India's Best MEP Consultants to Watch 2021

India's Best

MEP CONSULTANTS

to Watch-2021

MEP Insights

Overview of Indian MEP Consulting Industry

2021 VOL.-03 ISSUE-01

MEP Worldwide

Dynamics of Global MEP Consulting Space

B.O. Prasanna Kumar Co-founder Joint Managing Director

B. Manjunath Co-founder Director

OUR AIM IS TO FULFIL THE SOCIAL OBLIGATION TOWARDS THE DEPRIVED

DesignTree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd. OFFERING OUTSTANDING DESIGN SERVICES WHILE SYNCHRONIZING QUALITY, TIME, AND COST PARAMETERS

Editor’s Note F

or the success of any project, it is essential to employ the right team. In case of construction and renovation projects, MEP consulting firms play a role, as important as an architect or a builder.

MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) is a type of engineering under which efforts are taken to create an environment safe for human use.

THE TRAILBLAZERS OF INDIAN MEP CONSULTANCY

Any building project considers heating and ventilation services essential. Here, MEP engineers play a very important role in the installation and maintenance of air conditioners, exhaust, smoke control, and much more.

These consultants are not only responsible for lighting, but also, for other electrical services such as fire alarms, security alarms, and a lot more.

MEP consultants focus on plumbing aspects such as fire suppression systems and gas delivery systems in medical and laboratory settings. Furthermore, they take care of water and waste management systems such as drinking water, irrigation water, sewers, and a lot more.

MEP service providers offer cost effective design solutions which are sustainable in the long run. They employ not only cutting-edge technologies, but also, provide a foresight to ensure maximum returns. With

Darshan Parmar Managing Editor

darshan@insightssuccess.com

an emphasis on energy conservation and water conservation, these consultants use environmentfriendly products, while reducing excessive consumption of resources.

For every company or individual, there is a fixed budget they need to follow. With MEPs, they can not only stay within the budget, but also adopt systems that would be cost efficient in the long run. Efficient MEP service providers ensure that products and systems required for a project are used to the fullest.

They make sure that the systems do not require too much maintenance and the workers are trained properly to handle issues.

Systems are connected across centralized hardware and software networks that take care of indoor and outdoor features of a building. For example, if a project requires HVAC commissioning, MEP consultants will handle the procedure themselves.

Every company aims to assign projects to service providers who deliver the best. MEP consultants are highly trained and are masters of their craft. They work closely with architects and owners, while delivering excellent customer experiences.

The leading MEP consulting firms leave no stone unturned to ensure that their clients are satisfied with their services. They focus on excellent quality, while emphasizing on the safety of the clients and the employees as well. They are embracing innovation and dedication to deliver lasting customer experiences.

Hence, in this issue of Insights Success, we bring forth some of the prominent MEP consultants, who are changing the game innovatively with our latest edition, India's Best MEP Consultants to Watch-2021.

Dive into the space of MEP while cruising through a few of the articles curated by our in-house editorial team.

Read Away!

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DesignTree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd. OFFERING OUTSTANDING DESIGN SERVICES WHILE

SYNCHRONIZING QUALITY, TIME, AND COST PARAMETERS

08

Cover Story

ARTICLES

22

MEP Insights Overview of Indian MEP Consulting Industry

32

MEP Worldwide Dynamics of Global MEP Consulting Space

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S 16

26

16 36

INI Infrastructure & Engineering Delivering Modern Design Solutions

26

QDC Consulting

36

Vikas Joshi & Associates

Delivering Quality Work in Due Time

A Seasoned Player in the MEP Consultation Space

Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar Managing Editor Darshan Parmar

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Assisting Editor Ananda Kamal Das

MARCH, 2021

Contributing Writers Renuka, Ashish

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MEP to Watch-2021 India's Best

CONSULTANTS

Company Name

Management

Brief

DesignTree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd

Mr. B O Prasanna Kumar, Mr. B Manjunath Co-founder and Joint Managing Director, Co-founder and Director

DesignTree is a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy company founded in March 2008 by dynamic and innovative professionals to bridge the gap between the ever-changing needs of construction industry and current consultancy services available.

INI Infrastructure & Engineering

Nehal Thakkar, Parth Joshi, INI Infrastructure & Engineering (Part of INI Group) is a leading multidisciplinary consulting engineering company with Amit Mehta a legacy of 27 years of dedicated work and noted projects in Senior Project Manager, more than 50 project locations across the globe.

Director, Director

QDC India Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

C. S. Nambisan Chandran Dominic Dattatreya Bhat Jayakumar Vimal Kumar Director Associate Director Associate Director AGM AGM

QDC India was established in 2010 with an aim to offer Structural & MEP Design Consultancy Services with BIM / Revit expertise for both local and International clients.

Vikas Joshi and Associates

Mr Vikas Joshi Founder

Vikas Joshi and Associates is perfectly poised to leverage its 4 decades of experience and expertise spanning across industries to contribute to design needs of these industries.

