Rakesh S. Sisodia has over three decades of experience in developing marine structures at various ports in India and the Middle East. His expertise includes executing and spearheading construction projects involving method engineering, contract administration and resource planning, with a flair for adopting modern construction methodologies in compliance with quality standards. Previously, he has worked with Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the Aditya Birla Group and Essar in senior management roles, handling complex projects in India and abroad.
In his current role, he leads the engineering, planning and execution of all greenfield and brownfield port development projects across locations. At the same time, the opportunity is significant with India’s growing trade volumes and policy thrust on port-led development provide immense scope to create world-class port assets.
Some of his memorable assignments include the Mumbai Coastal Road Project with L&T, which involved complex marine works under challenging urban and environmental conditions. His team successfully implemented large-diameter monopiles in the marine bridges for the first time in India. This was a game changer for the project in terms of timelines, project risk and environmental sustainability. Large port projects such as Paradip, Jaigarh and Dharamtar, where scale, technical innovation and stakeholder coordination were key success factors, offered valuable lessons.
Looking ahead, Sisodia expects strong prospects for the infrastructure sector, particularly in ports and logistics. Further, increased private participation, multimodal connectivity, digitalisation, mechanisation, and focus on green and resilient infrastructure will shape the next phase of growth.
He is a civil engineer by training. His strengths lie in method engineering, project planning, contract administration and crisis management. He believes in proactive risk identification and decisive execution. His management style is collaborative and hands-on. Sisodia encourages open communication, data-driven decision-making and accountability. During crisis situations, he focuses on swift technical assessment, clear role allocation and calm leadership to stabilise execution.
Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his family and keeping himself updated on emerging technologies in infrastructure development. He strongly believes that continuous learning and disciplined execution are the cornerstones of long-term success in this sector.