In Conversation with BD
Challenges, Wins, and What’s Next
Prabhunath Gupta
We sat down with the Business Development (BD) team to hear about their experiences, challenges, and achievements. From navigating complex projects to winning major contracts, here’s what they had to say:
Q1. What are the usual challenges in finishing big projects on time and within budget in our industry?
Contractors in this sector are still evolving. Because of this, estimated costs and timelines often change during projects. Site conditions also keep changing, which adds to the complexity. Another challenge is the limited number of vendors in the CBG sector, which sometimes causes delays and mismatches in cost and time.
Q2. How does the BD team work with other departments to make sure things run smoothly?
There are two parts to this: pre-order and post-order.
Post-order: During execution, the BD team often steps in to support the project team with commercial and contractual negotiations. Since BD was involved from the start, we are better placed to handle such issues and help move things forward.
Pre-order: We work closely with design, engineering, and procurement teams to discuss technicalities and check feasibility.
Q3. Can you share one project milestone where the team faced a tough challenge and managed to solve it?
At the Bhopal project, despite heavy rains and damaged roads, we successfully commissioned the hammer mill feeding system and pre-commissioned the BU and HP compressor system. It was very difficult for the team to even reach the site, but they managed to carry out the work under tough conditions.
Q4. What helps the team build and keep client trust during these large projects?
We maintain regular engagement and strong relationships with clients. The focus is always on keeping them satisfied. Most importantly, we are transparent — if we make a mistake, we accept it. This honesty builds trust and ensures clients are happy with the partnership.
Q5. What will be the BD team’s main focus in the next quarter?
The focus will be on capturing upcoming opportunities in the market. There are several private and government tenders expected for MSW-based CBG projects, and our aim is to secure them.
This quarter showed us what the BD team can achieve under tough conditions. The focus now is on converting upcoming opportunities into long-term growth for GPS.
– Prabhunath Gupta