DesignTree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd. OFFERING OUTSTANDING DESIGN SERVICES WHILE SYNCHRONIZING QUALITY, TIME, AND COST PARAMETERS

C O V E R S

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We provide innovative, cost e ective, and sustainable building solutions

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B. Manjunath Co-founder Director

R S T O R Y

B.O. Prasanna Kumar Co-founder Joint Managing Director

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n today’s age of smart cities, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) service providers play an important role in constructing environment-friendly and long-lasting structures, without causing much harm to the environment. They help in creating impressive, flawless, and convenient smart buildings. These service providers employ cutting-edge technologies, innovative plans, and able manpower to create the ultimate smart infrastructure.

MEP engineering is the science and art of planning, designing, and managing building services. Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing needs are the fundamental requirements of modern construction projects. A MEP system can be considered as the central nervous system of a building which creates comfort feature of a structure and makes a building liveable. MEP consulting services are the key requirements of construction related projects. No matter if you are an architect, an owner of a building project or an engineer; these services will make a difference in the value of the project.

One such leading name in the domain of MEP services is DesignTree Service Consultants Pvt Ltd. DesignTree is a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy company founded in March 2008 by dynamic and innovative professionals to bridge the gap between the ever-changing needs of construction industry and current consultancy services available.

The company is focused on providing one stop service/solution with emphasis on client requirements with responsive, agile, hands on, and innovative approach to all prospective clients. They assist with designing, decision making, cost estimation, construction administration, documentation, building management, and building maintenance. DesignTree delivers systems that satisfy building owners and occupants.

DesignTree consists of a group of engineers with rich experience in structural and building services in the engineering industry. The people associated with this consultancy have a cumulative professional experience exceeding 400 man-years. They have served at senior positions in various organizations in India.

Dedicated Leadership DesignTree is marching ahead towards excellence under the visionary stewardship of B.O. Prasanna Kumar, the Co-founder and Joint Managing Director, and B. Manjunath, the Co-founder and Director.

Mr. Kumar possesses over three decades of rich experience of carrying out design services like water supply system, sewerage network, sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants, solid waste management, and so on. He is a seasoned consulting engineer who has designed over thousand projects includes residential, IT commercial, and a lot more.

Mr. Manjunath has been involved in carrying out design services for over 26 years. He has offered various services such as Fire Protection & Life Safety System, industrial piping including steam boilers, compressed air, vacuum system, and so on, for residential campuses, hotels, hospitals, factory complexes, software parks, and commercial buildings in coordination with reputed Indian and international architects.

Overcoming the Odds Confidently Team DesignTree believes that there is a continuing and growing need for design engineers to be mindful of project budgets and provide the next level of ‘value engineering’ to projects. This, though, may have consequence on their own budgets as clients have an increasing desire to explore every design option in detail. The company believes that fee

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WE AIM TO BECOME A ONE STOP SOLUTION FOR ALL ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY SERVICES

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management is vital to success, not only for the design office, but also to the client and his project to ensure he retains the resources to complete his project.

It further opines that engineers need to keep abreast of municipal and national codes and standards which are developing and are becoming more formalized into written codes. Approval processes are evolving more and more into online formats. Every changing municipal bylaw is many a times more stringent than national standards to suit to local requirements. Team DesignTree states, “Keeping abreast with these dynamics, engineering it is an art of balancing design and the budget in the mind of our clients.”

Opinions about the Industry Team DesignTree believes that although most other industries have undergone tremendous changes over the last few decades and have reaped the benefits of process and product innovations, the Engineering and Construction sector has been hesitant about fully embracing the latest technological opportunities, and its labour productivity has stagnated accordingly.

This unimpressive track record can be attributed to various

internal and external challenges: the persistent fragmentation of the industry, inadequate collaboration with suppliers and contractors, the difficulties in recruiting a talented workforce, and insufficient knowledge transfer from project to project.

Team DesignTree is of the opinion that the industry, more particularly, MEP services has vast potential. Additionally, digitalization, innovative technologies, and new construction techniques play an important role in improving productivity and efficiency. For instance, the rapid emergence of augmented reality, 3D scanning and printing, Building Information Modelling (BIM), autonomous equipment, and advanced building materials – all of them have now reached market maturity.

The company believes that by adopting and exploiting these innovations, companies will boost productivity, streamline their project management and procedures, and enhance quality and safety. To capture all this potential, the industry will have to put a committed and concerted effort across many aspects, from technology, operations, and strategy to personnel and regulation.

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We intend to be among the foremost engineering consultants

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Effortless Coordination and Employee Protection The COVID-19 Pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world by infecting people and threatening lives. It has negatively impacted the global economy with serious consequences across all communities and individuals. The virus has derailed the worldwide efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, while paralyzing societies and economies.

