Final Dissertation

To identify the causes and impacts of delays
in Indian Construction Industry
PRATIK BADGUJAR
N0624435
MSC CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
SEPTEMBER 2016
A POSTGRADUATE DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL
FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF NOTTINGHAM TRENT
UNIVERSITY FOR DEGREE OF MASTERS OF SCIENCE

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The copyright of this project / dissertation rests with Nottingham Trent University. No
Information derived from this dissertation shall be published without the prior consent of the University.
The submission of this work for assessment confirms that the work is mine alone and that all
other sources have been acknowledged consistent with the regulations of the University.

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Acknowledgement
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my seniors and supervisors for their guidance and support.
Without their gracious co-operation, it would not have been possible for me to complete this research.
work by covering all the aspects of research. I would also like to thank the peer group and my classmates
for their encouragement and support that has helped me for achieving the research goal and study
objectives. I have gained in-depth knowledge about the extent of delay and the impact of the delay in
the construction industry of India from this research work. Therefore, I would like to appreciate and
thank everyone associated with this research for making it a success.
Thanking you,
Pratik Prakash Badgujar
N0624435

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Abstract
The construction industry is the second largest contributor to the Indian economy. The industry is facing
some problem in recent years. One of the major problems that are associated with all construction work
is a delay of completion. In many cases, the construction delay is caused because of several reasons
that include the poor communication and coordination among the construction workers and engineers.
Many railway projects in India have suffered due to the construction delay. The major impact of this
delay includes huge financial loss. The also had to face a lot of criticism because of this construction
delay as the local people were denied of getting the benefit of the railway projects. The lack of skilled
labour and operation engineers is also another major cause of the delay and it resulted in poor
developmental planning. The railway authority has to take strict actions in order to avoid any delay in
the construction work. The best ways to avoid that is to have definite planning with skilled and expert
construction engineers.
The researcher in this research has developed the research aim and objectives with the help of proper
research philosophy to address the findings of the research and find out appropriate conclusion. The
selection of the research methodology helps the researcher to develop the questionnaire for the
respondents that have brought effective information. However, the case studies related to delay in the
construction worked as an effective example to study the impact of the delay.
(Keywords: construction, delay, skilled, impact, developmental planning)

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Glossary
Hines (United States of America)
Alstom (France)
GIZ (Germany)
Ascendas (Singapore)
Tishman Speyer (United States of America)
The Trump Organization (United States of America)

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................11
1.1 Background to research ........................................................................11
1.2 Rationale for the research .....................................................................11
1.3 Aim and Objectives ...............................................................................13
1.3.1 Aim ................................................................................................13
1.3.2 Objectives ......................................................................................13
1.4 Overview of Methodology ......................................................................14
1.5 Overview of Conclusion .........................................................................14
1.6 Chapter Structure for the Research .......................................................14
1.7 Limitation of the Research ....................................................................15
1.8 Chapter Summary .................................................................................16
Chapter 2: Literature Review .........................................................................17
2.1 Introduction .........................................................................................17
2.2 Conceptual Framework .........................................................................18
2.3 Background of the Indian Construction Industry ....................................20
2.4 Current Scenario of Indian Construction Industry ..................................20
2.5 Challenges Faced by the Indian Construction Industry ...........................23
2.6 Future Scope and Investment of the Industry ........................................25
2.7 Delay in Construction projects...............................................................26
2.8 Causes of delay in Construction projects ................................................28
2.9 Evidences of Delay in Indian Construction Industry ...............................29
2.10 Gap Analysis .......................................................................................29
2.11 Chapter Summary ...............................................................................30

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Chapter 3: Research Methodology ..................................................................31
3.1 Scope of the Chapter.............................................................................31
3.2 Background to research ........................................................................31
3.3 Research Methods.................................................................................31
3.3.1 Literature Review ..............................................................................36
3.3.2 Primary Data Collection......................................................................36
3.3.2.1 Case Study ..................................................................................37
3.3.2.2 Case Study Structure ...................................................................37
3.3.2.4 Questionnaire Survey...................................................................38
3.3.2.4 Questionnaire Structure ...............................................................39
3.3.2.5 Questionnaire Distribution ...........................................................40
3.4 Analysis of Collected Data .....................................................................41
3.5 Research Ethics ....................................................................................41
3.6 Chapter Summary .................................................................................42
Chapter 4: Results and Analysis .....................................................................43
4.1 Background to Case Study .....................................................................43
4.2 Questionnaire Survey............................................................................48
4.3 Factors to be assessed ..........................................................................53
Chapter 5: Conclusion ....................................................................................56
5.1 Scope of the Chapter.............................................................................56
5.2 Background to Conclusion .....................................................................56
5.2.1 Linking with the objectives .............................................................56
5.3 The need for further research................................................................58
5.4 Recommendations for the Industry .......................................................59

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References ....................................................................................................61
Bibliography ..................................................................................................65
Appendix .......................................................................................................68

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework ................................................................... 19
Figure 2: Causes of Delay in the construction industry ................................... 27
Figure 3: Proper Research Methodology......................................................... 32
Figure 4: Types of research designs............................................................... 33
Figure 5: Types of Research Approaches ........................................................ 34

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List of Tables
Table 1: Case Study Structure ....................................................................... 37
Table 2: Factors Associated with Construction Delay ...................................... 53
Table 3: Causes of delay as per the view of different stakeholders .................. 55

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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background to research
After the agricultural industry, the construction industry is considered as the second highest
grossing industry India that contributes to the estimation of 308 billion rupees to the national GDP in
the year 2011-2012. This industry is considered as the important developmental indicator of the
investment opportunities in the related sector that ultimately ensure the overall improvement (Joshi and
Khandekar, 2015). In India, the industry is fragmented in nature and involved in construction across the
segments. It also contributes to the development of the small and medium size organizations and carries
out the work in the respective fields. In addition, it has been found that the construction industry is
labour intensive in nature and it provides job to more than 35 million people in the country (Kumar,
2016).
However, the construction sector of India has been facing problem regarding various internal and
external environment pressures. These issues result in the restriction in the flow of construction work.
Government action issues are associated with the development of transparency in the legislation and
regulation that initially create an obstacle to starting the project. In addition, the market pressure
restricts the better performances regarding the progression of the construction work. Internal restrictions
are associated with institutional initiatives. Lack of the initiatives did not provide the necessary support
to the construction industry (Das and Emuze, 2016). Operational inefficiency between the pressure
groups and informed employees to work in collaboration results in the creation of deterioration of the
environment. Furthermore, the occurrence of the obstacles mainly results in the delay of the completion
of the construction project.
1.2 Rationale for the research
What is the research issue?
The major concern of the issues in this research is associated with identification of the reasons
that are responsible for the delaying nature of the construction process. It has been found that there

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are some kinds of delay issues are associated with the project. It is essential for the researcher to
indicate the delay reasons and find out the impact of the delay on the Indian construction industry (Joshi
and Khandekar, 2015). Moreover, it is not possible to determine all kind of issues by the project
managers during the progression of the construction as some of the issues arise in an unexpected
manner. The research issue is associated with collect the evidence and factors via extensive research
and information collection from several case studies.
Why is it an issue?
The research issue is serious because it is not easy to collect the reasons for the delay in the
major construction project of India. However, the nature of the delay in the work is different for different
projects. In some cases, it is associated with a non-excusable delay that completely highlights the
negligence of the contractor and poor site management or breakdown of the equipment. Moreover, some
delays are associated with concurrent delays that are associated with more than one type of delays.
Therefore, the researcher may have face difficulties in the collection of the information by providing an
equal concentration in every study.
What does the research shed light on?
The research will cover a vast area of the issues prominent in the construction industry results in
the delay of the work. This research will shed light on different delay issues can be raised from the
construction progression. Moreover, it will help the learner to gain knowledge about the kind of delays
can be occurred from the construction. In addition, the research outcome can develop awareness in
government and towards the project managers to consider the occurrence of the delay to restrict the
extension of the construction for a long period. In addition, the research work will help the construction
project manager and contractor to understand the areas that contribute to the enhancement of the costs
related to construction. Moreover, it helps to develop a proper way of risk management that can reduce
the occurrence of project delay risks.

