Know Your Babu: New DMICDC CEO Alkesh Sharma, his journey from agri-management to industry

AFTER one and half years of adhocism, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), a government agency engaged in building industrial cities between Delhi and Mumbai, gets a full-fledged Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. Alkesh Sharma, a 1990 batch Kerala cadre IAS who had earlier worked in ministries such as tourism, urban development and road transport and highways, will be the DMICDC’s new CEO and MD. Here are 10 things you may like to know about this officer who knows Odiya, Gujarati and Urdu, apart from English and his mother tongue Hindi:

7 Incredible Cities in DMIC: Amitabh Kant seals first Japanese deal, faces challenges

Will Kant succeed in repeating his Incredible stories?

Amitabh Kant, a 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS, is more a CEO than a typical additional secretary in a sarkari department. He is a CEO because he sets targets, draws time-line, nurtures a ‘can do’ temperament, manages his men from a stylish, corner room office and occasionally plays golf to keep the tempo on.

The architect of India’s two highly successful tourism campaigns, “God’s Own Country” and “Incredible India”, Kant now faces a bigger challenge: How to build seven brand new cities across 1483-km long industrial corridor between Delhi and Mumbai. After spending two years in office as the CEO of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) and changing many a ground rule, Kant has finally sealed the first deal. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda recently announced that Japan would invest $4.5 billion in this unique project that could refine India’s infrastructure with the smart deployment of advanced technology and green growth. What’s more, Japanese government would partner the project with a direct 26 percent participation in equity.

It seems the basic branding exercise of DMIC is over. While commenting on Kant’s book on brands, ad guru Piyush Pandey recently said: “Nothing builds brands better than passion. Amitabh Kant’s passion for both Brand India and Kerala is bubbling in every line and between the lines. The book proves that brands don’t just need a face, they also need a body, arms, legs and a very big heart.”

Can Kant repeat his Incredible story in DMIC? Kant has not lost his passion as yet, but DMIC is lot more complex. The global downturn has entered into a phase of recession and India’s much hyped-up growth story could turn out to be flawed, at least temporarily. After all, the project would need about $90 billion, and more. Also, the corridor spans over six states including Mayawati’s Uttar Pradesh and Narendra Modi’s Gujarat in addition to BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Congress-ruled Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra (with NCP). And land acquisition is becoming a trickier subject in each passing day.

But don’t forget Kant has had many successful innings as heads of large organizations. Back in late 1980s, Kant was MD of Kerala’s Fisheries Federation. He was then the MD of Malabar International Airport Development Society which was in fact the first Indian airport structured on the concept of user’s fee. A loan of Rs 150 crore which was mobilized to develop Calicut airport into an international airport was actually returned from the user’s fee. And the exercise was done much before Delhi and Mumbai understood such a model and used it in public private partnership projects. Finally, India Tourism Development Corporation’s turnaround saga from a Rs 40 crore loss-making enterprise to a profit of Rs108 crore was scripted by Kant as its chairman between 2002 and 2005.

Kant’s past success stories have the potential to make him nervous now.

Incredible! Amitabh Kant is front-runner for DMICDC's CEO; may handle USD 90 billion project

FORMER tourism joint secretary and 1980 batch Kerala cadre IAS Amitabh Kant is now the front-runner for heading Delhi Mumbai industrial corridor development corporation (DMICDC) which is the nodal body to execute USD 90 billion India-Japan friendship project, sources close to the development told babu blogger. Mr Kant, who is best known for his six-year-old (2001-2007) stint as joint secretary of tourism ministry, is credited with championing the ‘Incredible India’ campaign (See photograph above). Last month, Tata group chairman Ratan Tata released a book – “Branding India-An Incredible Journey”-- authored by Mr Kant who is now principal secretary and special commissioner (industries) of Government of Kerala. Significantly, the government short-listed a number of infrastructure honchos for the post of chief executive of DMICDC last year, and interviews were conducted in September 2008. But Mr Kant was nowhere in the picture when a search committee including cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, DIPP secretary Ajay Shankar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) MD E Sreedharan, screened a few possible names for the post. The main contenders then included senior director of ICICI Venture and former IAS Shailesh Pathak, L&T infrastructure finance’s CEO Suneet Maheshwari, Gammon India’s MD Parvez Umrigar, I D International’s Hong Kong-based director Alok Jain, Ascendas Property Management Services India’s head, IT-SEZ, Rajeev Chadha, former IAS and currently CEO of Tata Realty and Infrastructure Sanjay G Ubale, KEC International’s CEO Ramesh Chandak and Petronet MHB’s MD S B Pandey. But a number of them including Mr Pathak and Mr Ubale were not so keen in taking up the job then. In fact, former industry secretary Ajay Dua was instrumental in shaping the concept of DMICDC, and it was widely believed that Mr Dua would be appointed as its chief executive post retirement. But the government decided to put an age-cap making it impossible for any retired person to contest for the post. It now remains to be seen whether Mr Kant, an officer from Kerala, clicks in power corridors of Delhi when Kerala is the ultimate flavour of the season in Raisina Hill!