Team DesignTree states, “How to minimize impact and survival was the biggest task of year 2020 on business, its performance results and, most importantly, on employees – these were the main issues of concern for every company leader like us”. The company has built a coherent model of, and capabilities for, virtual and in-person work combination.

whether the work can be suspended or can be completed from home. It also applies additional protective measures such as the enhanced hand hygiene, face mask, ventilation, and disinfection.

Words of Wisdom Mr. Prasanna and Mr. Manjunath state, “Critical thinking, people skills, leadership, problem-solving, and a winning attitude is key to success. Create inclination to enjoy the problem-solving process. Using critical thinking skills and developing path forward options is truly intriguing. As an entrepreneur, it is very gratifying being a leader, leading a team through an evergreen vision in which you have created.”

DesignTree believes that risk assessment and consultation with the employees is very important for setting up and implementing physical distancing measures at the workplace. Accordingly, it implemented modification of workstations, changed the use of common spaces, and encouraged own transport, split teams, and other measures to reduce social mixing at the workplace.

Mr. Prasanna and Mr. Manjunath advise the budding MEP consultants to develop an attitude for researching and staying abreast of the building codes that govern the work.

Subscribing to MEP related associations that discuss commercial and residential development topics and market trends can be helpful. It is essential to build an extensive library of self-help and technical books. They further suggest them to take time off to attend applicable training be it technical or personal development.

When physical distancing measures at the workplace are not feasible for specific work tasks, the company considers

The Future Landscape DesignTree’s long term goal is to take on bigger, more

India's Best MEP Consultants to Watch-2021 challenging targets so that it can assess abilities.

The company believes that often the short-term goals are stepped to achieve the longer-term goals. It is planning to venture into knowledge process outsourcing of MEP services globally.

Furthermore, DesignTree’s immediate targeted growth is to harbour 450 talented professional team in MEP. It intends to expand BIM capability used in the planning and design of projects, for creating and managing all the information on a project – before, during, and after construction; it is the digital description of every aspect of the built asset.

It is a move away from two-dimensional technical drawings and extends to 3D spatial dimensions such as width, height, and depth but also includes 4D which is time and 5D which is cost. Thereby, it focuses on creating a virtual information model, which can be handed from the design team to the main contractor and subcontractors. The company also plans to increase the overall value of the DesignTree in terms of reputation.

Kindly contact on : prasanna@designtreeconsultants.com manjunath@designtreeconsultants.com

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We provide specialized and practical solutions to your projects

www.designtreeconsultants.com

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DELIVERING MODERN DESIGN SOLUTIONS

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onsultants need to provide the best design solutions that are cost-effective and performing at optimum level thinking long-term. These designs should not only employ the most recent and competent technologies but also provide foresight to ensure maximum lifecycle while looking into Operational & Maintenance of systems.

INI Infrastructure & Engineering is one such organization which is providing best design solutions and is committed to becoming one of the top designs and engineering practice in India and internationally with a practice based on research, sustainability, and integrated design.

In an interview with Insights Success, the team of INI Infrastructure & Engineering shares the journey of the company and its contribution in the design and engineering solutions. Amit Mehta and Parth Joshi are the Directors of INI and Nehal Thakkar is the Senior Project Manager of INI. Below are the highlights of the interview between the team of INI Infrastructure & Engineering and Insights Success: Please brief our audience about your organization, its values, and vision.

INI Infrastructure & Engineering (Part of INI Group) is a leading multidisciplinary consulting engineering company with a legacy of 27 years of dedicated work and noted projects in more than 50 project locations across the globe.

We offer multiple services including Mechanical-ElectricalPlumbing (MEP), fire protection, infrastructure design, IBMS, sustainable design, BIM Services, PMC, and lighting design through a dedicated and proficient team working from five office locations in India and abroad.

INI stands for Integrated Ideas which reflects the integrated

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and collaborative nature of our practice. Our strength lies in providing one-stop solutions to our clients for all engineering and infrastructure design needs. Our team adheres to international design codes and delivers modern solutions using state-of-the-art design software and technology.

Brief us on your expertise in the MEP consultancy market.

As mentioned above, INI Infrastructure & Engineering has been a pioneer in the field of engineering design consultancy and has been providing quality service for the past 27 years across the globe. Our work integrates regional planning, infrastructure planning, urban design, transportation, architecture, engineering, and infrastructure, by incorporating cutting edge innovation for energy efficiency and sustainability into the design of all our projects.

Our strength lies in providing one-stop solutions to our clients for all planning, engineering and infrastructure design needs.

Our professionals are accredited for various national and international certifications and green standards such as ASHRAE, ISHRAE, IGBC, LEED, GRIHA standards.

INI team, with its rich international experience and expertise dedicated to excellence in design, has a strong record of successfully delivering sustainable designs for our clients with integrity, team spirit, and best practices, both here in India and internationally.

What are/were the challenges you and your team come across in your day-to-day operations?