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1.3 Aim and Objectives
Aim and objectives of the research work help the researcher to keep the focus on the effective
outcome of the research. Development of the research aim is dependent on the extensive reading of
other research works by other researchers in the similar field that helps the researcher to develop the
objectives for the current research. A Proper understanding of the research philosophy is associated with
the aim and objective development in several other types of research. Therefore, considering the
appropriate research philosophy the researcher has to develop the following aim and objectives-
1.3.1 Aim
The major aim of the research is to identify the causes and impacts of delays in Indian
Construction Industry. Moreover, it will also highlight the consecutive effect on other sector related to
this field.
1.3.2 Objectives
 To identify the sources results in the delay of construction
 To understand the cost of delay and mitigation of delays
 To study the impact of delays in the construction projects
 To recommend methods to solve the issues of delay in the construction industry
To amend the research objectives in this research the researcher need to consider each objective
particularly and then develop the research questions to find answers from the case study and responses.
For the first objective, it is necessary to find out the external and internal delay factors from the
responses of the respondents and literature findings. The second objective can be addressed in a way
that can highlight the cost the industry bear due to delay in the project and it is also associated with
mitigation of the risk assessment that a construction organization measures to restrict the delays. The
third objective can be addressed by understanding the facts and impacts that a construction industry
suffers from the delay process. The information can be collected from the related case studies and
responses given by respondents.

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1.4 Overview of Methodology
The first step of the research method is associated with the collection of the information from the
primary and secondary sources to identify the major concerns of the literature related to the construction
industry project work delaying issues. It is important to classify the pattern of the delay in several
categories and understand the impact of various delays with respect to the situation.
The second step is associated with the interviews and surveys of the case studies regarding the
delay issue in the industry. Identification of the factors is the significant part of the research. In addition,
it is important to connect the interview factors to select the most important factors. Proper concentration
is required in case of collecting the responses from the respondents that can highlight the differences
and similarities of the delay occurrence in the construction completion process.
In the third step, the method of the research work is associated with conclusion and
recommendation for the construction industry for successful completion of the construction work. These
steps can be achieved with the appropriate consideration of the germane processes associated with the
research methodology in terms of research paradigm, research philosophy, research design and research
approach to develop the blueprint for the research.
1.5 Overview of Conclusion
The most significant part of any research work is associated with the conclusion as it highlights
the extent of the researcher that highlights the findings. Moreover, the researcher needs to connect the
findings from the data analysis with the research objectives of the research. The researcher has intended
present in the conclusion the extent of the delay as one of the biggest problem that is affecting the
construction industry. In addition, the researcher wants to highlight the impact of delay in project work
on the financial and social features of the parties involved in the construction project.
1.6 Chapter Structure for the Research
Chapter 1: The introduction chapter helps the researcher to set the background of the research
and develop the aim and objectives for the same. Moreover, the chapter also highlights the research
rationale and the issues that the research work is intended to address.

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Chapter 2: This chapter is associated with developing the relevant findings from the research
literature that helps the researcher to gain in-depth knowledge. This chapter is also helpful to develop
concept related to construction industry delay nature and current status of the construction industry in
India. Depending on the concept building in this chapter the researcher can develop further proceedings
of the research.
Chapter 3: This chapter is associated with the proper development of the research methodology
to develop the appropriate conclusion based on proper data collection method. Depending on the
research philosophy the researcher develops the germane process of research design, approach and
paradigms to complete the research work successfully. Thus chapter is therefore considered as the
framework of the research.
Chapter 4: This Chapter is considered as the data analysis of the research. In this chapter, the
researcher has concentrated on the questionnaire and case studies to develop necessary data.
Depending on the proper gathering of necessary data the researcher can analyse the information and
compare the data collected from the case studies and responses given by the respondents.
Chapter 5: It is the conclusion portion of research work. In this chapter, the researcher links the
objectives with the data analysis findings. Moreover, the researcher also suggests recommendation for
future improvement. Development of the proper connection with the research objectives and findings
help to consider appropriate conclusion for the research. The further recommendation provides the
opportunity to perform future research and improvement of the industry.
1.7 Limitation of the Research
The research is only focused on the delay of the construction project but there are also other
aspects that affect the construction work apart from the delay constraints. Moreover, the researcher has
intended to perform the research based on qualitative research data collection. This research is not
associated with any numerical data and graphical data representation thus it does not provide strong
support to the research validity. It is also believed that the development of the thematic analysis can
provide necessary critical data analysis of the previous research work of previous researchers. To ensure
the validity of the research work it is important to perform the research with the larger sample but due

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to the limitation of time and limitation in the research expenses, the researcher could not perform the
quantitative research to find out other aspects that are creating a problem for this research. Another
important parameter that restricts the research work is associated with the money constraints that
limited the reach of the researcher to arrange the research in a broad aspect.
1.8 Chapter Summary
This chapter is associated with preparing the base of the research that helped the researcher to
narrow down the background of the research from a broad aspect to associate with the research aim
and objectives. Moreover, the chapter also highlights the research rationale and describes the structure
of the research work that will help the researcher to conduct the research in a successful way that can
bring out an appropriate concluding note.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
For the better execution of the research, it is vital for the researcher to collect and obtain different
sorts of relevant and important secondary data or information from authentic sources. These authentic
sources may be articles, online databases, research journals, books, and projects. As a result, it can be
stated that the literature review section of this research is important, as it will allow the researcher to
collect important data regarding the Indian construction industry. This particular section will also provide
important information regarding the theories, information, and concepts with respect to the subject of
the study. As of now, in Indian construction industry, it is observed that many projects are delayed due
to various reasons. In many cases, it is also observed that the reasons behind these sorts of delays have
been identified but still the avoidance of these delays is not done yet (Pai and Bharath, 2013).

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2.2 Conceptual Framework
Conceptual represents the overall understanding of the outcome from the literature findings and
the areas the researcher wants to focus on to develop the concept regarding the topic. In addition, the
interconnection of the topic selected for discussion in the research work is associated with the
development of the understanding regarding the delay processes. Conceptual framework decides the
research areas need the consideration of the researcher for completion of the work. Highlighting the
concepts of the research in a single framework helps in the concluding chapter of the research to connect
with information findings.

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Change in the
Construction Industry
Impact of delay on the
construction
Background of the Indian
Policies Implemented by
the Government
Current Scenario of Indian
Causes of delays in a
Construction Project
Challenges Faced by the
Industry
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework
(Source: Created by Author)

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2.3 Background of the Indian Construction Industry
The Indian construction industry is considered as of the largest construction industry in the world.
It can be also stated that the time of 1960 to 1970 is considered as an important phase in terms of the
development of the entire industry. During this particular period, the government of India played a vital
role to boost the entire industry (Chaphalkar and Sandbhor, 2012). At this period, the majority of the
construction works were executed by different state-owned enterprises, which were also supported by
various government departments as well. As a result, during the first five-year plan, the construction
industry of the civil works almost contributed 50 percent of the entire capital outlays. As of now, it is
observed that the Indian construction industry is almost employing 33 million people (Marzouk and El-
Rasas, 2014). As a result, it can be stated that there is a huge number of people associated with this
particular domain. Another fact, which should be highlighted, is that there are other industries, which
are highly associated with the construction industries as well. These industries are skilled enhancement
and technology, steel industry, and cement industry as well .As a result, from this aspect, it can be
stated that the impact of the construction industry in terms of the development of the country is huge.
The construction industry is also considered to be an important aspect as it allows many investment
options and scopes within the country. These sorts of investments help in terms of increasing the
economic growth of the country. Hence, as of now, the government of India has implemented several
strategies to boost the growth rate of the construction industry (Shirur and Torgel, 2014).
2.4 Current Scenario of Indian Construction Industry
At present, the growth rate of the Indian construction industry has decreased. One of the major
reasons behind this phenomenon is that the technological aspect of the construction industry have not
developed with respect to the global prospect (Bharti, 2012). As a result, the construction industry of
India still follows the conventional methods, which is out of date. Another fact, which should be
mentioned, is that the construction industry of India is considered as the biggest contributor to the Gross
Domestic product or GDP of the country. According to the studies of Doloi et al. (2012), it can be stated
that if the construction industry of India faces a huge boost in terms of growth rate, then it will eventually
result in the development of the employees, associated industries and the overall economic growth of
the country. As the industry has faced several issues in terms of growth, the government of India has

