Business
The factory-built future of British construction
The introduction of the industrial production line in car manufacturing, pioneered by Henry Ford in the early 20th century, revolutionised the automotive industry and global manufacturing practices. But there is one sector that has—remarkably—failed to embrace the full potential of industrialised models of production: construction. Just look at housebuilding—while advanced manufacturing is now utilising robots and AI, in many ways homes are still being built as they were 100 years ago: with contractors laying bricks in muddy fields.
But technologies to modernise construction do exist. At Reds10 we have been pioneering them for more than a decade now, developing highly sustainable, innovative, high-quality modular buildings offsite in our dedicated factories in Driffield, East Yorkshire, for the public sector. These include amazing homes for the military, school buildings and facilities for the Ministry of Justice and the NHS.
However, in the UK this process, known as Modern Methods of Construction or MMC, has yet to enter the mainstream. This is at least in part due to the nature of our housebuilding market, dominated as it is by a small number of large housebuilders, who have a near monopoly over the market and therefore little incentive to drive forward innovation.
In the UK modular construction has also suffered from a perception problem — a hangover from poorly constructed post-war prefabricated buildings. This perception is grossly outdated: a bit like comparing a Morris Marina with a Tesla. Take, for example, our award-winning Imjin Barracks project, a highly sustainable three-storey building that provides the UK’s defence personnel with modern, comfortable and technologically advanced accommodation. Built offsite through our advanced construction techniques, Imjin Barracks, like all the projects Reds10 delivers, is unrecognisable from the much-maligned ‘prefabs’ of yesteryear and is indistinguishable from buildings built through traditional construction techniques.
But it is not just residential developments that can benefit from industrialised construction techniques. Reds10 has been working with the government’s multibillion-pound New Hospital Programme (NHP) to develop a prototype for the new in-patient bedroom that will be delivered in the first wave of state-of-the-art hospitals that will be built over the next five years. The full-scale model room, complete with ensuite and corridor, is now undergoing an incredibly rigorous process of clinical review and testing to ensure it is fully optimised for clinical use —and crucially—before designs are locked and replicated thousands of times (the bedroom alone will be replicated over 3,000 times in just the first wave of hospitals). This means any technical issues can be resolved now, before 11 new hospitals are built simultaneously, ensuring the late‑stage rework that has plagued complex healthcare builds and driven up costs can be avoided.
The advantages of industrialising construction in this way are myriad. Our factory production process is optimised for efficiency using repeatable processes and components, modern manufacturing tools, and advanced technologies that would be impractical on a construction site. The efficiency of factory construction means project delivery timescales can be drastically reduced by up to 50%.
Industrialised construction also greatly improves quality, with fewer post-construction snagging issues. Buildings are more airtight, providing greater energy efficiency without additional cost. And with around 90% of the construction completed in the factory, there is also far less disruption to local communities from works on site.
The efficiency of MMC also means that we can build projects with less labour. Across our pipeline we use around 30% less labour than would be required by traditional construction techniques, which is a real plus given the severe skills shortage that has long afflicted the industry. If construction as a whole industrialised in this way, the skills gap would be bridged.
In our factory settings we also employ our own workforce, investing in their skills and career development and supporting young people into apprenticeships and training opportunities. By other industry standards this may seem unremarkable, but in construction employing your own workforce (rather than managing an ever-growing chain of smaller sub-contractors) is increasingly rare.
Ultimately, MMC and the benefits it brings has huge potential to transform the construction industry, providing better quality, more efficiency, greater cost reductions, higher productivity, and improved sustainability. Industrialising construction in the way Reds10 is pioneering would bring the industry into the 21st century and help deliver the modern homes and infrastructure the country needs.
Learn more about how Reds10 is transforming construction here.
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Business
Piyush Goyal Dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s Farmer Meet Video, Rebuts ‘Fake Narrative’ On India-US Trade Deal
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The minister offered a detailed reality check to counter what he termed ‘Rahul ji’s fakery’
Goyal reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies are intrinsically linked to farmer welfare. (File Photo: PTI)
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of orchestrating a “fake narrative” aimed at provoking India’s farming community. Responding to a video released on social media by the Leader of the Opposition on Friday, Goyal dismissed the interaction as a stage-managed performance featuring Congress activists masquerading as genuine farmer leaders. He asserted that the dialogue followed a predetermined script designed to mislead the public regarding the safeguards in the recent India-US trade deal.
Rahul Gandhi has alleged that “any trade deal that takes away the livelihood of farmers or weakens the food security of the country is anti-farmer”. He was pointing to the recently concluded India-US framework agreement for bilateral trade, which is expected to be signed after tweaks by the end of March.