Challenges are part and parcel of our practice. Our culture

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INI INFRASTRUCTURE & ENGINEERING HAS BEEN A PIONEER IN THE FIELD OF ENGINEERING DESIGN CONSULTANCY AND HAS BEEN PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICE FOR PAST 27 YEARS ACROSS THE GLOBE

Among the Stars

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Amit Mehta

Director MEPF ENGINEERING Amit Mehta, a Mechanical Engineer, ASHRAE certified Health Care Facility Design Professional and has 25 years’ experience in the field of HVAC Product Development, Design, Planning, and Execution. Amit has led the MEPF engineering team for the design of more than 200 projects in India and internationally. He is a past president of ISHRAE (Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineering) for Ahmedabad, and a Member of, Board of Governors for ASHRAE WIC (American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers).

He is an IGBC Accredited Professional (IGBC AP). With his excellent project design management, INI is recognized by associated clients and architects as the most favorable MEPF engineering consulting company. Apart from design engineering, Amit has always been a management leader and has extended his services for the generation of new business, improvement of quality standards, project-based man-hour cost calculations, estimation of fees, and understanding of the market scenario and response to market needs to be based on a wide range of clientele.

Amit holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical, from L.D. College of Engineering, Gujarat University

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MARCH 2021 | 17

Nehal, a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) has over 21 years of experience in the HVAC field. She is currently the Office Head at the Mumbai office of INI. She is dedicated to her work and remains ever focused on the various projects that she handles. She is a disciplinarian and a taskmaster and directs meticulously all aspects of project work. She believes in close supervision and follows up on the work with which she is entrusted, thus maintaining the required delivery and quality standards.

Her hands-on design approach and multi-tasking ability ensure that a successful project is delivered. As Office Head in Mumbai, Nehal has successfully coordinated to completion various MEP Projects in India and overseas in the areas of Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, Health Care, and Residential. Her projects span across India and overseas in Nepal, Azerbaijan, and Libya.

Nehal holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical, from Nirma University, Ahmedabad.

Nehal Thakkar

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER MEPF ENGINEERING is that we try to turn challenges into opportunities. Some of the challenges we face in our day-to-day operations: •

Among the Stars

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Higher client expectations: Today’s clients expect faster responses, tighter timelines, and enhanced deliverables.

Meanwhile, our consulting fees did not go necessarily higher, but they are more tied to results. It is natural.

Good thing is that it is within our power to rise to the occasion and we do it every time without compromising the quality of our design while caring for optimum performance at the right value.

• Tighter timelines: We face tighter deadlines. The entire design, engineering & execution process is condensed now and as consulting practice, we need to be ready with our value proposition throughout the cycle starting from day one. As a company, we deal with this challenge with well-trained teams, aligned resource planning, team collaboration, and wise use of technology.

• Finding the right talent: With the rising expectation of clients and project complexities in India’s emerging market, finding the right talent, train them for the required skills, and retaining them is one of the most important challenges in today’s consulting market. As one of the core values of INI “We Put People First”.

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India's Best MEP Consultants to Watch-2021

•

INI provides the best environment where our people can thrive professionally and personally with a good worklife balance. We continuously invest in training & skill development for our people.

Where do you envision your organization to be in the long run and what are your future goals?

We envision INI Infrastructure & Engineering becoming one of the preferred Design and Engineering consultants across the board to all types of clients such as developers, institutions, industries, Urban Infrastructure & Govt. clients, nationally and internationally. We are growing and we plan to expand our presence in more geographical locations in India and internationally while adding more services. We strongly believe that the collaboration of Industry and Academia is critical for professional practice such as ours and are expanding our collaborations in related research, teaching, and academic fields.

Among the Stars

Parth Joshi

Director MEPF ENGINEERING Parth, a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the U.S. and a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), has over 15 years of global design and project management experience in the field of building systems engineering design. Parth leads a team of highly skilled and motivated individuals dedicated to delivering high-quality design solutions in Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection design for INI’s MEPFP engineering department.

Parth’s project experience covers a wide spectrum of building types and sizes. Parth believes in a collaborative work environment and an exchange of ideas among clients, community, and design team to provide sustainable design excellence. He is involved in each project from concept to delivery, encompassing planning, monitoring, inter-discipline coordination, and resource planning.

Parth is actively involved in marketing, business, and client development, and forming collaborative ventures with local and global partners for INI’s engineering projects.

Parth holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from L.D. College of Engineering, Gujarat University.

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MARCH 2021 | 19

MEP Insights

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Overview of Indian

MEP

Consulting Industry www.insightssuccess.in

MARCH 2021 | 23

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echanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) engineering is a form of engineering that focuses on creating a safe environment for humans to use. An MEP consulting firm is just as important as an architect or a builder for any construction or renovation project. MEP consultancy services are critical to the success of every construction project.

It does not matter if you are an architect, an owner of a building project, or an engineer, these services will make a difference in the value of the project. As a consulting firm, MEP consultants offer efficient and effective services as compared to individual advisors.