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implemented several sorts of strategies and plans to overcome the issues and make the situation better.
The primary reason behind such implementation can be highlighted as the fact that the government has
identified several reasons. These reasons include lack of skilled and well-trained employees and workers,
shortage of important raw materials, political disturbances and shortage of essential construction sand.
As per the studies of Shanmugapriya and Subramanian (2013), as the current growth rate of the industry
is on the lower side, it is not reflecting upon the future prospect and potential of the entire industry. This
aspect can be identified as one of the important factor as many economists have stated that construction
industry is one of the most important pillars of the overall development of the country. However, it can
be also stated that the government helps and initiatives is making the overall situation better in terms
of investments and technological advancements. As per the studies of Doloi et al. (2012), it can be
stated that the amount of investments and technological advancements is one of the major catalysts,
which can improve the overall growth rate of the industry. This will also help to attract global brands to
acquire significant amount of business in Indian construction industry. For the last couple of years many
important and well-known global brands have entered the construction industry of India (Ruqaishi and
Bashir, 2013).
For the purpose of intruding the essential change into the current framework of the Indian
construction industry, the government of India has implemented several sorts of strategy for the
betterment of the entire industry. The most important part of such government initiatives is not only to
increase the growth rate current infrastructure of the industry. It also highlights the context of
investment in the technological aspects to develop construction process effectively (Albright and
Kelleher-Vergantini, 2013). One of the most important strategies, which have been implemented by the
government of India in recent times, is the Smart Cities projects. Other important projects which should
be mentioned are the “Housing for All by 2022”, “Make in India Initiative” etc. the most positive aspects
of these projects are that they have increased the impetus of the growth rate of the industry and its
infrastructure as well. Another positive aspect is that all these projects consist latest technological
aspects as well (Akinwumi, 2014).
Foreign Direct Investment or FDI is considered to be another milestone strategy implemented by
the Government of India. The most important aspect of FDI in terms of Indian construction industry is

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that it has allowed many foreign firms to invest in the industry more freely. The main aspect of the FDI
is that the growth rate of the Indian construction industry has decreased over the past decade. As a
result, in order to boost up the growth rate, there was a desperate need of investment (Patel and Jha,
2016). The FDI has helped the industry to acquire the needed investment in order to boost the growth
rate. It can be also stated that the FDI has also helped the industry to share the technological aspects
as well. This particular phenomenon has helped the industry to change its infrastructure to the global
level and at the same time-shared the technological advancements with the foreign brands as well.
Another important fact, which should be mentioned, is the implementation of the GST bill. The GST bill
is considered as one of the most important aspects in case of the costing of the industry. It can be stated
that the GST bill has drastically reduced the costing of the essential materials needed for the construction
projects. It should be noted that this reduction in the costing of the materials has gradually nullified the
effect of inflation as well. As a result, the profit margin of the industry will increase eventually. This will
help the entire construction industry to acquire a substantial amount of boost in terms of the growth
rate.
Though there is a sign significant amount of positive development of the Indian construction
industry, there are several crucial challenges, which is still being faced by the entire industry. According
to the studies of Gohar et al. (2012), it can be stated that the Indian economy is facing a huge growth
in recent times for the last couple of decades. As a result, it can be stated that it can be seen that
majority of the infrastructure development industry has been progressed. However, despite all these
positive aspects, the growth rate of the industry has not been on the higher side of the ten per cent
mark. As per the studies of Megha and Rajiv (2013), it can be stated that the physical infrastructure of
the country and the development of the physical infrastructure is also an important aspect as it provides
the blueprint for the construction industry to develop in a significant way. Adding to this it can be also
stated that the planning commission of India is currently planning to invest nearly 320 billion US Dollars
for the development purposes of the infrastructure of the Indian construction industry. The 11th planning
commission for the betterment of the industry has implemented this strategy. Another fact is that it also
important to build a PPP model or Public Private Partnership. As the construction industry of India is
comprised of both the public and private sector, it is important to bridge these two separate categories

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into one so that the growth of the industry is not halted (Kona et al. 2016). Along with this, the
management of risk and supply chain is also a c rucial aspect as well. In many cases, it has been observed
that the construction projects has been halted or delayed due to several issues into the risk management
process of supply chain management. As a result, it can be stated that these two aspects of the
construction industry should be developed as well.
2.5 Challenges Faced by the Indian Construction Industry
There are several challenges, which have been faced by the Indian construction industry over the
past couple of decades. According to the studies of Hosseini et al. (2012), it can be stated that in the
past couple of decades, the construction industry of India has faced negligence from the government.
The main reason behind this statement is that the government did not take any significant steps to boost
up this particular industry. It can be also stated that the amount of investment was also on the lower
side. Other challenges which are faced by the Indian construction industry is that the technological
aspects ((Ruqaishi and Bashir, 2013). As per the studies of Subramanyan et al. (2012), it can be stated
that the Indian construction industry is still using the traditional and conventional method of
construction. Apart from this, the majority of the sector is not organized and technologies and
equipment, which are used, is not of the same which are used in other developed countries. As a result,
in many cases, the process of the construction project takes a longer period. The political disturbances
also play a vital role which can be highlighted as one of the major challenges faced by the industry
currently (Ruqaishi and Bashir, 2013).
An extensive study on the literature building of several other researchers has helped to consider
associated challenges that responsible for the hindrance in the construction industry. The research work
of Barrie and Paulson conducted in the year 1992 has indicated that the challenges in the construction
industry can be categorised under two issues such as construction related issues and peripheral pressure
on the construction work progression. Construction issues are comprised of the factors such as rising
cost and time. On the other hand, as per the view of Shehu et al., (2014) quality maintenance is another
important factor that can create construction issues. Completion of construction work in set deadline is
important because it is regulated with the restraints of the government. It hampers the productivity in
terms of the implication of sudden change in the design of the construction work. Challenges are

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associated with the change in the design schedule of the construction work that affects the cost-time-
quality trade-offs. Proper delivery of materials and equipment in the construction site boost the working
progression of the work but the delay in the supply, in turn, affects the progression of the work. Another
challenge due to late in the work is associated with the rise in the wages of the workers and the material
suppliers. It hampers the productivity as unable to provide a proper wage to the workers by the
contractor effects the development of the construction work and results in time delay. Therefore, it can
be observed from the discussion that the challenges that the rising cost and time issues are connected
with each other (Kona et al. 2016). In addition, issues related to quality are associated with inspection
of the construction site in a regular basis. In the case of Indian scenario, it is evident that the project
managers not always perform regular observation of the construction progress. However, the hiring of
the less skilled workers and the ineffective design criteria from the engineers hampers the quality of the
construction work. As per the view of Hosseini et al., (2012) it is evident that negligence of government
restricts the supervision of the work from the end of supervisor and contractor. In some of the cases,
proper arrangement of finance is not possible from the contractor that creates scarcity in materials.
The construction site challenges are not only concerned with the direct issues it is also concerned
with the peripheral pressures such as environmental, socio-political and legal aspects. Construction work
can be affected by the incidents of the erosion and sedimentation if the control measures are not
effectively measured. Moreover, construction processes in the wetlands need serious measurement that
associated with the consideration of the effective base preparation (Bharti, 2012). Unable to develop
strong base work results in the collapse of the project work. Socio-political challenges are mainly
associated with ineffective management of the public involvement, planning, the design of the
construction work. Inappropriate involvement of the community group and the advisory board results in
half of the entire construction process. Legal aspects are the major constraints of the construction work
that ultimately decide the beginning and progression of the construction site work. Sudden claims from
the third party or avoidance by the government bodies hamper the proper support to the construction
progression and restricts the mitigation of the risks (Kona et al. 2016). Liability of the contractor and
the project manager is associated with the consideration of the government policies in an effective
manner to study the codes and permits of the labour and safety laws.

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2.6 Future Scope and Investment of the Industry
It can be said that there is a lot of possibility and scope for investment in the construction industry
of India. As per the studies of Shehu et al. (2014), it can be stated that the major reason behind this
phenomenon is that the government itself is willing to bring substantial amount change in the framework
of the industry for the revolutionary purposes. This aspect has attracted several global companies and
brands across the globe to carry out business in India so that it can make a significant amount of
investment into the industry as well. In recent times this huge amount of investment and change in the
overall infrastructure has to lead a huge scope for the different domain within the construction industry.
The domains related, which have been closely focused and highlighted, are,
 Development of the construction sector with respect to the residential, retail commercial and
hospitality sectors
 Incorporation of latest technological aspects in order to build smart cities
 Incorporation of different sorts of technological attributes to promote the low costing of
construction processes and affordable housings
 Creation of environment-friendly and sustainable materials which are essential for the
construction works
 Green building solutions
 Building up the infrastructure for urban sewage framework and urban sewage treatment
plants
 Training and development of skills of employees or workers for effective workforce
The scopes and opportunities, which have been mentioned above, have been identified by many
organizations around the globe. The foreign companies and brands, which have taken significant interest
and initiatives in the Indian construction industry, are,
 Veolia (France)
 Aqualyng AS (Norway)
 Hines (United States of America)
 Alstom (France)

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 GIZ (Germany)
 Ascendas (Singapore)
 Tishman Speyer (United States of America)
 The Trump Organization (United States of America)
 Hydro-Comp Enterprise (Cyprus)
 Emaar Properties (United Arab Emirates)
From this aspect, it can be seen that these organizations belong from different regions of the
world. They also have invested a large amount of money into the Indian construction industry and at
the same time-shared different technological aspects as well. The main focus of these organizations is
to develop the infrastructure of the construction industry in order to expand their business (Arif et al.
2012).
2.7 Delay in Construction projects
Delay in a construction project is considered as a major aspect as it hampers the overall progress
of the entire projects. Adding to this it can be also stated that the delay in construction projects can be
caused and categorized differently (Ruqaishi and Bashir, 2013). In the majority of the cases, either
weather issues, lack of money, workforce delay, political disturbances etc, cause the delay in
construction projects. From this aspect, the delay in a construction project can be categorized into four
major categories.

