2010 opens with optimism for Project execution business

Atotal of 89 contracts aggregating to Rs 27,027.58 crore were bagged by Indian companies in the first month of the New Year, making a positive impact on the contracts awarded section. In comparison, January 2009, suffering the effect of the global slowdown, had managed to pocket only 44 contracts worth a sum of Rs 18,085.01 crore.

Of the 89 contracts, only three contracts were bagged by Indian conglomerates from foreign companies. Siemens India in association with its parent company Siemens AG, bagged a contract worth Rs 2,956 crore from Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation for complete design, engineering, supply, erection and commissioning of 14 new substations, five modification substations and five cable diversions in Qatar. Punj Lloyd won a Rs 574 crore contract from PTT Public Company for installation of three compressor units for the platform compressor station on the PTT Riser Offshore Platform at water depths of up to 80 mtrs in the Gulf of Thailand. The third overseas contract was awarded by Sonelgaz to Kalpataru Power Transmission for the turnkey construction of 220 kV transmission lines of 100 km and 60 kV lines of 120 km in Algeria.

Among the major sectors, the Electricity along with Power distribution sector topped with 27 contracts worth Rs 12,674.41 crore in January 2010. Lanco Infratech bagged three orders from its subsidiaries Lanco Mahanadi Power and Lanco Kondapalli Power. The first order worth Rs 1,756 crore was for onshore supplies for pulverised coal fired power plant of 2x660 MW capacity in Maharashtra while the second, a Rs 1,021crore contract was to execute the civil works related to the above project. The third Rs 1,640 crore contract is for supply related works with Stage-III expansion of the power project of 2x385 MW at Kondapalli, near Vijayawada.

The Roadways sector saw 13 contracts worth Rs 7,754 crore being awarded during the month. Though compared to December 2009, the sector saw increase in number of contracts from 7 to 13, since most of the contracts were of smaller size the total amount of contracts awarded decreased from Rs 8,140 crore to Rs 7,754 crore.

IVRCL Infrastructures & Projects managed to bag two road projects in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab from the NHAI worth Rs 1,550 crore and Rs 359.96 crore respectively. The NHAI also awarded the four-laning of Rohtak to Panipat section of NH-71A in Haryana to Sadbhav Engineering, the value of which was Rs 1,350 crore.

Punj Lloyd was awarded a Rs 1,100 crore project by GMR Hyderabad-Vijayawada Expressways. The scope of work includes construction of two major bridges, 32 minor bridges, 174 culverts and 31 vehicular, pedestrian and cattle underpasses, apart from 66,000 sq mtrs of reinforced earth retaining wall in Andhra Pradesh.

The Real Estate sector saw six contracts valued at Rs 1,924.44 crore being awarded. L&T won two orders in this sector. A Rs 800 crore contract was awarded by Oberoi Realty for the construction of residential towers at Goregaon in Mumbai while D B Realty awarded a contract worth Rs 625 crore for construction of residential towers at Parel, Mumbai.