The ship of business always needs the shining beacon of a mighty guide like Atlas Project Management Consultants to navigate the turbulent waters of a completely globalized and hyper-digitalized industrial world and reach the shore of success.

When you envision a construction project, a myriad of challenges often come to mind: intricate planning, meticulous design, seamless coordination, efficient execution, meticulous documentation, and the myriad of regulatory clearances. These complexities can be overwhelming, even for seasoned professionals.

Recognizing these challenges firsthand, Atlas PMC was born. As the Founder, Vaibhav Shah, states, “Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to simplifying the construction process, providing end-to-end solutions that streamline operations and ensure project success.”

“Our Mission”

It is to partner with startups and small organizations, offering expert project management and operations solutions that drive growth and foster success. Atlas PMC is committed to:

• Strategic Customer Service: “Understanding your unique needs and tailoring our solutions accordingly.”
• Innovative Organizational Design: Optimizing your team structure and processes for maximum efficiency.
• Effective Hiring and Staffing: Recruiting and retaining top talent to drive results.
• Seamless Cross-Functional Collaboration: Fostering teamwork and communication across diverse teams.
• Meaningful KPIs and Best Practices: Implementing robust performance metrics and industry standards.

“With a focus on quality, efficiency, and sustainability, we aim to be the catalyst for your organization’s journey towards remarkable success,” says Vaibhav, sharing that Atlas PMC was Co-founded by three Partners: Krishna Vamsi, Bharvi Shah, and himself. Reflecting on the company’s beginnings, Vaibhav explains, “Our journey started in April 2022. Krishna Sir brings over 25 years of experience to the table, and he and I have worked together previously. Bharvi, who previously worked with NHSRCL while I was with Shapoorji Pallonji and later Cushman & Wakefield, joined us in seeing a unique need within the industry.”

Atlas PMC’s Solution-Oriented Approach

Recognizing a gap in the project management field, the trio set out to create a firm that embraces a comprehensive, “360-degree approach” to project management—one that goes beyond typical project oversight to include advisory services in sales and transactions for industrial and real estate clients. As Vaibhav elaborates, “There was a need in the market for consultants who deliver with ownership. Often, in project management, there is a lack of personal investment, with teams arriving onsite and relying heavily on senior oversight. We wanted to change that, ensuring accountability and a hands-on approach.”

Reflecting on the support received along the way, Vaibhav acknowledges, “We have been fortunate to gain the backing of visionaries who share our mission.” This commitment to innovative, client-focused project management has been the backbone of their success thus far.

As the Co-founder and Partner, Bharvi joined Vaibhav at Atlas PMC to address a key gap in the project management field. Reflecting on her experience, she explains, “Having worked in this industry for 7 to 8 years, and with Krishna Sir’s 25+ years of expertise, we observed a recurring issue: clients were often unsatisfied with the project delivery they received from various agencies.” This dissatisfaction, she notes, stemmed from a lack of direct communication and a clear connection between clients and contractors.

Identifying the need for a bridge to facilitate smoother project coordination, Bharvi continues, “Project Management Consultancy (PMC) became essential as a bridge between clients and contractors. We realized that PMC could ensure smoother project operations by filling this communication gap.” Recognizing PMC as a critical, emerging need in the industry, she and her partners set out to address it—an initiative that has since formed the foundation of Atlas PMC’s mission.

Today, reflecting on Atlas PMC’s achievements, Krishna highlights several key milestones: “As Vaibhav mentioned, we began just 2 1/2 years ago, and the growth speaks for itself. We’ve expanded to a team of over 70 within this short period, which is a significant milestone.”

He continues, underscoring the breadth of their work: “We now manage more than 15x square feet across residential and commercial projects, and we’re also making strides in the industrial sector.” These accomplishments mark Atlas PMC’s rapid growth and diverse expansion across key industry areas.

The Core Guiding Principles

Vaibhav elaborates on the core values and guiding philosophies of Atlas PMC, emphasizing that every phase, from planning to handover, requires diligent effort. “Our core values begin with a commitment to our customers,” he explains. “In essence, we see ourselves as project insurers. Though the PMC fee may be around 2 to 2.5% of the total project construction value, the success of the other 97-98% relies entirely on our expertise and judgment. That’s why true ownership in project management is essential.”