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Figure 2: Causes of Delay in the construction industry
(Source: Ruqaishi and Bashir, 2013)
These categories are Critical or Non-critical delays, Excusable delays, Compensable or
Non-compensable delays and Concurrent of Non-concurrent. As per the view of Hajela, (2012) it
has been found that the concurrent delays have become prominent in recent years in the construction
industry that mainly associated with the occurrence of two or more delays in the same period of the
time. It is sometimes excusable and it may be non-excusable in nature in some of the cases it has been
found both the delays co-exist. It is evident if the excusable delay and compensation delay occurs at
the same time it is postulated that the contractor and the owner of the construction site both are
responsible. Another dilemma is associated with the occurrence of the delays in the construction which
involves both excusable and non-excusable delays then it has been found that the contractor has been
given the extension of time (Ruqaishi and Bashir, 2013). In another situation where an excusable and
compensable delay and excusable and non-compensable occurs at the same place and time then the
contractor of the construction project can only claim the time extension but no compensation for the
damage. However, the liberty for the contractor regarding time and damage extension can be considered
if two excusable delays and one compensable delay occurred at same time.

28
On the other hand, Hajela (2012) divided the delays into five categories. These categories are
Excusable delays, Excusable compensable delays, Excusable non-compensable delays, Non-
excusable delays and Concurrent delays. Compensable delays occur due to the malpractice and
hindrance due to the internal communication between the contractor and workers, in such case the
delays are countable. On the other hand, the non-compensable delays are the delays that associated
with uncertain circumstances and these delays are not countable for the project progression. The
contractor has the liberty to ask for an extension. Excusable delays in the construction that mainly
happens due to the external factors and it is associated with unintentionally (Bharti, 2012). In addition,
the non-excusable delays are in the control of the contractor or the project manager; It mainly occurs
due to the negligence in the work by the contractor such as delay in poor site management and
equipment breakdown.
2.8 Causes of delay in Construction projects
As per the studies of Doloi (2012), it can be stated that there are several reasons, which can
delay a specific construction project. As per the author, the major reasons behind the delay are
 The contract duration of the particular project is very short
 If there are any disputes between the various sorts of parties involved in the particular
construction project
 Delay in the process of payment
 Scarcity of the essential materials needed
 Changes in the project after the start of the project
 Faults in site management
 Occurrence of any type of accidents
 Inadequate amount of workers
 Fault in the supply chain management
 Fault in communication between all the parties
 Fault in the design of the project
 Political disturbances

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2.9 Evidences of Delay in Indian Construction Industry
In Indian construction history, there were several construction projects, which were significantly
delayed. The most astonishing fact about these projects was that they were delayed for several years.
This phenomenon is considered to be important because the case of the delay affected for several years
(Rowe, 2012). Some of the examples of such construction projects are given below.
 Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion was the project, which was carried out by the central railway.
The original completion date of the project was May 1998, but the project is said to be completed in
December 2019. The delay was of about 261 months.
 Northern Railway carries out Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla project. The initial completion date of
the project was November 2002. However, the project is currently delayed and the revised date is
December 2018, which is of about 193 months.
 Bankura-Damodar project is currently under the South Easter railway. The project was set to be
completed in March 2005 but however it is delayed and the revised completion date is December 2019,
which is about 177 months late.
 Maharashtra regional and town planning did Belapur-Seawood-Uran electrified double line. The
initial completion date for the project was March 1996. But the project got delayed and was completed
in March 2004. The project was delayed by 144 months.
2.10 Gap Analysis
From the recent events, it can be stated that the construction projects are started at the right
time, but in the case of completion, the project is delayed. Another fact is that the projects are delayed
by great means such as more ten years. This can be identified as a huge lag in terms of the construction
industry in India. However, many researchers have identified different sorts of causes which are affecting
the projects in terms of delay but there is a lack of an effective action plan to overcome these causes.
The particular gap between the identification and overcoming the issue should be highlighted and worked
upon to prevent delay in vital construction projects.

30
2.11 Chapter Summary
A literature review is considered as one of the most important section of a research as it allows
to the researcher to collect important secondary data. In this particular section of the study, vital
information regarding the background and current scenario of the Indian construction industry is
highlighted. At the beginning of the section, the conceptual framework has been done by the researcher
for directing the entire secondary data collection in a systemic manner and highlights the major gathering
of the concepts to present in a simpler way. Apart from these brief details regarding the future scopes
and challenges faced by the Indian construction industry has been discussed. Lastly, a brief detail
regarding the types of delay and its causes along with evidence in India has been mentioned as well.

31
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.1 Scope of the Chapter
This section of the research, the major concern is associated with the development of the methods
and the germane processes for the research that can help the researcher to complete the research study.
In this chapter, the various process of the research philosophy, paradigm, approach, and designs have
been discussed with proper justification and arguments. Based on the literature findings the researcher
has selected the parameters of the research that provide support for the consideration of the methods
has been followed by another researcher. Moreover, throughout the discussion, a proper justification for
the selection of the appropriate research strategies has been mentioned and has been thoroughly
supported by the researcher.
3.2 Background to research
The construction industry of India ensures the progress of the country as several other sectors
are depending on the growth of the sector. One major reason behind this is associated with this is that
construction sector brings the investment in the other sectors. It is the major contributor towards the
GDP of the country in a direct and indirect manner (Shibani and Arumugam, 2015). However, the
construction industry is facing some problem in this sector regarding the delay of the project. In this
research, the researcher has intended to find out the causes responsible for the delay in the work.
Moreover, it is important to identify the impact of the delay of the construction in the subsequent
progress of further work. For doing that, the researcher has collected data from various sources mainly
from the case studies and from the questionnaire section. The detailed process of data collection and
the germane process of research progression have been described broadly in the later sections of the
chapter.
3.3 Research Methods
Research methods for this research work are associated with the development of the proper
arguments related to the selection of the research philosophy, research design and research approach.
These parameters help the researcher to develop the proper method to yield necessary data regarding
the factors responsible for the delay in the work.

32
Figure 3: Proper Research Methodology
(Source: Whong and Wright, 2013)
Research Philosophy
Research philosophy has helped the researcher to set the aim and the objectives of this research
work regarding the identification of cause and impact of delay in the construction industry of India.
Research philosophy is associated with the consideration of ontology, axiology, and epistemology
(Amelina and Faist, 2012). Epistemology is associated with interpretivism, positivism, and realism. In
this research work, the researcher has intended to follow the philosophy of positivism for completion of
research.
Justification of selected Research Philosophy
Selection of the positivism has been justified in this research as the method helps the researcher
to find out the logic and information in a scientific manner for the analysis of the hidden facts responsible
for delaying the construction project. On the other hand, the researcher has discarded the approach of
the interpretivism and realism research paradigm. As interpretivism mainly helps to develop an
interpretation of the complex situation and realism is the mixed approach that mainly applied in the case

33
of understanding the human interaction. Therefore, the researcher has supported the selection of the
research approach.
Research Design
The research design is mainly the blueprint of the research work that helps the researcher to
follow the research methods as a map to end the research work with precision(Whong and Wright, 2013).
In addition, research approach is associated with three main designs such as explanatory, exploratory
and descriptive research. In this research, it has been found that descriptive research design will provide
the strong support for data collection.
Figure 4: Types of research designs
(Source: Whong and Wright, 2013)
Justification for selected Research Design
In this research, the descriptive research has helped the researcher to develop the occurrence of
factors with detail and proper description. Moreover, the descriptive research design will help to identify
the impact of the delay in the completion of the project in the other sector of the country, as the
construction industry is responsible for bringing the investment in the other sector. The extent of the
factors contributing to the delay process of construction in India has been scrutinised by the researc her

