the quarter on a high with a special appreciation for Afcons’s achievements in bridge and tunnelling projects.
Struck by crisis. Forged by Will
The simmering pandemic eventually boiled over in India by March. Like elsewhere globally, India, too, started grappling with Covid-19. The economy came to a grinding halt and the country went into a lockdown. With its operations spread across geographies, Afcons had to swiftly fortify its projects. Strict Covid-19 preventive protocols were deployed.
Afcons became a haven for over 13,500-strong workforce between March and June. During this period, over 17,50,000 meals were served, and more than 11,000 families were provided with food kits and other essentials. Displaying exemplary courage and compassion, Afconians volunteered to serve the local communities during the lockdown. PPE kits, face masks, sanitisers, medicines, food kits were distributed among health workers, villagers, local governments, district administrations in India and overseas.
Afconians also made voluntary salary contributions and an equal amount was contributed by the organisation towards Covid-19 relief fund. Contributions through donation of PPE kits, robes and basic medicines were also done to major hospitals in Mumbai, which had turned into a Covid-19 hotbed.
As we started adjusting to the new normal and lockdowns were partially lifted, the economy started opening. Following hygiene protocols and SOPs, we gradually started site operations with caution.
As things started moving, Afconians emerged more determined than before, forged by a will to succeed. The only way to avenge the loss was by returning with a vengeance. The entire organisation performed like a well-orchestrated machine. Resolve and Resilience was evident. It was finally time for Return.
As the comeback began, we secured a new job in Tanzania. Nine of our projects won the prestigious British Safety Council award. Nagpur Metro won Safe Civil Contractor award. We daylighted the third tunnel at Pandoh-Takoli project.
It was time for the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Attitude reflects leadership
The unlock process had begun. Restrictions were gradually being loosened. Despite a subdued unease, the world showed a resolve to return. India was moving in similar direction. At Afcons, our focus shifted to operations. Afconians showed the nerves to return and keep the fear of pandemic at bay. They brought the right attitude to work and it reflected their leadership. Various projects began operations with special permission during lockdowns. The result?
The western flank of Mahatma Gandhi Setu, in Bihar, was inaugurated in July and the first flyover in Zambia (Makeni Flyover) was opened for public a month later. Afcons completed India’s deepest Metro ventilation shaft in Kolkata. In the same vein, Kanpur Metro team erected the first U-girder little over eight months into the project.
The crowning moment arrived when Afcons received the award for the second fastest growing infrastructure company for the second year in succession. (Click for video). The quarter ended with three new projects in Bihar, Gabon, and Tanzania respectively.
All’s well that ends well
Afconians didn’t let the momentum slip. Riding on the wave of milestones, we achieved probably the biggest hurrah in a decade. The much awaited and strategically important Atal Tunnel was inaugurated. Constructed by Strabag-Afcons JV, it became the longest highway tunnel above 10,000 ft. (Click for video).
Working at a speed unseen at any other Metro project in the country Kanpur Metro team erected 100 U-girders in just 67 days. Afcons won a package of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Corridor and a marine job in Kochi. Chhara Breakwater project bagged a safety award and oodles of appreciation came for Afcons for its Covid-19 crisis communication. A case study of the #AfconsFightsCovid19 campaign won the PR India Awards and received recognition at StratComm Asia Awards.
Afcons booked orders totalling Rs 11,000cr entering the last quarter of the financial year. The steady progress amidst an unprecedented crisis is a reflection of the organisation culture, its resilience and determination to succeed.
As we enter a new year let us take with ourselves the lessons the pandemic has taught us and begin with the hope of a better tomorrow.
Watch the 2020 recap in a video here