The second guiding principle for Atlas PMC is integrity. “Integrity is crucial because we’re in a position to assess and certify project costs,” Vaibhav continues. “In this industry, where transactions can easily involve lakhs and crores, ensuring transparency is non-negotiable. We maintain integrity on both fronts—toward our clients and within our internal team. After all, as it’s often said, ‘A mind with vision needs a team with a mission,’ and our team is what propels us toward realizing our goals.”

Service excellence is another cornerstone of the company’s philosophy. “Service excellence isn’t something we deliver by default,” Vaibhav states. “We work on it every day by refining ourselves, our team, our systems, and our processes. This constant effort means that we are positioned to deliver exceptional service to our clients.”

Vaibhav also highlights the importance of collaboration. “Collaboration for us is more than working with team members; it involves aligning with all agencies and associates we engage with on each project,” he shares. “These partnerships are key to advancing project success and strengthening our industry connections.”

A Unified Leadership Approach

Lastly, Vaibhav touches on the cultural importance of leadership and accountability within Atlas PMC. “Leadership and accountability are integral to our organization’s culture,” he explains. “From top management to junior engineers, every individual is encouraged to embrace leadership and take responsibility within their respective roles. This sense of accountability and leadership drives our continuous improvement and commitment to excellence.”

These core values of Atlas PMC—customer commitment, integrity, service excellence, collaboration, and accountability—collectively fuel the firm’s pursuit of continual advancement and industry-leading service.

Bharvi emphasizes that Atlas PMC does not view leadership as a hierarchy but rather sees the team as a unified entity. “We consider ourselves one with our team, not above it,” she states. One of the core strategies to keep the team motivated involves direct involvement from the directors. By dividing project responsibilities among the directors and ensuring they are hands-on with each project, the team feels supported rather than simply managed. This approach enables directors to connect directly with both team members and clients, fostering a sense of shared ownership and engagement.

Through this direct involvement, Atlas PMC builds a collaborative environment where guidance flows both ways, with employees contributing insights from their experience. This give-and-take model creates a continuous learning process where the team doesn’t feel “led” but feels actively involved in mutual growth and development.

Krishna highlights Atlas PMC’s direct approach to ensuring customer satisfaction by maintaining close involvement in each project from a management level. “We don’t leave the projects entirely to the team; we make sure management is actively engaged,” he notes, emphasizing how this hands-on approach provides clients with a unique, personal touch in project delivery.

Krishna explains that this strategy allows Atlas PMC to uphold its values, particularly in delivering client satisfaction. “Our involvement at every stage helps ensure that clients feel valued and that we meet their expectations,” he adds. This approach, combined with a dedication to core values, enables Atlas PMC to consistently provide the high-quality service clients rely on.

Advancing with Tech-Knowl-Edge

Bharvi emphasizes Atlas PMC’s commitment to integrating advanced technology within project management consultancy, explaining that they ensure projects are executed seamlessly both on paper and onsite. “Project management consultancy is about driving the project on both fronts—the physical site and the planning stage—making it essential for us to stay updated with cutting-edge software that allows clients to visualize projects and make decisions more efficiently,” she notes. To this end, Atlas PMC continually upgrades its toolkit with the latest planning and project management software, aligning with market demands.

She also highlights the company’s dedication to continuous learning, saying, “We enrol our employees in seminars and training sessions for upcoming technologies and machinery relevant to our field.” This commitment to learning extends internally, as Atlas PMC offers in-house training to ensure the team remains proficient with new technologies. “As directors, we actively participate in these learning sessions to stay informed about software advancements and emerging challenges in the industry,” Bharvi adds, demonstrating the company’s hands-on approach to professional growth and technological excellence.

Dazzling with Digital Marketing

Bharvi explains Atlas PMC’s approach to digital marketing, highlighting the strength of their internal team and the value of client satisfaction as a powerful marketing tool. She emphasizes, “Our internal marketing team manages all aspects of digital outreach across social media platforms, ensuring our presence is well-established and engaging.” However, Atlas PMC relies significantly on its reputation, with Bharvi noting, “The services we provide speak for themselves—throughout our 2.5-year journey, we’ve secured projects largely from client recommendations. Word-of-mouth has proven to be one of the most effective marketing channels for us.”