34
in detail. Hence researcher has supported the selection of the design. On the other hand, the researcher
has rejected the explanatory and exploratory research design. As the researcher is not performing any
longitudinal study, therefore it can be rejected in this research study. Apart from that, exploratory
research design associated with acknowledging various theories but this research is mainly dependent
on facts and existing cases (Tran, 2016).
Research Approach
Research approach aid the researcher to follow one pathway in the entire research work to
develop proper conclusion for the research study. There are two types of research approach such as
inductive and deductive approach (Tran, 2016). This approach helps the researcher to follow the
germane process of the researcher. In this study, the researcher has chosen the approach of deductive
process.
Figure 5: Types of Research Approaches
(Source: Tran, 2016)
Justification for selected Research Approach
The aid of deductive approach is necessary for this research as it helps to understand the theories
associated with the research issues, develop the reasons with proper justification, and build concepts for
the data analysis process. In this present research, the researcher has intended to identify the different
types of a hindrance that restrict the workflow of the construction project. Therefore, the selection of
deductive approach has been justified from the point of view of the researcher. On the other hand, the

35
inductive approach cannot be applied in this case as the research time period is limited and it is also
associated with development new theories regarding the research area. The research is not associated
with developing new concept thus the researcher has discarded the idea of the inductive approach.
Sampling Method and Sampling Size
The selection of the sample size and the sampling method is a crucial aspect for research works
that provide the base towards the researcher to develop the data analysis process. Selection of
appropriate data analysis process helps the researcher to develop the necessary information and data
for the research. Various processes have been applied by the researcher that has been discussed in
detail in the later sections of the chapter for gathering the samples from the feedback. In this research,
the researcher has chosen 5 project managers associated with a major construction project of the
country. In addition, the managers are chosen based on the project that is associated with a delay due
to several issues. Managers were selected from the search over the internet associated with the certain
project and approached via sending an invitation for interview session regarding the research purpose.
The researcher has sent mail to twelve managers among which only 5 have been agreed to provide their
consent. The interview was arranged over the telephonic session and over Skype video chat. This will be
helpful enough in the discussion of the qualitative research questions. The researcher has faced
difficulties in approaching the proper project managers as the long duration of the project associated
with some changes in the managerial position. Therefore to avoid the dilemma of information
confrontation it is necessary for the researcher to concentrate on the managers who are now currently
active with the project. Among the sample size all the five managers are currently active with the
objective and they were approached with the telephonic interview. The managers are associated with
current progression of the construction.
Moreover, the researcher has focussed on the case study analysis process. A relevant analysis of
the findings from the case study enables to collect the necessary information regarding the issues and
impact of delaying of a construction project in the scenario of India.

36
3.3.1 Literature Review
This section is associated with providing the evidence from the literature findings that has helped
the researcher to understand the extent of the selection of the research parameters regarding the
method development. As found in the research work by Finley, (2014) interpretivism helps to develop
interpretation from the existing data whereas positivism helps to determine the research data association
from the evidence. On the other hand, as stated by Amelina, (2012) inductive and deductive approach
are the opposite approach for each other. Inductive research is concept-building process whereas
deductive method is a top-down approach. In addition, according to Williams (2011), it has been found
that exploratory research design is associated with detail strive towards the exploration of a new
hypothesis. On the contrary, explanatory design helps to describe the research condition in more lucid
manner. The descriptive method helps to specify the direction of the research (Maxwell, 2012).
Furthermore, the literature findings associated with the construction project has highlighted the
fact that the major aspect is associated with the determination of research data collection process that
encourage to collect the data in primary or in a secondary way. Secondary research is mainly based on
the collection of the necessary information from relevant articles, research journals, and findings based
on established theories and models. However, the findings of the information from the study of Sundar,
(2015)it has been found that the application of the primary research will help to develop the necessary
data collection process to perform the analysis and reflect it in the outcome in the conclusion section.
3.3.2 Primary Data Collection
The collection of the data in this process is mainly based on the human sources that help to
elaborate the research issues and link with the objectives of the research (Tran, 2016). Primary data is
attributed towards the collection of the opinions that take into the account the sake of the real-time
analysis of the causes behind the delaying of the construction industry. In addition, primary research is
associated with quantitative data and qualitative data analysis. In this current research, quantitative
data analysis is not possible as the collection process associated with large sample size and it helps to
the development of graphical representations. However, in this case, the sample size is only five
managers of the different construction project of India. Thus, development of numerical data is not
possible in case of this research. The qualitative data is retrieved by the general feedback format that is

37
received from the samples in a descriptive manner. In the case of qualitative research, the researchers
strive to meet the respondents for direct data acquisition.
The selection of the qualitative research approach to collect the data has can be better understand
from the perspective of the researcher by comparing the quantitative and qualitative research collection
approach. The focus of the research is associated with the collection of the information regarding the
delay factors and impacts in the construction industry in India. Therefore, it is evident that associated
people who will be benefited from the completion of the project cannot provide any insight regarding the
quarries of the researcher as the population is simply not a part of the project completion. However, the
development of the quantitative research c ollection involves the close-ended questions that cannot be
formed in this research case. The close-ended research questions are mainly associated with
understanding the demographics such as gender and age of the population and gathering the answers
based on the Likert's scale based on four parameters such as strongly agree, agree, disagree and
strongly disagree (Maxwell, 2012). Thus, this kind of questions cannot generate relevant data for this
research work. On the other hand, qualitative research work is associated with the open-ended question
that gathers the responses from the respondents in a descriptive manner. The analyses of the case
studies are also very helpful for the development of the research data analysis process. It is also
considered as a primary collection of data.
3.3.2.1 Case Study
Concentrating on the relevant case studies have helped the researcher to study in details of the
reasons associated with the delaying of the construction process. Moreover, the study of the relevant
case studies has helped the researcher to identify the impact of the factors in the construction industry
of India and in turn its reflection on the other sectors of the country that dependent on the construction
industry. The study of the cases associated with the company such as railway and town planning process
shows the type of delays that these projects were associated with such as non-excusable delay and
concurrent delays.
3.3.2.2 Case Study Structure
Table 1: Case Study Structure

38
(Created by Author)
Construction
Project
Company Original
Completion
Date
Actual
Completion of
the project
Delay
(Months)
Gondia-
Jabalpur gauge
conversion
Central Railway May 1998 Dec 2019 261
Udhampur-
Srinagar
Baramulla
Northern
Railway
Nov 2002 Dec 2018 193
Bankura-
Damoder
South Eastern
Delay
Mar 2005 Dec 2019 177
Belapur-
Seawood-Uran
electrified
double line
Maharashtra
regional and
town planning
Mar 1996 Mar 2004 144
3.3.2.4 Questionnaire Survey
The semi-structured interview has been arranged by the researcher for the managers of different
on-going construction projects in India that has faced the delay in the progression of the construction
work. The project managers are the expertise of the construction field and are associated with dealing
various kinds of issues in the project field that halts the construction work. Therefore, the researcher
has chosen the managers as they can provide the necessary information regarding the causes and
impacts of the delays in the construction industry. For this, the researcher has arranged a set of
qualitative questions that helps to collect the feedback of the respondents in a descriptive manner and
helps in the process of detailed analysis. Thus, the arrangement of the questionnaire survey can bring
out the effective data for the research.

39
3.3.2.4 Questionnaire Structure
The questions have been arranged based on the research aim and objectives so that it can reveal
the better information of the research work. Depending on the research work the researcher has
developed the following questions and intended to find out the possible outcome.
Q1. What are the external factors that have affected the construction project?
This question will reveal the manager’s view regarding the external factors that has resulted in
the delay of the construction project. To meet the requirement of the first objective the researcher has
developed the question. Views provided by the managers can be compared with eac h other and the
researcher can generate best possible outcome from the responses.
Q2. What are the internal factors that have been affected the project?
The researcher has developed the question to meet the first objectives and the responses
regarding the question will help the researcher to develop the idea regarding the occurrence of the
internal factors that results in the delaying of the project. From the responses, the researcher can
compare the outcome of the internal factors that can be effective in the case of justifying the research
objectives.
Q3. What are the costs of delays in the construction industry?
It is important to understand the effect of the cost delays in the construction industry that
ultimately results in the halt of the entire process. Thus, the formation of this qualitative question will
address the second objective of the research. The outcome of the responses can be compared with the
outcome from the case studies and effective decisions can be generated. Moreover, based on the
outcome from the responses of this research question the researcher can develop the sense of the cost
enhancement process that can associate with the each stage of delay in the subsequent process of the
construction work.
Q4. What is the mitigation of delays in the construction industry?

