As individual citizens we often look at India and wonder what can each
of us do for the betterment of our nation. As a rapidly developing country we
face numerous issues regarding infrastructure, food, water and sanitation.
Depending on the government alone is not enough as we all must play a large
role in bringing about change.
There are those who we can look towards for inspiration, those who in
their own humble way have worked hard towards creating a great impact across
the country. The chairman and Managing Director of Vishvaraj Infrastructure
Ltd, Mr. Arun Lakhani is one such individual. Integrating the best
qualities of the profit-oriented corporate world with the social objectives of
the government, he has initiated positive change and a new era of Public
Private Partnerships, a model that has existed for decades but has only
recently been implemented with great business acumen and dedication.
An engineer by education, Mr. Lakhani is a change maker at heart,
using his B.Sc from Amravati and M.Tech in Petro chemicals to develop ideas,
manage projects and create a better environment for the Common Man.
His planning and management skills were developed at the start of his
career when he entered the software writing and data processing sector. His
yearning to work in public spaces and his entrepreneurial spark were both
kindled when he started his own company, Mahagas. As India was decentralizing
the LPG sector, Mahagas emerged as one of the first private sector supplier.
“The journey through my career and various
roles has taught me that at the heart of every successful endeavour there are
passionate and dedicated people. Only when we choose to work together do we
prosper”, believes Mr. Lakhani.
With this attitude and a vision for greater heights, he went on to
acquire and develop Vishvaraj Infrastructure Limited. Today the company is
known for its expertise in the field of giant infrastructural projects, maintaining
a steady record for quality and timeliness. In a short span, Mr. Arun Lakhani
steered the company towards his dream to contribute to the nation. He targeted
one of the largest problems being faced by India, the lack of clean water and
the management of waste water.
VishvarajInfrastructre is one of the leading private companies in the
water sector. They have ventured in to water supply projects, water
conservation initiatives and waste water management systems. They are on the
verge of working with several state municipalities and Mr. Lakhani, who is a
great supporter of Public Private Partnerships, participates in several
conferences and seminars.
“We can’t sit back and wait for the powers
that be to take action. We must come together and make a collective effort. The
growth of India depends on everybody and not just one government or a few
corporates”, states Mr. Lakhani.
In order to
understand the vastness of his plans and the high standards of quality he
envisions, one need only look at the work being carried out by Vishvaraj
Infrastructure Limited in Nagpur. 24x7 water supply is today a reality in
Nagpur and waste water is being recycled, reused and even generating revenue.
With success stories such as the one
unfolding in Nagpur, several states and cities have already begun signing PPP
agreements, especially in the water supply and waste water treatment sectors.
Punjab, Haryana, Panchkula, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Karnal are some of these. If
credit is due, then a great part of it must be given to the man working
tirelessly behind the scene, the chairman of Vishvaraj Infrastructure Limited.
“I hope to someday witness more and
more Indian citizens benefitting from the collaboration between the government
and private sector companies. Water is one of the most important resources we
have but there are several other challenges that need to be resolved and these
present a great opportunity for the new generation of entrepreneurs”, advises
Mr. Lakhani.
