Kesnik aims to forge construction and tech together

For decades, Kerala’s construction sector has seen remarkable growth. The state has witnessed a surge in infrastructure development, office spaces, commercial buildings, and apartments.

Yet, amidst this boom, one crucial aspect has lagged behind: the adoption of modern technology. Take a closer look at any construction site, and you'll notice that the methods in use have hardly changed over the years.

This is where Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra (Kesnik) wants to step in. It wants to update, innovate, and propagate modern methods in different areas of the construction industry to make the sector more efficient and environmentally friendly.

“Our idea is to make people in the construction industry aware of different technologies that exist elsewhere within India and outside. We can help them adopt such technologies in their projects, whether it is a single house or an elaborate structure like a commercial building,” says Febi Varghese, director of Kesnik.

To showcase the potential of modern construction technology, Kesnik has erected the first 3D structure in Kerala at the kendra headquarters in Trivandrum to show architects, engineers, and students how it works and the technology's advantages.

The 500-square-foot structure is to be finished in just under a month, even though it was done in stages to allow groups of students to watch the process. The project is being carried out by Tastva Manufacturing Solutions, a startup founded by former IIT Chennai graduates. Kesnik has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tastva, and more 3D printed structures are being planned.

Recently, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) constructed a post office building in Bangalore with 3D printing technology, and that was covered extensively by the media. Varghese says L&T uses imported technology for their project, while Tastva has developed their own technology and process.

The structure is built with commonly used ingredients like cement and manufactured sand (M-sand), but the company has developed a special additive patented by them to make the mix needed.

“This technology makes the construction quicker as the machine can execute whatever design it is fed continuously, and it also avoids waste of materials that happens during construction in a conventional way,” says Varghese.

“As this project is a one-off model, the cost is not competitive, but when the number of structures is increased, the cost will fall dramatically,” he says. The key task is to translate a 2D plan into a form that is understood by the computer, which will feed a 3D version of it into the machine. Then it is all systems go, and the structure will be printed out without any delay.

This is ideal for uniform structures like hostel buildings on campuses or similar structures, which are uniform, and Kesnik's project has already evoked interest from some quarters for similar ventures.

“More than the novelty factor, it also brings down pollution levels at the construction site to almost nil. So this technology should find favour with the market quickly,” says the Kesnik director.

Even individual structures with complicated designs can be easily done with 3D printers, and the construction part can be done quickly, unlike the conventional way, which is cheap but time-consuming. So if the idea behind a project is to execute it quickly, then even a single house could be done with 3D printers.

Kesnik wants both professionals and laypeople to get accustomed to technologies like this so that our construction sector can benefit from it. With this in mind, Kesnik is also embarking on several missions to transform our construction sector and encourage innovative ways.

It has established a Technology Innovation and Exhibition Centre at the headquarters and is being offered to startups focusing on construction technology as a space to hold presentations and meetings for a nominal fee.

Plans are also afoot to let startups use the area as a working space, though raising it to the level of an incubation centre is not on the cards right now. But the presence of experts at the Kendra will be a boon for young entrepreneurs as they can tap into their knowledge and expertise easily. Moreover, the tie-ups that Kesnik has with premier institutions like IIT Madras can also provide an additional platform for startup founders to network with experts elsewhere.

The Kendra has also started a mobile testing lab that can go to the spot where concreting works are being done and verify the quality of the cement mix at the lab, and the results will be uploaded online. Even home builders can call up and avail of the service, and Varghese says this has received a good response.

He says that more than private home builders, it is mostly professional builders who have been approaching Kesnik for this, as they need such certification when undertaking large construction projects.

Another major project that Kesnik is undertaking is the establishment of a National Housing Park at Vazhamuttom in Trivandrum on a seven-acre plot that has already been allotted. The aim is to erect 40 prototype models of houses.

The outlay of the project is around 40 crore rupees, and the complex will house research, a housing guidance center, and building technology startups.

This comes under the central government’s Demonstrative Housing Project, and 8 crore rupees have already been sanctioned. This is the first project of its kind in India, and the work is scheduled to start in a couple of months’ time. The centre will have a facility to design a home and help the client understand the process with the aid of a walk-through lab. It will also provide models of various building techniques that are in use in different parts of India.

In an effort to translate such technologies into skills, Kesnik also now provides hands-on experience to architectural graduates and equips them to hit the ground running from day one at a job.

“Most of the students have knowledge of the theories, and our aim is to give them much-needed practical experience,” says Varghese. The four-month course covers aspects like designing to digital survey, and 25 students are trained at the centres in Trivandrum, Cochin, and Calicut. Some of the graduates have been absorbed by Kendra itself as site engineers.

The course has generated interest in some major universities like Symbiosis Deemed University, which has approached Kesnik to collaborate on this. The talks are in progress, and Varghese hopes a pact can be signed soon.

India’s space odyssey continues

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Another piece of good news from the space sector is that Satsure, a company founded by alumni of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and ISRO, has managed to raise 15 million US dollars after a Series A funding round. The firm, founded by Prateep Basu, Rashmit Singh Sukhmani, and Abhishek Raju, uses satellite data to serve companies in fields like agriculture, insurance, and banking, providing them with insights into information such as the effects of climate change. The fresh funding will help SatSure launch a fleet of four satellites by 2025, reports Entracker.

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A model for Kerala millionaires

At a time when publicity and celebrity status are the most sought after thing, one donor has in India has taken a different path. The anonymous donor has given Indian Institute of Technology Bombay 160 crores to set up a Green Energy and Sustainability Research Hub. The hub will facilitate research in several critical areas, including, but not limited to, battery technologies, solar photovoltaics, biofuels, clean-air science, flood forecasting, and carbon capture, says a Press Information Bureau release. Commenting on this, IIT Bombay director Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri said, “This is a rare occurrence in Indian academia that a philanthropist wishes to stay anonymous. I am sure this donation will motivate many others.” Kerala too has its fair share of multi-millionaires and celebrities. Wonder when someone will emulate this to help our young researchers.

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