40
Minimization of the project risk in the construction industry is very important and it is essential
to understand the process that the managers are intended to follow to avoid delay in the construction
process. This question will address the second objective in this research work. Mitigation of risk is
associated with the assessment of the risk management. The views provided by the project managers
can be compared with the available data in the case studies related to the delay cases of the construction
work. By addressing the research question the researcher can develop the proper outcome regarding
conclusion.
Q5. According to you what are the possible impacts of delay in the construction industry?
This question helps to understand the impact of the delayed nature in the construction industry
that will help to address the third objective and will help to develop proper conclusion for the research.
The views collected from the responses provided by the respondents in the research will help the
researcher to understand the possible impact of the research that can help top connect the literature
findings with the data analysis findings of the research.
3.3.2.5 Questionnaire Distribution
Distribution of the questionnaire is the most important part of the research. As the proper
collection of the responses is important for the proper analysis of the research that can result in the
appropriate conclusion for the research. The researcher has distributed the questionnaire to the
respondent’s managers in the email. Moreover, the researcher has arranged a telephonic interview with
the managers of the construction project from Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion, Udhampur-Srina gar
Baramulla, Bankura-Damoder project, and Belapur-Seawood-Uran electrified the double line.
Distribution of the research questionnaire over the email will help the respondents to judge the research
question before the telephonic interview. Moreover, it will help in the process to gather the significant
delay causes and measurements the construction project has enabled during the construction phase.
Before the starting of the interview, it is important for the researcher to verify the identification of the
respondents.

41
3.4 Analysis of Collected Data
The collected responses and the findings of the case studies have been arranged by the
researcher. As the majority of the research findings is associated with descriptive findings from the
respondents it has helped the researcher to arrange the factors according to findings from the description
by the respondents. After the development of the rankings of the causes that results in the delay of the
construction process has helped the researcher to analyse the impact of the delay in the construction
industry. Proper analysis performance is associated with the appropriate connection of the findings with
the understanding of the concept developed in the literature review section.
3.5 Research Ethics
Ethical consideration has helped the researcher to conduct the research in a proper way that can
minimize the ethical dilemma regarding the research project. The researcher needs to ensure the
maintenance of the confidentiality of the identification of the project manager. Moreover, the researcher
did not force the respondents to provide answers in which the respondents are not feeling comfortable.
In addition, it is necessary for the researcher to ensure the respondents that the data collected will only
be used in the academic purpose only and the researcher will not publish the results in other commerc ial
articles or websites. After sending the research questionnaire over the internet to the respondents, the
researcher needs to collect the consent of the respondents that whether they are comfortable with the
responses or not. The researcher has applied the theory of ethics to successfully complete the research.
The theory of deontology and utilitarian has been applied by the researcher in this research. Following
of the theory of deontology the researcher has considered own views regarding the decision of correct
and wrong application of research information. Proper mention of the journals in the literature review
section has helped to avoid the consequences of the plagiarism in the research. On the other hand, the
theory of utilitarian is associated with an understanding of the future consequences of using the research
data and information in the research work. The researcher has considered the consequences of using
the information in the research and the effect it can exert on the academic research field. Therefore, the
following of the ethics during research study has helped the researcher to avoid data presentation
confrontation.

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3.6 Chapter Summary
This chapter is associated with describing the research methodology that helps the researcher to
conduct the research with the aid of the germane process that helps to conduct the research. This section
of the chapter has highlighted the research paradigms and t he way it has helped the researcher to
consider the research approach and design that guide the research work in the proper direction.
Development of the proper methodology has helped the researcher to conduct the research with the aid
of qualitative questionnaire that ultimately leads to finding out the answers associated with the delay of
the construction project that exerts some impacts on the construction industry. In addition, consideration
of the ethical issues by the researcher has helped to conduct the research in a significant way. This
chapter has helped the researcher to perform the data analysis in the next chapter depending on the
case studies and the view of the managers regarding the construction projects in India.

43
Chapter 4: Results and Analysis
4.1 Background to Case Study
Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion:
The extension of the railway gauge between Gondia and Jabalpur was initiated in the year 1993
by the Central Railway Government. It was a 240km track that was planned to be converted into a
broad gauge. Initially, it was decided to be completed by May 1998. However, due to many factors, the
construction was delayed resulting in huge loss of the local people and also of the railway authority.
Few of the factors that are responsible for the delay of this construction have been analysed
carefully after critical evaluation of the project.
Equipment availability failure: For the construction purpose of the broad gauge track, the
construction workers have to have depended on the heavy machinery and equipment. Nevertheless, due
to the shortage of suppliers in the market, the railway authorities often have failed to provide this
equipment. Moreover, due to the remote location of many places in between Gondia and Jabalpur, it was
not possible for the construction workers to carry that equipment in the remote places. The construction
workers also faced many challenges to repair that equipment in case they fail to function and there were
no well-skilled labours available in those remote places.
Poor coordination and communication between the railway authority and construction
parties:It is highly essential for the railway authority to have good coordination and communication
with the different construction parties working for this project. In this c ase, the top managers of the
central railway failed to keep communication with the worker group. Therefore, there was no monitoring
system to keep a track on the rate of progress of the work. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited was given the
responsibility for this construction work. The company had very poor coordination with the railway
authorities and hence, they did not face any penalty for violating the deadline of the work.
Disagreement between engineer and consultant: The poor communication also responsible for the
conflict and disagreement between the chief consultant and engineer. The design planned by the chief

44
engineer was not according to the plan of the advice given by the consultant. This was also one of the
main reasons for the delay as a lot of time was pending finalising the plan for the railway gauge.
The government and the railway authority have faced huge financial loss due to the delay of the
Gondia- Jabalpur railway gauge expansion. The initial expensed of this project was 135.67 crores INR
and due to the delay, the estimated cost is now 500.89 crores. The local people had the demand for the
extension of the gauge of the railway line as it can help to improve the transportation between Gondia
and Jabalpur. However, due to the delay of the construction the local people of Gondia and Jabalpur are
denied this opportunity. The slow pace of progress also meant that a lot of man power got wasted due
to the involvement of a huge number of construction workers. The delay that is caused is mainly because
of non-excusable reasons that include poor coordination among the management and the working
groups.
Udhampur-Srinagar Baramulla Railway link
The Udhampur- Srinagar railway link is one of the most popular railway projects in the state of
Jammu and Kashmir. It is a 345km long railway line that was initiated on 1983 and was planned to be
finished by November 2002. Nevertheless, due to the delay in the construction that is caused due to
many local problems and now the scheduled time of completion is estimated to be in December 2018.
Unavailability of proper equipment: The location of this railway project is mainly within the
hilly areas of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Hence, it was difficult for the railway construc tion
company to transport heavy equipment to the place of railway line construction.
Making of slow decisions by the owner: The slow decision making by the managers of
Construction Company had delayed the process of finalising the plan of the construction and thereby the
start of the work was also delayed.
The crisis of construction material in the market: The area of the construction that is the
region of Jammu and Kashmir is totally remote and hence there is a crisis of the raw materials that are
required for the construction of railway line and track.

