A study investigating the factors that cause delays and cost overruns in construction projects in India

Anyone who has got a rework or renovation work done in their house can tell you what a troublesome activity it is. Not only that, it seems to take forever to be completed and is heavy on the wallet. Even an international icon like the Sydney Opera house, which has always been Australia’s pride, was delayed by 10 years with its budget shooting up by 14.5 times its estimated budget of $7 million. There are plenty of such examples available. It is very common for construction projects to get delayed and outrun their budget. This is a tough scenario faced by almost all projects around the world, with India not being an exception. Thus, the researcher has undertaken this research to investigate the factors responsible for delays and cost overruns. Both secondary research and primary research have been carried out and the barriers have been identified. Such barriers create problems that hinder the efficiency and progress of a project, making it lag behind its schedule. The factors identified in the secondary research are compared to the findings of the primary research to see if they hold true in the Indian context.