While social media remains a crucial component of their marketing strategy, Bharvi stresses the importance of organic growth through customer satisfaction. “Word-of-mouth has become a foundation for our marketing, as client recommendations have continually brought us new opportunities,” she explains. This combination of direct referrals and digital visibility enables Atlas PMC to maintain a strong market presence and expand its client base effectively.

Outwitting Obstacles

Bharvi reflects on the challenges Atlas PMC faced when entering a competitive market, noting that establishing a presence and securing business as newcomers was one of the primary hurdles. She emphasizes, “Breaking into the market itself posed a significant challenge, particularly given the saturation of competitors already operating in the industry.” Building a structure that could make Atlas PMC’s presence felt was crucial to their strategy, and she acknowledges that they were fortunate to secure a major residential project, ASICOM, spanning over 12x square feet early on. “This initial opportunity allowed us to showcase our unique strengths and deliver our services at an optimal level,” she says, noting it as a pivotal moment in achieving their goals.

Further challenges included balancing a diverse range of business portfolios, from IT and residential to commercial, industrial, and hospitality sectors. As Bharvi explains, “Securing business across multiple fields and meeting set targets for each was crucial, and finding the right team members who could meet client expectations was essential to our growth.” The first 2.5 years proved challenging, but overcoming these obstacles has enabled Atlas PMC to establish a foothold and continue advancing toward its objectives.

Adding to the challenges faced by Atlas PMC, Vaibhav notes that the first significant hurdle was gaining the trust of clients. “When you are a startup and someone expects you to manage their projects, earning the confidence of visionaries becomes the primary challenge,” he explains. Fortunately, Atlas PMC has been able to build strong relationships through its work, particularly with one of its key clients, Mr Dhumi Patel, who was its first client and entrusted them with a large project that they have successfully delivered thus far.

The second challenge has been assembling the right team. Vaibhav emphasizes the importance of recruiting individuals with experience from reputable companies such as Shapurji, L&T, HCC, and other industry leaders. “Creating the right team composition to deliver on our projects has been one of our major challenges,” he states.

Atlas PMC focuses on various sectors, including industrial, real estate, large-scale corporate fit-outs, and institutional buildings. Consequently, assembling a team with specific expertise in these areas remains a persistent challenge. Vaibhav acknowledges that managing timelines effectively is crucial to ensuring that the appropriate team is in place for each project. “The right team composition has always been a challenge for us and will continue to be a future challenge,” he concludes.

Furthermore, Krishna highlights the significant challenges faced in the real estate and developer segments. “In this industry, regardless of the reasons, even project management consultants (PMCs) can offload our projects,” he explains. He acknowledges that real estate projects present well-known challenges within the industry.

Additionally, Krishna points out that employee attrition rates are notably high in this sector. “While most PMCs can manage typical working challenges, high employee turnover remains a major hindrance,” he states. These two issues—project offloading and attrition—are critical obstacles that impact the effectiveness and stability of operations in the construction industry.

Future Vision and Advice to Aspirants

Vaibhav articulates the vision for Atlas PMC, stating, “Our goal is to become one of the best organizations in project management.” He emphasizes their plan to expand the team to 150 members within the next two years. “In addition to growing our team, we aim to extend our geographical reach by expanding our footprint in the West and South, ultimately delivering services across Pan India.”

Furthermore, Vaibhav outlines ambitious targets for their real estate advisory vertical, aiming for over 200 small and large transaction deals within three years. He adds, “We are set on crossing a milestone of 10 million square feet in the real estate sector, with a target of 2 million square feet in interior and fit-out segments.” For the technical advisory division, the objective is to achieve another 10 million square feet for building and industrial projects in the next three years.

Regarding the industrial segment, Vaibhav expresses a commitment to delivering a minimum of 3 million square feet in warehousing space while venturing into the pharmaceutical industry. As for advice to aspirants, he shares a pivotal message: “For those team members looking to build a successful career in project management, once they join Atlas, the grooming they receive will ensure they never look back—whether they remain with Atlas or move on in the future.” He concludes by reinforcing that collaboration is one of their core values, which underpins their approach to growth and development.