Sudeshna Banerjee, Managing Director, PS Digitech HR India, discusses project execution in cement and infrastructure through technology, transparency and on-time delivery.
From pioneering structured project management in Indian cement to enabling defence and infrastructure builds across borders, PS Digitech HR India has redefined on-site execution with tech-driven precision. Led by Sudeshna Banerjee and Prasenjit Dutta, the company is steering complex industrial projects toward timely, efficient, and sustainable outcomes. In this interview, Banerjee shares how innovation and discipline are driving real impact in the cement sector and beyond.
Tell us about your company’s association with the cement industry.
I and my business partner Prasenjit Dutta, who brings over 35 years of industry experience, started this company with a clear vision of offering value-driven services to the industrial sector. Initially, our journey began under the name Digitech HR, focused exclusively on training. We provided training in CAD design software, project management and behavioural development, among others. Over time, we expanded into engineering design and detailing, catering to reputed clients like VIL Engineering Corporation, BK Engineering Corporation and others.
In 2008, we took a major step forward by venturing into project management consultancy, starting with ACC Cement’s Gagal plant. This marked our entry into on-site consultancy for the cement industry—an area that had previously seen minimal engagement of external project management teams. According to industry veteran Sumit Banerjee, we were among the first to introduce structured project management consultancy in India’s cement sector.
Our methodology includes deploying engineers on-site, supported by a robust back-end team that handles planning, scheduling, and monitoring. The objective is to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, which in turn helps cement manufacturers realise faster ROI. Over time, we expanded our offerings to include safety management, quality management, engineering design reviews, and third-party safety and quality audits. Today, we serve most of the leading cement companies in India and are expanding internationally as well.
What impact has your work had on cement projects, and how has it changed project timelines or outcomes?
When we first started working with cement companies, project delays were fairly common. Timelines often extended much longer than initially estimated. With our structured approach to project management—built on strong domain knowledge and process discipline—we introduced systems that helped our clients stay on track.
Once we entered the picture, they began to see tangible changes. Projects started being completed on schedule. And the most important part? Return on Investment (ROI) was realised faster. That’s what really matters to the client. Faster completion means faster operationalisation, which means revenue generation begins earlier.
Over time, cement companies began to recognise the value of professional project management services. We have worked with companies across the cement landscape, including ACC, Ambuja, and Star Cement in the Northeast. Beyond cement, we have also handled complex infrastructure projects—like a 400-kilometre railway line in Sri Lanka and bulletproof bunkers along the China border for India’s Military Engineering Services. We’ve even worked with edible oil refineries and multiple public sector units. Though based in Kolkata, we serve clients pan-India and abroad.
How is evolving technology helping your work and the cement industry as a whole?
Technology has been a game-changer for us. When we started project management services, we used MS Project for scheduling and tracking. But as our projects scaled, MS Project wasn’t sufficient to handle the volume and complexity of data involved. So, we adopted Primavera, bought the necessary licenses, and deployed it as a cloud-based solution to enhance collaboration and accessibility. Then, we developed our own proprietary database management tool called ‘Projector’, which stores all reports and project updates, enabling clients to access real-time data anytime, from anywhere.
In addition, we created a mobile-based application called PSH that offers a dashboard experience. Senior management often doesn’t have time to go through detailed reports. So, PSH allows them to access key metrics like risk management indicators, S-curves, and project health summaries in a snapshot format—right on their phones. This real-time visibility allows for quicker decision-making and better
risk management.
We are also exploring artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and drone-based technologies to enhance project tracking and safety assessments. These innovations will play a pivotal role in the future of smart project management.
What are some of the key challenges you face in this field?
One of the biggest challenges is mindset. Many organisations are still hesitant about bringing in third-party project management consultants. They sometimes refer to us as spies, which we take in good humour—but it reflects a deeper misunderstanding. What they don’t immediately see is that we are not there to find faults—we are there to expedite projects. We serve as a bridge between clients and stakeholders, with the sole aim of ensuring timely and budget-friendly completion.
Another challenge is internal bias. Often, internal project management teams are not neutral. They may downplay issues to avoid scrutiny or delay reporting problems to higher management. This creates risks. Our independent oversight helps surface unattended issues early, allowing forproactive intervention.
Our approach is built on transparency and early issue resolution. We always say: ‘Unattended issues become risks.’ The earlier they’re identified, the easier they are to solve. Also, we emphasise safety and quality as the two foundational pillars of every successful project. Without them, timelines and budgets can spiral out of control.
The cement industry is talking a lot about sustainability, net zero and decarbonisation. How is your company contributing to these goals?
Sustainability is indeed the need of the hour, and we are actively engaged in Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) projects for multiple cement companies. WHR is an excellent way for plants to utilise their exhaust heat to generate electricity, which reduces fuel consumption and emissions. We have also worked on alternative fuel projects, helping companies transition away from fossil fuels. Beyond cement, we advise on sustainable practices in infrastructure projects as well.
As a service-based organisation, our direct emissions may be minimal, but our impact lies in guiding our clients to make data-driven, eco-conscious decisions. We also stress the importance of efficient baghouse implementation to manage dust and emissions, which is critical for both compliance and environmental health.
Where do you see PS Digitech HR heading in the next few years?
We are already working with top cement companies in India and have ventured into sectors like defence, railways, oil refineries and infrastructure. Our next step is to expand internationally, offering our expertise to global projects. We are also investing heavily in AI, ML and drone-based solutions for real-time site monitoring and data analysis.
Our vision is clear: we want to be technology-driven enablers who ensure that every project—be it cement, defence or infrastructure—is completed on time, within budget and without compromise on safety or quality.
