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Who We are
Excel Group of Companies is a diversified engineering establishment built on trust and more than 26 years of work. The company was registered in the year 2000 in Kochi, the industrial capital of Kerala, and has grown from a single construction business into five specialist divisions — project management, design and build, fire protection, MEP services and engineering education — with operations in India, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. What has not changed is how we work: one team, one plan, and one point of responsibility from the first idea to the final handover.
The company exists because of one man’s decision. Mr. Mathai Thoppil Ittan, our Founder and Chief Executive Officer, spent his career in Kerala’s municipal service, working on the approvals, inspections and planning that shaped the city of Kochi. He knew the rules, he knew the construction industry, and he knew why good projects failed. In 2000 he started Excel with his sons to build the kind of company he had spent a career wishing existed — one that gets the drawings right, gets the approvals right, and delivers what it promised. That knowledge is still the foundation of everything the group does today.
Project Management Consultancy
Excel Homes
Excel Fire Tech
Excel Education
Excel MEP Services
Meet Our Team
Mathai Thoppil Itan
Founder & Chief Executive Officer Director, Excel Group Advisory Board
Mathai Thoppil Itan founded Excel after a distinguished 28-year career with the Corporation of Cochin, where he gained extensive expertise in building approvals, planning, and regulatory compliance. His deep understanding of municipal regulations became the foundation of Excel's integrated approach to design, approvals, construction, and project management. Today, as Founder, CEO, and Director of the Excel Group Advisory Board, he provides strategic leadership, regulatory guidance, and technical oversight, ensuring the standards that built Excel continue to guide its operations across India, the UAE, and the United States.
Mathai Thoppil Itan
Founder & Chief Executive Officer Director, Excel Group Advisory Board
Abhilash Mathai
Director of International Operations Principal, Excel Project Management Consultants
PMP · Chartered Engineer · Professional Engineer · Attorney-at-Law (India) · FLC, The Florida Bar
Abhilash Mathai is a civil and structural engineer, project management professional, and legal consultant with over 20 years of international experience across the UAE and the United States. He specializes in project management, contract administration, claims, cost control, and construction dispute resolution, providing clients with integrated engineering and legal expertise.
Qualifications: B.Tech (Civil) · M.Tech (Structural) · PMP · LL.B. · JD · LL.M. (International Law) · LEED Accredited · Pearl Qualified Professional (Estidama) · Notary Public (Florida)
Memberships: The Florida Bar · American Bar Association · International Bar Association · South Asian Bar Association · Bar Council of India.
Abhilash Mathai
Director of International Operations Principal, Excel Project Management Consultants
Avinash Mathai
Chairman & Managing Director Director of India Operations
PMP · Mechanical Engineer · Fire Engineering · NEBOSH · OSHA · GIS
Avinash Mathai leads Excel's India operations, specializing in fire engineering, MEP systems, authority approvals, testing, commissioning, and project delivery. With extensive expertise in fire safety regulations, the National Building Code of India, and Kerala building rules, he oversees projects from design and approvals to installation, certification, and handover. As a PMP and safety professional, he ensures every project is delivered with technical excellence, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.
Qualifications: PMP · Mechanical Engineer · Fire Engineering · NEBOSH · OSHA · GIS
Avinash Mathai
Chairman & Managing Director Director of India Operations
Reji Menen
Creative Partner
Creative Director at Deep Purple Creative,
Creative Director at Deep Purple Creative, specializing in brand identity, package design, web design, illustration, and visual communication. A Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate with a specialization in Applied Art, he brings years of experience in helping businesses build distinctive brands through strategic thinking and creative design. His portfolio spans work with clients in India and internationally, combining artistic excellence with practical design solutions.
That international exposure matters here: a project management consultancy pitching to an owner in Florida or Dubai is judged on how it presents long before it is judged on how it performs.
As Excel's branding partner, Deep Purple handles the group's brand identity, advertising, campaign work and international communications
Reji Menen
Creative Partner
Rajesh Thomas
Director – UAE Operations Project Management, Dubai & Abu Dhabi
Civil Engineer · Senior Quantity Surveyor · Project Management Professional (PMP)
Rajesh Thomas leads Excel's UAE operations, overseeing project delivery, commercial management, client relations, and regulatory compliance across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. A Civil Engineer, Senior Quantity Surveyor, and PMP, he specializes in cost management, contracts, tendering, claims, and authority approvals for high-rise and large-scale developments. His expertise in LEED, GIS, and sustainable construction ensures efficient, compliant, and value-driven project delivery.
Qualifications: PMP · Civil Engineer · Senior Quantity Surveyor · LEED · GIS · UAE Authority Approvals & Regulatory Compliance
Rajesh Thomas
Director – UAE Operations Project Management, Dubai & Abu Dhabi
Dilip Rajan Varghese
Director – Health & Safety Advisory UAE · Qatar · Middle East · India · United States
DILIP RAJAN VARGHESE
Director – Health & Safety Advisory
UAE · Qatar · Middle East · India · United States
CSP · Grad IOSH · NEBOSH · Mechanical Engineer
Dilip Rajan Varghese is a health and safety professional with over 20 years of experience on major international construction projects, including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Education City, Qatar National Museum, and Hamad Medical Corporation. At Excel, he advises on project safety, risk management, contractor compliance, audits, and worker welfare, helping clients deliver projects safely and in full regulatory compliance.
Qualifications: CSP · ASP · Grad IOSH · NEBOSH IGC · ISO 45001 Lead Auditor · MME (Qatar) · B.E. Mechanical Engineering · Diploma in Industrial Safety
Dilip Rajan Varghese
Director – Health & Safety Advisory UAE · Qatar · Middle East · India · United States
Ashley Abhilash
Managing Director – U.S. Operations
Doctor of Physical Therapy · Master of Health Administration (MHA) · Licensed Realtor, Florida
Ashley Abhilash brings over 20 years of U.S. healthcare administration experience to Excel's American operations. A Doctor of Physical Therapy with a Master of Health Administration, she oversees project coordination, documentation, client relations, and operational management alongside Abhilash Mathai. As a licensed Florida Realtor, she also supports the group's real estate and development initiatives.
Qualifications: Doctor of Physical Therapy · Master of Health Administration (MHA) · 20+ Years in U.S. Healthcare Administration · Licensed Realtor, Florida
Ashley Abhilash
Managing Director – U.S. Operations
Riya Roy
HR Manager
Nibin Gokul Mohan
Public Relations Officer
Christymol Reji
Project Engineer
Soumya Sujith
Project Engineer
Archana Sasi
Design Engineer
Athulya Albert
Design Engineer
Kavya Prince
Design Engineer
Krupa Reji
Design Engineer
Vishnupriya Shibu
Design Engineer
Sethulakshmi C S
Design Engineer
Rajithra B R
Design Engineer