A delayed opening is often discussed as a scheduling issue, yet it can alter an entire financing structure. Rajeev Khandelwal’s project finance background provides context for that wider effect. Debt may already be drawn, staff may be hired and customer commitments may be active. The project then carries costs without the revenue expected to cover them at the originally planned date.
Count the continuing costs
Interest, site security, supervision and retained personnel can continue while construction slows. Some suppliers may also charge for storage or extended guarantees. These costs should be included in delay scenarios rather than treated as minor contingencies. A few months can matter significantly when the original capital budget is tightly allocated and the project has limited room to absorb expenditure that does not add productive capacity.
Revisit the commercial timetable
Customers may not wait indefinitely for output. Delays can affect price agreements, delivery commitments and market entry opportunities. The financing model should consider whether the original revenue ramp remains achievable after commissioning moves. A delayed facility may open into a different season or competitive environment, making it unrealistic to shift the same revenue forecast mechanically by the number of months lost during construction.
Preserve completion funding
When costs rise, the remaining undrawn facility may no longer cover the work required to finish. Management needs an updated cost-to-complete assessment that includes essential commissioning and initial operations. Spending scarce cash on less critical items can weaken the ability to reach a functional opening. Clear prioritisation helps sponsors and financiers focus on the activities that genuinely move the project toward generating dependable revenue.
Delay management is capital management
Credit Connect’s project-finance discipline connects directly with Rajeev’s infrastructure context. The useful response to delay is an integrated update of construction, commercial and funding plans. That approach gives counterparties a realistic account of the remaining commitment. It also makes the consequences visible early enough to adjust scope, arrange support or change sequencing before the project exhausts the resources needed to become an operating business.