Construction projects are usually handled by engineering firms. If their price demand remains strong, they provide quality services. Engineering firms in the United Arab Emirates are the best example, as they never compromise on efficiency, even when clients are looking for a bargain. These companies also offer quality MEP consultancy.

The fundamental requirements of modern construction projects are mechanical, electrical, and plumbing needs.

Hiring an accomplished MEP advisor will make a big difference in a project's ability to achieve its anticipated value. To assist you in meeting the appropriate standard of a project, an MEP advisor's services must meet the following requirements:

you save money in this area, the required advisor must provide informed and expert advice.

Fire Alarm Expertise: For increased protection, a fire alarm is an effective addition. This device must follow industry expectations as well as project specifications. According to the requisite explanation, a fire alarm device is a very complicated process. The appropriate advisor must have expertise in this field and have developed applicable systems.

Energy Management: Most engineering companies have specific criteria for efficient energy management solutions. Engineering firms in Dubai typically employ MEP consultants only if they keep up with the latest standards. Providing cutting-edge energy management technologies will help building projects save money.

Plumbing: For plumbing projects, field experience and the ability to plan accurately are both necessary. An advisor must be able to efficiently satisfy the project's plumbing needs by using high-quality equipment. He must provide an expert design that meets the general needs.

Responsive in Nature: Attention to Details: An MEP advisor must react quickly to the query. In construction projects, where the solution to one problem is often a contributing factor in another, faster operations are needed. To progress, he needs to respond to your questions more rapidly.

Any project deliverable benefits from expert energy management strategies, utility management, and adherence to safety measures. In this regard, the appropriate MEP advisor must be able to pay attention to specifics.

HVAC Expert: Communication: During project development, user comfort must be a top priority. An advisor you will hire must be an expert in delivering efficient and environmentally friendly advice to make the outcome comfortable to users. He must also adhere to your specifications and budget.

Electrical Power and Lighting:

Even though the appropriate MEP advisor must be an expert and specialist in his field, he must also be open to new ideas. He must be able to explain the intent of his design in a language that you can comprehend. This will lower the chances of going in the opposite direction of the plan.

Both the electrical and lighting phases of a project require an incredible amount of attention to detail.

These are an important part of reducing energy consumption and improving interior efficiency. To help

The focus advantage of MEP is that all engineers can coordinate with each other easily which leads to fewer clarifications concerning design issues. All the interdisciplinary engineers can get clarity about each

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other’s design and this helps them in developing their own design effectively. CAD drawings are optimized by mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers from time to time for generating effective models that contain correct information.

UAE for their contributions beyond the construction of buildings. They specialise in guiding the mechanical arrangement of project components. The tasks they perform are often referred to as "everything under the scope of HVAC."

For executing these services, MEP is used by the modelers, technicians and engineers. Depending upon project requirements, building firms may also employ additional advisors if needed. Engineering companies in Abu Dhabi usually employ the following advisors to help construction firms in their routine projects:

Electrical Engineers:

Architects: They are experienced drawing designers who offer their services to meet a client's needs. Their primary duty is to design the project's complex drawings. They evaluate every operation during construction to ensure that it complies with the preparation and development rules and regulations.

Land Surveyors: The construction site must be leveled, which necessitates the use of land surveyors. They pinpointed the exact position of the goal. A land surveyor's job is to specify the most precise construction methods. They are, however, not always available for all types of projects.

Geo-Tech Engineer: A geo-tech engineer's job is to determine the soil class of a given place. Soil class identification is needed before determining specifications for assembling the project's footings. They provide the structural engineer with an appropriate report on the origin of a soil sample.

Electrical engineering contractors are in charge of designing a building's overall electrical layout. Their key responsibilities include power and lighting design, switchboard strategy, circuit safety, cable selection, and telecommunication component assembly, as well as standby power generation.

Building Surveyors: They are in charge of assisting the construction procedures in meeting the specified regulations. They must organise it in a suitable manner. They will grant a certificate of occupancy after the total building standards have been met, ensuring that the structure is secure and capable of housing people.

Energy Rater: The assistance of an energy rater contractor ensures that the project meets its energy requirements. They use software to examine the overall design, thermal efficiency, resources, and insulation styles. They will prepare the building efficiency report if everything stays according to the requirements.

The economic predicament has upset the normal growth trajectory of most sectors and real estate development is no exception. Pay periods have been impacted because collections have been postponed to a later date. As a result, contractors would find it difficult to expand their businesses, employ professionals, pay for materials and equipment, and so on.

Structural Engineer: They are in charge of the project's structural arrangement. They determine the size and grade of various elements such as beams, columns, and footings, among others. Their involvement is highly respected at any point in the construction process.

- Ashish Chandgude

Mechanical Engineer: Engineering consultants of this kind are valued in the

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QDC Consulting Delivering Quality Work in Due Time

“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”

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hat Spanish artist Salvador Dali said this almost a century ago, has been a reality of today’s designers. The designers and professional artists have been living the era of perfection where clients demand designs and drafts to be of utmost details and unique from the competitors.

