Engineering Including Energy and Aerospace - 2002

Shri. E. Shreedhan
 
Shri E. Sreedharan has been a member of the Indian Railway Service of Engineers since December 1954.

From October 1979 to November 1980, he was on deputation to the Ministry of Shipping & Transport as Chairman & Managing Director of the country's premier shipyard at Cochin. During this tenure, the first ship built by this shipyard, RANI PADMINI, was launched.

On repatriation to Railways, he worked as Chief Engineer (Construction), Southern Railways, in-charge of all major projects on that Railways from 1981 to 1985. In February, 1986 he was promoted as Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), Central Railways, in-charge of all the major construction activities and Metropolitan Transport Project on the Railway. During his period, he also acted as General Manager, Central Railway, for about six months.

He was General Manager, Western Railway from July 1987 to July 1989, when he became Member Engineering, Railway Board & ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India.

Shri Sreedharan retired from the Indian Railways in June, 1990 and was immediately given charge of the prestigious Konkan Railway Project. The 760 kms. long Konkan Railway, connecting Bombay to Mangalore along the West Coast of India, is the biggest Railway Project undertaken in this country in the last century. As the Chairman & Managing Director of the Konkan Railway Corporation, Shri Sreedharan was instrumental in raising the funds required for the project and completing the same in a record period of 7 years, which period included survey, investigation, design and construction.

On completion of the Konkan Railway Project in November, 1997 he was given the charge of the Delhi Metro Rail Project as its Managing Director. The Rs. 8300 crores Delhi Metro Project is the biggest Urban Transport Project undertaken in the country so far. This ambitious scheme is scheduled for completion in September, 2005.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the country Shri Sreedharan was awarded "PADMA SHRI" in 2001.

Shri E. Sreedharan is conferred with the Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award for Science and Technology, for the year 2002, in the field of Engineering including Energy & Aerospace for his significant contributions to rail transport engineering.