Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) project execution has been published as a case study by Stanford University for the good of management practitioners and students.
An official press release issued on Sunday, March 10, stated that amidst a cut-throat competition from several other similar studies, a study done by an ISB team on the Hyderabad Metro rail secured its place in the latest spring 2024 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR).
SSIR is an esteemed quarterly journal of Stanford University that publishes impactful and pioneering projects, leadership styles, and innovative solutions to the world’s endemic problems.
The case study underscored the extraordinary skill cultivated by HMR Managing Director NVS Reddy and his team in managing plenty of sensitive issues and agitations to make the near impossible PPP (public-private partnership) metro rail project a reality.
“The way Mr. Reddy and his team overcame the initial Maytas failure, managed numerous agitations, converted the diverse socio-religious and political parties that originally opposed the project into its supporters, and saved the project from innumerable court cases” was showcased as a highly effective leadership example in the study.
Highlighting the team’s ability to align the broader interests of the project with the often opposed individual interests of diverse stakeholders, the study credited the achievement to the MD for not acting as a “typical bureaucrat” but as having an “entrepreneurial mindset.”
The study recognized how he consistently conformed to an “inclusive stakeholder policy” and “transparent communication style,” with “passion and commitment” to the project.
Based on the project’s experience, the study developed a modern concept of stakeholder management and indicated that management practitioners can learn a lot from HMR experience. It can show them how to build mega-public-purpose infrastructures through private sector capital and resources with the deep engagement of all stakeholders, including the media, for the broader social good.
“As Hyderabad continues to grow, the metro rail will undoubtedly play a vital role in shaping its future, offering an enduring example of democratic leadership that dared to dream big for the common good,” the case study observed.