As a result, designers have to rework with constantly changing requirement from the clients. This has been one of the biggest challenges for MEP consultancies – lot of rework in projects that leads to delay in reaching milestones. Taking on this challenge Bangalore-based MEP consultancy firm QDC India Consulting Pvt. Ltd has been dedicatedly working towards meeting client deadlines without affecting the quality work.

How did QDC India manage to do this? In an interview with C.S Nambisan, Dattatreya Bhat, Dominic Chandran, Vimal Kumar, and Jayakumar, the dynamic leaders of QDC India shared their design philosophy of ‘Patience in Concept’ and ‘Impatience in detailing’ to tackle the challenges in MEP consultancy space.

established QDC India as a renowned name in the MEP consultancy market.

A decade of drafting empires QDC India was established in 2010 with an aim to offer Structural & MEP Design Consultancy Services with BIM / Revit expertise for both local and International clients.

QDC India is an associate of Qatar Design Consortium, Qatar, which is a ‘Grade A’ Consultancy firm in Doha for over 40 years. This has helped QDC India establish a firm base in local as well as international market. 60% of QDC India's revenue coming from International projects shows the commendable quality work and loyal client base the company has created just over a decade.

The senior team’s three-decade long experience in local and international projects has played a major role in establishing QDC India in the international market.

QDC India has been ambitiously working on wide range of projects from small to multimillion Sq. ft. projects in Residential, Commercial, Hospitals, Hotels, Sports, Infrastructure, Industrial and Theme parks.

“We work on a design philosophy of” they said, “We have developed a detailed questionnaire for all the MEP domains for different type of projects. It encompasses all the aspects in every project and hence all the aspects are thought thorough in the initial phase right from design efficiency, life cycle costs, and maintainability.”

Employees – Greatest assets at QDC India No doubt, employees are among the greatest assets for any business. QDC India recognizes and appreciates the hard work and dedication the team has put through to take the organization to new heights.

This improvised approach is a fruition of the experienced and expert senior team at QDC. Read below to know more about how skilled team and expert seniors together have

So, when the whole world was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the management at QDC India was caring and considerate towards employees.

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India's Best MEP Consultants to Watch-2021

The leading experts C.S. Nambisan Director – MEP - An Electrical Engineer by profession, Nambisan started his career with MECON (India). He has also worked as a registered Grade A consultant for over 25 years in Qatar. He is with QDC India since its inception.

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Dattatreya Bhat Associate Director – Electrical - An Electrical Engineer heading Electrical /ELV Department. He has over 35 years of design experience in prestigious consulting firms, out of which he has worked with RSP Design Consultants, leading Architects/Consultancy company in Bangalore for around 14 years.

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The leading experts Dominic Chandran

Vimal Kumar

Associate Director – MEP - Having over 35 years of experience on Qatar and Indian Projects he has worked for various prestigious MEP Projects and tall buildings in India and abroad.

Asst. General Manager – Plumbing and Firefighting - Vimal heads the PHE & FF Department. He has a relevant consultancy experience of over 18 years.

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Jayakumar Asst. General Manager – HVAC - He heads the HVAC department and has extensive experience in various large Tonnage HVAC Projects and projects involving special applications in India and abroad.

Even after the lockdown was removed the company has allowed 70% of the staff to continue working from home.

The concerned team only has to attend the office on the day of review meetings. The management also ensures the sanitization of office premises are regularly conducted. The company has also been conducting meetings online whenever possible.

Setting the bar higher Belief is a strong emotion. It has a power to make people do great things, to achieve the impossible. Whatever you believe, you can, or you can’t – you are right.

QDC India is marching forward with a belief of becoming the ‘Preferred Engineering Consultancy Partner’ to its clients. The company also aims to incorporate fast-paced technological advancements to innovatively increase the efficiency and quality of the work.

An organization’s true growth is when it creates an opportunity for employees to grow with it. QDC India has put its clients as well as employees at the core of its future goals. Besides being a ‘trusted partner’ to its clients, the organization wants for its employees to feel they belong in and with QDC India.

Passing on the wisdom A true leadership doesn’t only think about the future, it creates future. And for the aspiring entrepreneurs dreaming of entering the MEP consultancy space, the leaders of QDC India have a wisdom to pass on – advice they received from one of the reputed Electrical engineers in their early entrepreneurial days.

The advice was, “Do not start a consultancy unless you have at least 20 years of experience Principal to head.”

Over the time, the five gems of QDC India C. S. Nambisan, Dominic Chandran, Dattatreya Bhat, Vimal Kumar, and Jayakumar have realized the power of this advice enough to firmly believe in and pass it on as words of wisdom.

They also have something to share from own experience, “Building an organization requires more than technical knowledge; it is better to create a team of like-minded people with expertise in all the Technical domains and HR, Marketing, and Finance. Only when all functional units such as Delivery, Marketing, HR, Finance work as an organization, then the organization can deliver on its promise to its clients.”

