Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande has urged the Military Engineer Services to endeavour to be in sync with the technological advancements happening in the industry and adopt modern construction methods. He said this in his address at a two-day engineer conclave on infrastructure development and sustenance held on November 8 and 9 at the Manekshaw Centre at Delhi Cantonment, sources in defence establishments said.

Gen Pande addressed a gathering of about 550 officials from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, MES, and representatives from the construction industry, academia and research organisations, they said.

Delivering the keynote address, Gen Pande urged the MES to endeavour to be "in sync with the technological advancements" happening in the industry and "adopt modern practices as a norm".

He highlighted certain fundamental issues that need to be addressed by the MES, like knowledge sharing, through engagement with other government departments and external agencies, exploring modern project management methods to minimise time cost overrun and improve quality of construction with technology infusion, the sources said.

Speakers from various fields spoke on pertinent construction aspects, including emerging technologies like 3D construction, precast methods, cold climate concreting, underground storage, automation tools, net zero buildings, green norms and contract management.

The speakers included industry experts on various subjects, pioneers in green norms on geo-thermal topics, industry litigators, contract managers, and subject experts, the sources added.

Engineer-in-Chief, Lt Gen Arvind Walia while delivering the welcome address, reiterated the national mood in developing infrastructure and the role of the MES in nation-building, being one of the largest construction agencies in the country.

He elaborated on the time-cost-quality paradigm and the plans of the MES to optimise the balance between the three aspects.

The event also marked the beginning of a series of such interactions, so as to make the organisation more contemporary and effective, they said.