45
parties: The lack of coordination between the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited and the railway authority created
a lot of confusion among the construction workers and thus, they were not able to function properly and
causing delay.
This project of the construction of railway line between Udhampur and Srinagar was the demand
of the local people of the area for several years and the delay of this construction means the fulfilment
of the demand of the local people is also delayed. The government and the railway authority has to face
with huge financial loss of nearly 10,000 crore rupees. It has also resulted in the disappointment of the
many local politicians and businessmen, who had huge expectation over the project. The railway
authority had to face a lot of criticism from the public because of this.The delay in the construction also
means that the contractor was also not able to carry out the duty on time and the raw materials that
were gathered for the construction of the railway lines were damaged. A lot of time was also wasted as
the groups of contractor blamed one another for the real cause of the delay. The railway authority also
could not get the income they had planned by running the train in between Srinagar and Udhampur. The
delay can also cause the agitation of the local people as they have to suffer a lot due to the hazardous
work of the construction. In many cases, the contractor and the railway engineers had to face huge
financial loss due to the delay of the project and missing the deadline. They may also have to face legal
actions from the railway authority and forced to pay compensation due to the delay they have cause d in
the work of construction.
The scheduled time of this construction was in November 2002 and due to the construction delay,
the inauguration is now scheduled on December 2018 causing a total delay of 193 months.
Bankura-Damoder Railway Construction
The railway line in between Bankura and Damoder is one of the oldest railway links in India,
which was later closed due to many technical issues. However, in December 1999, it was again planned
to be started with the new construction of the railway lines. Unfortunately, due to many issues and
challenges, the work of the new construction line was delayed. The estimated cost of this project was

46
2400 crore rupee, which later had to be revised due to the delay of the construction. Few of the primary
causes of the delay are discussed below.
parties: This was one of the key challenges that are cause for the delay of this project. The railway
authority after announcing the initiation of the project was not able to keep good contact with the
contactor or the workers. Hence, they did not have enough idea about the planning of the work. It was
also not possible for the railway authority to monitor the level of progress of the work.
Unavailability of proper equipment: It is never possible for the constructions workers to do the heavy
work of construction that is required during the time of construction of railway lines without the use of
proper equipment. However, due to the remote locations of the places near Bankura and Damador, it is
very difficult for the construction team to carry out the heavy equipment.
Delayed response from the Construction Engineers: The initiation of the construction work was
delayed due to slow response from the construction engineers. They were not sure of the final planning
as the construction was very challenging even fro few of the best construction engineers. The workers
thus had no plan to guide their work hence causing a huge delay in the overall work.
People of the area of Bankura and Damador had high expectation from the railway project in their
area and hence the delay in the construction was a huge cause of frustration for them. The authority of
the railway also has to face a lot of protest from the local people. The reputation of the contractors, who
were in charge of this project, was also compromised due to this delay and they also had to pay financial
loss. The government of India also has to face major loss due to the delay of this project. The local
contractor even has to face legal action due to the action of delay. The local environment also got
affected by this delay. The area of Bankura and Damodar is famous for dense forest and due to the long
duration of construction the forest had to suffer from huge damage and thereby it had disturbed the
ecological system of the forest. The main cause of this degradation is due to the fact that the waste of
the construction work was hazardous to the environment. Longer duration of construction meant that

47
the amount of waste that was deposited was even more and so more trees in the forest was damaged.
The construction company had to face legal action from the environment ministry because of this.
The scheduled time for finishing this project is on March 2005 but due to the delay in the
construction, the completion scheduled is now in December 2019 causing a delay of 177 months.
Belapur-Seawood-Uran electrified double line
In 1991 the government had planned to electrify the double line between the Belapur and Uran.
This electrification of the railway lines will help to increase the speed of the train and also help to reduce
the pollution level of the area. With the use of electrification, it is possible to run the trains that are
made with the latest technology. Nevertheless, due to many reasons, there was a huge delay in the
project. Few of the reasons are described below:
parties: The electrification of the railway lines require a lot of planning and design by the railway
engineers. It is also important to have a good communication between the workers so that they can
understand the ways of doing the task.
Unavailability of proper equipment: The fixation of the railway's lines cannot be completed without
the use of the latest and proper equipment. However, in this case, the contractors were not able to use
the latest proper equipment and thus were not able to do the work in quick time.
The crisis of construction material in the market: The construction material that is required for the
construction of electric railway line is very difficult to found. Hence, it is very challenging to gather the
raw materials required for the electric lining of the railways.
Low-level skill by the operators: The construction electrified railway lines requires a high level of
operation skills. However, this skill is very challenging to be found among the workers and hence, the
operation skill that is required cannot be found in many of them. The construction work thus has to be
completed by many unskilled workers that took a longer time.

48
The electrification of the double line between Belapur and Seawood-Uran was initiated so that
the time taken in the travel can be reduced significantly. The delay in this project meant that the local
people of that area cannot enjoy the benefit of lower time journey. At present, there are only steam and
diesel engine trains that run between these two places and it is the cause of huge air pollution of those
areas. The government of India announced this project in order to curb the air pollution of the area and
due to the delay it was not possible to fulfil the action. The railway authority and the government of
India also had to suffer huge financial loss due to the delay of this project. They also had to face the
criticism of the local people and the journalist for the delay of this project as the local people were denied
of the advantage of the railway lines project. The contractors that were appointed for the construction
job also had to face legal actions for this.
The originally scheduled date of completion was in March 1996 but due to the delay it was
completed in March 2004, which was 144 months behind.
4.2 Questionnaire Survey
Q1. What are the external factors that have affected the construction project?
The researcher has intended to find out the factors which are responsible for the development of
the delayed nature of the construction project in India. The factors are associated with various types of
delay. The delays in the construction project site are interconnected with each other and contribute to
the delay of the overall construction project.
A manager from the Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion project has provided the concern
regarding the external factors that affected the delay procedure of the project till data is concerned with
the factors of slow decision-making process by the owners associated with many changes in the orders
regarding the project. As per the consent of the manager frequently changing the decision from the
owner head of the project has severely affected the proper progression of the project and resulted in
the delay of the construction completion by 261 months. Moreover, the delay factors are also associated
with non-excusable delays that mainly highlight the changes in the equipment availability. On the other
hand, the manager from

49
Udhampur-Srinagar Baramulla project has provided the consent regarding the delay of the
project that the major external factors that associated with the project is the late submission of the
drawings in the Northern Railway government that ultimately leads to the delay in the downstream
processes of the project. As a result, it highlights the fact that the project is yet to complete and
estimated that the construction work will finish in December 2018.
Bankura-Damoder project manager has provided the reason regarding the delay of the project
that major problem is associated with the settlement of the shortage in the construction work materials.
The manager also provides the information that the external sources from where the supply of the
materials has been done in the project work were always associated with problems and irregularity in
the supply chain results in the delay of the construction project.
Belapur-Seawood-Uran project manager has highlighted the external factor of late revising of the
progression of the project work and approval from the owner body. As per the view of the manager it
has been mentioned that the development of the construction project is dependent on the clearance
from the external body after judging the stagewise progression in the construction work. Thus, it can be
mentioned from the responses given by the managers that the external factors affect the progression of
the construction work.
Q2. What are the internal factors that have been affected the project?
As not all the factors that are associated with the external causes, some of the factors are
associated with the internal matters. These internal factors sometimes associated with excusable or non-
excusable delays of the construction work. The researcher has intended to find out the factors from the
responses of the construction managers of the different projects that have faced the delays for a long
time.
Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion is currently facing the longest delay in the completion of work
two respective managers have been approached to get effec tive answers and it has revealed that two
internal factors such as slow responses from queries and insufficient coordination are the major factors
that contribute to the delay of the construction. The first manager has highlighted the fact that the
consultant engineers were not that much effective towards the providence of the responses towards the

50
queries of the contractor. According to the second manager, the major internal factor is associated with
insufficient coordination among the involved individuals in the construction working site.
Udhampur-Srinagar Baramulla project manager has highlighted the factor of poor communication
among the managerial heads of the project. Creation of conflicts among the managers does not provide
the necessary command towards the workers that extend the deadline of the project and the project is
yet to complete. The manager has termed the delay as a non-excusable response.
Bankura-Damoder project manager has intended to develop the factors that are associated with
finance related problems. In this project, the major delay was associated with the improper supply of
the financial support in each step of the construction work. It is considered as excusable delay as the
project manager cannot deal with the improper financial support supply.
Belapur-Seawood-Uran construction manager has indicated that the internal factors are
associated with the employees and the engineers associated with the work. The construction operating
authority appointed the engineers with low skills and low working habit. Therefore, the responses of the
managers have clearly indicated that some internal factors are the major contributor of delaying of the
project.
Q3. What are the costs of delays in the construction industry?
In this research question the researcher has intended to find out the cost, the construction
authority suffers from the delay of the construction project. The researcher has dependent on the
responses provided by the managers of the construction works.
According to the first manager of the Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion, the major cost is the
expansion of the project work that ultimately associated with the availability of the engineers and the
workers involved in the work from the beginning. The second manager of the project has highlighted the
fact that the delay in the construction results in the enhancement of the management and supervisory
related salaries and extension of the construction bonds.
Udhampur-Srinagar Baramulla project manager has mentioned that one significant cost
enhancement is associated with the price rise of the materials required for the construction. In addition,

51
the delay in the construction work leads to face the unfavourable condition of the weather in some
seasons.
Bankura-Damoder project manager has provided the consent regarding the congestive nature of
the working site due to the happening of other activities around the construction site. The major delay
has resulted in the coalition with another public activity in that c onstruction site that involves major
dilemma in the work.
Belapur-Seawood-Uran construction manager indicated one important factor that the lack of
coordination among the contractor has resulted in the increase of the operational cost. One major reason
behind this is associated with the damage of the completed work during the inactive period of the
construction project. Thus, the descriptive responses from the construction project managers have
highlighted the reasons that enhance the cost of the construct ion project due to the occurrence of the
delay in the project for various factors.
Q4. What is the mitigation of delays in the construction industry?
With the help of this question, the researcher has intended to highlight the mitigation of delays
in the construction industry from the responses of the construction managers. A collection of the
descriptive responses from the respondents will help the researcher to develop the concept regarding
the matter.
Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion managers have provided the response and highlighted that
the completion of the project is only possible if the contractors renew the initial cost planning and perform
reconstruction of the project task as per the resources available for the project. It has been indicated by
both the managers that the completion of the project is only possible if the controlling body understand
the situation and take necessary measurements for the completion of the project. On the other hand,
Udhampur-Srinagar Baramulla project manager has indicated the fact that the contractors need
to ensure the availability of the resources and selection of competent consultant who can guide the
contractor to follow the essential steps to complete the task as per the initial design.

