Surat: The engineering and construction conglomerate Larsen and Toubro (L&T) is expected to generate close to 20,000 jobs in next 12 months directly and indirectly. Having a strong order book worth 90,000 crore and immediate expansion plans worth 7,000 crore, L&T is on a massive recruitment mode. "We have committed investments worth 7,000 crore in worst of the time when nobody was willing to take such risks. L&T will emerge as national treasure when market gains momentum on account of its capabilities and talent. I don't think there is anyone better prepared than us," A.M. Naik, Chairman and Managing Director told the Economic Times. He added that adequate talent is available to meet company targets since good engineering talent is available now. L&T is expected to invest 25,000 crore in next five years for expanding capacities, port facilities, commissioning of power plants, shipyard and roads, among others. It will commission one new factory every 3-4 months. L&T group companies with current headcount of about 45,000 will recruit 5,000 technical and non-technical people and 1,500 IT people in next 12 months. It is also claiming to generate over 13,000 indirect employment through contracts. Naik, who is also a vocal critic of IT sector for taking away engineering talent in call centres and BPOs, said, "In the last couple of years, IT companies have not recruited much and hence we will not face troubles in finding the right talent. I believe that engineers should work in the field of engineering and construction. In IT sector, barely 10 percent of the engineers do what they have studied." Majority of the new recruitments would be done for L&T group's major base Vadodara and Hazira in Gujarat. In the last one month, L&T has bagged orders worth 5,000 crore constructing chemical plants, atomic power station, IT park, material handling units, residential towers, hospital, exhibition centre and factory building projects. In Hazira alone, L&T is setting up seven new factories to manufacture equipment for power sector. Naik was in Surat to kick off commissioning of proposed steel manufacturing and heavy forging plant at Hazira in collaboration with central government undertaking Nuclear Power Corporation of India for commissioning and operating nuclear power plants.