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DYNAMICS OF GLOBAL

CONSULTING SPACE

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OBAL MEP

PACE

MEP Worldwide

M

echanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) is an arena of designing buildings and construction that comprise HVAC for environmental comfort, Electrical for lightning, cabling, fire alarm, etc., and Plumbing for water supply, drainage, and sanitary.

These amenities vary depending on the structures of a building – residential and commercial, as the technology keeps changing for commercial buildings and for indoor space which accordingly modifies their working pattern - often designed and outlined by engineering firms who are actively functional in the sphere of MEP. MEP design is substantial for decision making, planning, documenting accurately, construction, cost-estimation, enhancing performance, maintain the facility, creating policy standards, evaluating tools and procedures for inspection. The experts who belong to this field are required to have a thorough understanding and knowledge of the discipline, namely – dynamics, mechanics, electricity, thermodynamics, fluids, and computer.

Being a key module to the commercial construction and renovation, engineers and consultants associated with MEP design make a powerful impact on the projects, no matter if you are looking to intensify the productivity of your workspace or transform the overall structure for better efficiency.

MEP professionals leverage the technology and engineering skills to

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construct a building with a safe environment and evaluate the facility to determine the technical solution as per the client’s demand. From pre-design, till the construction gets completed, these engineers work extensively with the architectures and clients.

As engineers and designers consistently address and upgrade the final model while executing a system check for coordination, design interference, or jarring during installation. The designer conducts a quality check and survey of the building, when these three different models -mechanical, plumbing, and electrically linked together for coordination check that can save the MEP consultants from inconvenience and trouble.

Operating optimally, the major focus of MEP consultants incorporates minimizing the cost of operation, eradicating unnecessary downtime, evaluating the deficiency in energy for an existing design, and simultaneously presenting ways to improve efficiency and productivity.

The functions of MEP encompass various designing and selection processes and are not committed to a single responsibility – for instance, a plumber may focus solely on installing a water system based on the regulatory codes or an electrician who will entirely concentrate on electrical fixtures for varied parts of machinery and equipment.

The Consulting space of MEP in 2019 has approximately generated $59.8 billion revenue with a sharp increase of $5.9 billion. On the other hand, the consultants of MEP Giants have obtained $8.4 billion, giving rise to the revenue in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering design with an increase over a profit of $7.6 billion in 2018.

Pushing some of the firms, Tetra Tech’s HighPerformance Buildings Group has created a name by acquiring 5th position which was previously ranked 26th, along with the amalgamation of other companies.

Today the Glumac, NDY, Cosentini are among the top largest companies marking their name in the field of MEP. Loads of companies have shifted up due to the merging and investments in the MEP space. Listing the companies that have made a move towards growth with the passing years are NV5 Global Inc., which was earlier on the 36th position, now standing at 17th. Burns Engineering has moved up to slot 40, ThermalTech

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Engineering Inc., kW Mission Critical Engineering, LaBella Associates DPC, Loring Consulting Engineers Inc., Clark Nexsen, WB Engineers+Consultants, Professional Engineering Consultants PA, Osborn Engineering are some of the companies that have elevated their station with changing modern technology.

The MEP Giants in the year 2019 made the engineering firms upheave by 64% and architectural firms by 30% which was earlier 59%. Companies with employee ownership uplifted by 27%, public companies by 6%, private firms by 59%, and limited liability companies by 8%.

The bottom line is – Heating, lighting, safety solution, ventilation, energy consumption, all are the key elements of well-built and anchored structures. Helping owners to optimize the performance of the building by magnifying energy efficiency and eliminating redundant designs.

Although, every project, whether it is commercial or residential have its unique challenges and mechanism.

Therefore, the work of MEP engineering consultants is to provide customized solutions to improve a building’s efficiency and competence. With the help of energy modeling - predict the energy usage of a building, MEP consultants perceive the current energy consumption, make analysis on future consumptions of energy, and optimize designs to augment efficiencies.

Several owners make the most out of the MEP consultants for their building as it reduces the risk factor and accelerates the turnaround, create a costeffective strategy for essential projects. As technology is faster, so does the structure of modern construction, which required complex systems and techniques for renovating existing buildings. Collaborating with other team members for the project, MEP consultants lessen the delays and inflation costs, by improving communications and setting the seal on code compliance.

-Renuka Singh

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VIKAS JOSHI & ASSOCIATES A SEASONED PLAYER IN THE MEP CONSULTATION SPACE

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t is evident how vital of a role do MEP consultants play with respect to any construction project, whether it be residential or commercial. MEP design experts create a significant impact on the comprehensive performance of a project pertaining to its efficiency and utilization.

Vikas Joshi & Associates (VJA) is one such renowned MEP consultant in Mumbai with a reputation and expertise amounting to more than 40 years, and a vision to create innovative MEP design solutions with relentless pursuit of excellence.