52
Damoder project manager has considered the occurrence of delays in the construction and
referred that it is essential for the contractor to arrange a progressive meeting after completion of each
half of the project. In this way, the construction workflow will remain smooth and the following
procedures to complete the task can be understood properly.
Belapur-Seawood-Uran construction project manager has provided similar kind of response and
indicate that the involvement of the engineers is an essential part for the completion of the construction
work. The engineers need to present the designs to the contractor and the service provider to make sure
the proper progression of the work. In addition, it is also necessary to make up the delay in the work by
implementing incentives scale for the employees. Thus, the responses have addressed the purpose of
the question and highlight the fact that the construction managers are associated with concentrating on
the proper emphasis on previous experience to mitigate the delay.
Q5. According to you what are the possible impacts of delay in the construction
industry?
The researcher has intended to find out the impact of the delays in the construction industry from
the responses provided by the respondents from the construction projects. The managers from the
Gondia-Jabalpur gauge conversion project have indicated the extent of the contractor related issues that
enhance the number of rework to minimize the errors of the construction. It results in the occurrence of
ineffective planning for the consecutive process of the construction and results in the delay of the projec t
associated with poor communication. This project has faced the issue of the delaying in the work of the
sub-contractor.
Udhampur-Srinagar Baramulla project manager has indicated that the delay in the construction
indicates the poor communication and coordination among the employees and the project manager. The
manager has indicated that the delay has led the rise in the consultant related issues regarding the
mistakes and discrepancies in the designing of the documents. Delay in the construction work sometimes
changes the requirement of the material type which is the clear indication of the change in the
engineering work of the project.

53
Bankura-Damoder project manager has indicated that the completion of the project after much
delay has helped to develop experience regarding the issues that impact consultant, contractor,
materials and equipment related issues. Delay in this project has highlighted the impact in the labour
related issues such as shortage of the labours and low skill of the employees. The frequency in the delay
results in the revising and approving of the designed documents.
Belapur-Seawood-Uran project manager has indicated the fact regarding the delay of the
construction has affected the decrease in the productivity and efficiency of the equipment brought to the
completion of the project. The manager has also highlighted the facts of the delay in the construction
project that hampers the further development of the drawings. Therefore, it is clear from the responses
that the delay in the construction subsequently affects the progression and completion of the project.
4.3 Factors to be assessed
Table 2: Factors Associated with Construction Delay
(Created by Author)
Factors Not
Important
Neutral Important Very
Important
1. Finance of the progressed work 
2. Failure in the equipment availability 
3. Late revision and approval of
documents

4. Poor coordination and communication 
5. Equipment shortage 
6. Constraints related to financial
development


54
7. Frequency in the changes 
8. Slow decision-making process by the
contractors

9. Lack of the coordination in the
contractor

10. Obstacles in the construction
operations

11. Confliction between consultant and
design engineers

12. Late delivery of the design 
13. Low level of operation skills 
14. Insufficient coordination between
parties with the head contractor

15. Delay in the claimed settlement of
each stage

16. Inefficiency in the communication
process from the owners

17. Financial difficulties and economic
problems

18. Poor qualifications of the staffs 
19. Slow responses among the
consultant engineers


55
20. Shortage in materials during
construction

The case study and the questionnaire analysis have indicated the factors presented in the above
table. The factors are mainly responsible for the delay of the construction project. Delay in the project
has also developed the sense regarding the application of the mitigating the risks associated with the
delay process. It enables the managers to maintain the risk assessment process for the construction
project. The analysis of the above case studies which is associated with the delay process the managers
of the respective construction have mitigates the risks so that further complication cannot occur. It is
also associated with the development of the costs related issues in the construction completion that
comprised of unnecessary enhancement of cost related to purchasing materials and equipment. The case
study and the respondents have allowed the researcher to consider the causes of the delays reported by
the involved bodies in the construction project as follows-
Table 3: Causes of delay as per the view of different stakeholders
(Created by the author)
Owner Contractor/Manager Consultant
Ineffective planning by the
engineers and project
contractor
Bureaucracy by the agencies
of the government
Fault in the government
policies
Collection of insufficient data
and survey method before
commencing of the projects
Delay in the revising process
of the project design
In the effective scheduling of
eth project work.
Poor management in the
construction site
Delay in the production of
the design and gathering of
the equipment
Delay in the process of the
payment from the owner

56
Frequent change in the
numbers of the sub-
contractors due to the
ineffective working process
Several associated mistakes
in the development of the
construction design
Difficulties during the
financial arrangement of the
project
Poor coordination with the
engineers and contractors
The assigned designing
team have less experience
Negligence in the type of the
project bidding by the owner
Chapter 5: Conclusion
5.1 Scope of the Chapter
In this section of the conclusion chapter, the researcher has intended to analyse the qualitative
data and develop the appropriate conclusion for the research. The entire discussion related to the
findings from the case study and the responses provided by the managers regarding the questionnaires
has been aligned with the research. In the next section, the researcher has described the background
of the research and relates the objectives with the findings from the data. Moreover, depending on the
conclusion the researcher has suggested some recommendations that can address the delay issues of
the research. In addition, the research has also highlighted the future scope of the research.
5.2 Background to Conclusion
The background of the research can be best described as the establishment of the data findings
and the literature findings. Linking the objectives with the findings can be performed as follows-
5.2.1 Linking with the objectives
To identify the sources results in the delay of construction
The researcher has intended to link the development of the ideas in the literature review section
2.7 and 2.8 with the findings from the responses of the managers of the four construction projects of
India in question number 1 and 2. In the literature review section, the researcher has described the
delayed nature of the four projects. For the data analysis, the researcher has intended to perform the
case study analysis of the four projects in data analysis chapter section 4.1. From the findings, it has

57
been postulated that the delay factors are associated with internal and external factors that can be
categorised under excusable and non-excusable delay. These delays result in the halt of the entire
process of construction. As found in the data analysis chapter that the environmental cause and seasonal
changes affect the construction work most and are termed as the most important external factor. Other
external factors are associated with improper maintenance of the communication from the higher
authority to the project managers and workers. On the other hand, the internal factors that affect the
development of the construction due to miscommunication between the engineers and the managers
and inefficient workers in the construction site. Depending on the case study findings from the four cases
and the responses of the project manager of that construction site, it can be postulated that the other
construction site in India are facing similar kind of construction delay.
To understand the cost of delay and mitigation of delays
In order to link the objectives with the literature review and data findings, it has been found that
the researcher has emphasised on the literature review section 2.5 and 2.6. In addition, the findings
from the case studies in the 4.1 section and the descriptive responses provided by the respondents in
the question number 3 and 4 have addressed the connection of the costs and mitigation associated with
the delay process in construction. The literature review section 2.9 has described the construction
projects of India and the findings of costs and mitigation policies from the view of the managers has
developed the idea regarding the association of the cost a construction can face and the risk management
process of the project managers. From the analysis of the case studies and the respondents gathered
from the managers it can be stated that the other construction of India are facing the similar kind of
cost dilemma in the construction work. The majority of the cost is associated with the delayed
progression of the construction because a halt in the work results in the rise in the price of the materials
and the labour cost. Another significant cost associated damage the construction industry is facing in
India is associated with the changing nature of the season that causes damage to the progressed work.
It results in reconsider the places that have been affected by the damage. On the other hand, the
assessment of the risk and proper risk management process is the major concern that associated with
the cost enhancement in the project. Effective mitigation of risk need to enable advanced technology
and frequent arrangement of a meeting with the engineers and contractor involve cost. However, in

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