Careers in Construction Management

Globalization and liberalization have brought sea changes in the Indian economy. Consequently there is overall growth in almost all sectors of the economy and particularly in the industrial, financial and service sectors. As these sectors are growing very rapidly, there are many new infrastructure development projects particularly in the area of transportation, power, petrochemical, telecom, information technology and real estate. To manage these projects successfully, the country needs many efficient construction/project managers well-versed in multidisciplinary project management practices.

Course Details
There are several Post Graduate Diplomas and Certificate level courses in construction/project management. Only Bachelor in Engineering/Technology/Architecture students are eligible for these courses. Some institutes conduct entrance examinations for admission into these courses. However some also enroll students on the basis of management entrance tests like CAT/XAT/MAT.

Career Prospects
Construction/Project managers have limitless employment opportunities both in public and private sector infrastructure development companies. Public sector air port, highways and port development institutions and government departments like railways and defence are among the top employer of construction/project managers. Project managers also find favorable employment options in power, energy, telecommunication and IT related companies. They also can work with real estate developers. Small companies may hire project/construction managers for proper management of their projects. Experienced project managers also can work independently as consultants. They also can work with consultancy firms dealing with building and construction matter.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Unlike other management programme there are only few institutes in the country that offer courses in construction/project management. Some premier institutes are National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR), Pune; The Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad; Indian Institute of Technology, Madras; University of Roorkee, Roorkee and Anna University, Chennai. Besides Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi also offers distance learning courses in construction/project management.

Remuneration
Sky is the only limit in terms of remuneration of construction/project managers particularly in private sector. In public sector construction managers can start with monthly salary of Rs 15,000 to 25,000. However in private sector construction companies they have higher pay packages of Rs 25,000 to 30,000 in the beginning. Some years of quality experience can take one to such a level where he can easily get Rs 50,000-70,000 per month.