Piyush Goyal offered a detailed reality check to counter what he termed “Rahul ji’s fakery”, placing on record that the Narendra Modi government has fully protected the interests of annadatas, fishermen, MSMEs, and artisans. The minister categorically clarified that sensitive crops like soyameal and maize have been granted no concessions whatsoever in the agreement, ensuring that domestic farmers remain shielded from competitive pressure. He criticised the opposition for repeating “baseless allegations” in an attempt to instill unnecessary fear among the rural population.
Addressing specific claims regarding apple and walnut imports, the minister provided a technical breakdown of the protectionist measures in place. He noted that while India already imports approximately 550,000 tonnes of apples annually due to high domestic demand, the new US deal does not allow unlimited entry. Instead, a strict quota has been established, far below current import levels, and subject to a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of Rs 80 per kg. With an additional duty of Rs 25, the landed cost of US apples will be roughly Rs 105 per kg—significantly higher than the current average landed cost of Rs 75 per kg from other nations—thereby ensuring Indian growers are not undercut. Similarly, for walnuts, the US has been offered a modest quota of 13,000 metric tonnes against India’s total annual import requirement of 60,000 metric tonnes, making it impossible for the deal to harm local producers.
Goyal also took a swipe at the historical record of the Congress party, pointing out the irony of its current stance. He reminded the public that during the Congress-led UPA era, India imported nearly $20 billion worth of agricultural products, including dairy items, which the current administration has strictly excluded from the US pact. He challenged Rahul Gandhi to explain his “betrayal of farmers” and questioned how much longer the opposition intended to peddle fabricated stories.
Concluding with the slogan “Kisan Surakshit Desh Viksit”, Goyal reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies are intrinsically linked to farmer welfare. He maintained that the India-US agreement is a balanced framework that opens new markets for Indian exports like basmati rice and spices while keeping the nation’s agricultural backbone secure.
February 14, 2026, 05:29 IST
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Business
Without Rera data, real estate reform risks losing credibility: Homebuyers’ body – The Times of India
New Delhi: More than 75% of state real estate regulators, Reras, have either never published annual reports, discontinued their publication or not updated them despite statutory obligation and directions from the housing and urban affairs ministry, claimed homebuyers’ body FPCE on Friday. It released status report of 21 Reras as of Feb 13.The availability of updated annual reports is crucial as these contain details of data on performance of Reras, including project completion status categorised by timely completion, completion with extensions, and incomplete projects. The ministry’s format for publishing these reports also specifies providing details such as actual execution status of refund, possession and compensation orders as well as recovery warrant execution details with values and list of defaulting builders.FPCE said annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers to assess system credibility, but is equally necessary for both state and central govts to frame effective policies, design incentivisation schemes, and develop tax policy frameworks.“Unless we have credible data proving that after Rera the real estate sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air,” said FPCE president Abhay Upadhyay, who is also a member of the govt’s Central Advisory Council on Rera.As per details shared by the entity, seven states — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa — have never published a single annual report since Rera’s implementation, and nine states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, which initially published reports, have discontinued the practice.Upadhyay said when regulators themselves don’t follow the law, they lose the legal right to demand compliance from other stakeholders. “Their failure emboldens builders and weakens the very system they are meant to safeguard,” he said.
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Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Infosys logo is seen.
IT major Infosys rolled out performance bonus payouts averaging around 85 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3FY26), marking the strongest variable pay outcome for eligible employees in at least the past three-and-a-half years, Moneycontrol reported citing people in the know.
The bonus payout for mid- to junior-level employees ranges between 75 percent and 100 percent, with most employees clustering around the organisation-wide average of 85 percent, the report said. The development signals a steady recovery in variable compensation at the Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm. Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Employees are expected to receive their bonus letters over the next few days, with the payout scheduled to be credited along with their February salary.
One employee told the outlet that it is the strongest bonus outcome seen in recent years. The payout is also among the rare instances since the Covid-19 period when variable pay has approached the upper end of the eligible range.
Infosys last paid out 100 percent variable compensation during the pandemic. In the quarters that followed, payouts were lower amid macroeconomic uncertainty and a broader slowdown in client spending across global markets.
The higher payout comes at a time when global IT stocks have faced renewed pressure, driven by concerns over rapid advances in artificial intelligence and their potential impact on traditional IT services models.
Shares of global IT firms have seen sharp sell-offs in recent weeks amid heightened investor focus on AI leaders such as Anthropic. Investors fear that generative AI tools could compress pricing, automate routine services work and reduce demand for legacy outsourcing models.
Against that backdrop, the improved bonus payout at Infosys is being viewed as a signal of operational resilience and near-term performance strength, even as sentiment around the broader IT sector remains cautious.
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February 13, 2026, 21:44 IST
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