The firm offers end to end solutions in all major services from predesign to post commissioning stage, under one roof. His team of highly qualified associates and a family of dynamic young and enthusiastic engineers have helped VJA to achieve and command respect in today’s competitive industry.

VIKAS JOSHI Founder

“

IN THE INDUSTRY, THE NAME VIKAS JOSHI & ASSOCIATES IS SYNONYMOUS WITH INTEGRITY AND QUALITY

“

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The firm got its first big break when it bagged the Malegaon Spinning Mills project in 1980. Since then, the firm has added a myriad of prestigious projects to its list ranging from refineries, hospitals, hotels, residential buildings to complex chemical plants and diesel locomotive factories.

Vikas Joshi and Associates has won many accolades and awards of which, Best MEP Consultants was awarded by IIID Mumbai (Institute of Indian Interiors designers Mumbai); along with Architect Abha Narain Lambah, awarded the First prize for Conservation of Convocation Hall of Mumbai University, by UNESCO Asia Pacific Region; are worth the mention.

“In the industry, the name Vikas Joshi and Associates is synonymous with integrity and quality. We have built long standing relationships with all our clients on the back of our superior workmanship. We only partner with vendors whose values match with ours,” says Mr Vikas Joshi, the Founder of VJA. Expertise Redefined After graduating from the Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, Karnataka in 1976, Mr Joshi joined his family electrical contracting firm. After gaining three years of

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India's Best MEP Consultants to Watch-2021

work experience in contracting, he realized the importance of engineering consultants. This led him to form his own consulting firm in 1980 which is Vikas Joshi and Associates.

Mr Joshi is a Fellow of Institute of Engineers, Kolkata, and a Chartered Engineer. He is also a member of Consulting Electrical Engineers of Maharashtra (CEEMA), Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) and Fire and Safety Association of India (FSAI). He has been involved in numerous national and international projects – given his vast experience in diverse range of projects.

Overcoming Adversities Vikas Joshi and Associates has faced numerous daunting

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challenges over the years. Despite the challenge of high attrition, Mr. Vikas Joshi has always hired fresh engineers and trained them to achieve perfection. The rapid pace of change in technology has been another major challenge.

Before the technology era, one would use drafting tables and stencilling to create designs. Today manual designing, reporting, and accounting has been taken over by computers, software and computer aided designs and operations. It has been a classic ‘shape up or ship out’ situation for the industry. Over years, the entire team at VJA has put in long hours to get acquainted with the latest computer aided tools and technology to stay ahead of the curve.

The team at VJA states that looking at the pandemic and the vaccine program now being implemented; India is definitely going to rebound and grow at a phenomenal pace.

In the post pandemic world, Aatmanirbhar Bharat will gallop and reach out to almost all global markets in different industry segments like retail, healthcare, manufacturing, IT, data centres and host of other industries.

Vikas Joshi and Associates is perfectly poised to leverage its 4 decades of experience and expertise spanning across industries to contribute to design needs of these industries.

Further, as part of Mr Joshi’s vision to contribute to the engineering community, he intends to start an academy to train fresh graduates into the practical world of engineering.

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The following list of works, clients, and architects bear testimony to VJA’s expertise and excellence.

Hospitals: Wockhardt Hospitals, Fortis Hospitals, Apollo Hospitals, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, Asian Heart Institute BKC, Mumbai, Guru Nanak Hospital, Mumbai, D.Y Patil Hospital at Pimpri.

Manufacturing Plants: Industry leaders like Cipla, Glenmark, Zandu, JB Chemicals, Dr. Fresenius Pharma, Siyaram Silk Mills, Balkrishna Tyres, Govind Rubber.

GE Locomotive Factory, Bihar Retail Chain Projects: D mart Chain, Big Bazaar Chain, McDonalds Food Outlets, Star Hotels: Silver Sands Beach Resort, Daman, Taj Vivanta Trivandrum, J.W. Marriot Panjim, Goa (PMC).

Commercial projects like office interiors for many Multinational companies and Banking Industries: Dena Bank, Bank of India, Citi Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, SEBI, UTI, Stock Holding Corporation, SBI Many Branches,

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Educational Institutes: Indian Institute of Technology Campus at Indore. Indian Institute of Management Campus at Indore, American School of Mumbai, WE School. Matunga.

Residential Buildings, Malls and Celebrity Homes: Rustomjee Group, Rommel Group, Satellite Group, Godrej Properties Group, SP Group. Purvankara Group Bangalore.

Mannat of Mr. Shah Rukh Khan; Mr. Rahul and Rajeev Bajaj at Pune.

Townships: Northern Coalfields Township at Singrauli MP Indian Navy Residential Project - Seabird Karwar.

Conservation and Heritage projects such as: • revamping of BMC Head Office at CST • Convention Hall of Mumbai University (UNESCO First Prize)

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• Crawford Market Revamping. Raj Bhavan Darbar Hall and Secretariat Building for Governor of Maharashtra • Asiatic Library, College of Engineering, Pune • Vice Regal Lodge at Shimla (Partly); and many more…

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