Sn September 2008, ProjectsToday gathered information on 53 project related contracts awarded across various sectors, and representing a total investment of Rs.13,464 crore.

Amongst the 53 projects, nine were overseas contracts bagged by Indian companies. Punj Lloyd was awarded the largest contract, a $800 million (approx.Rs.3,636 crore) order by Qatar Petroleum, for the engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning of a strategic gas transmission project. Aban Offshore's subsidiary Venture Drilling AS bagged the second largest order from Maersk Oil Angola, at an operating day rate of $495,000 (equal to Rs.2.17 crore) after withholding tax. The contract was valued at $271 million (equal to Rs.1,191 crore).

The Power sector saw 18 contracts worth Rs.2,727.93 crore being awarded in September 2008. Of these, the largest was a Rs.990 crore contract bagged by Bharat Heavy Electricals for setting up a 500 MW (2x250 MW) Chhabra thermal based power unit Phase-II (Unit-III and IV) in Baran, Rajasthan. The project was awarded by Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam. Maytas Infra bagged the second largest contract in the sector, worth Rs.265.90 crore from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co., for rural electrification in the Ahmednagar district of Nashik.

In the Mineral Fuels sector, five contracts totaling to Rs.1,745.80 crore were awarded, which included Dolphin Offshore Enterprises' Rs.304 crore contract awarded by Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, for the NQD enhancement project and for the ICP revamp project.

The Other Community Services sector witnessed six contracts being awarded, and amounting to Rs.1,164 crore. The largest contract was bagged by Lanco Infratech for construction of buildings for Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies IIIT at Basara in Andhra Pradesh. The Rs.308.98 crore contract was awarded by Andhra Pradesh Health & Medical Housing & Infrastructure Development Corporation.

In the Irrigation sector, two contracts totalling to Rs.1,114 crore were awarded, which included a Rs.695 crore contract bagged by Patel Engineering from Andhra Pradesh Government for the modernisation of Krishna Delta System.

April-Sept 2008:

In the first half of the fiscal 2008-09, as per our records, 287 domestic contracts worth Rs.98,881.36 crore were awarded. In all 113 companies bagged these orders. The biggest gainers were BHEL, Reliance, IVRCL, L&T and Nagarjuna Construction Co. BHEL bagged 11 orders worth Rs.16,998 crore. Most of these were for supplying equipment to power projects.

Among the private companies, Larsen & Toubro emerged as the largest player in the domestic projects investment arena. It bagged 9 orders worth Rs.5,873 crore in the first six months ended September 2008.