Over 90 global joint ventures vie for Ahmedabad Metro project

Over 90 consortia,consisting of two or more companies from across the globe,have shown interest in the Rs 21,000-crore Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar Metro project. Over a dozen Chinese firms,a similar number of Spanish firms and reputed firms like Moscow’s 80-year-old metro company Mosmetrostroy have evinced interest to team up with national and international players vying for the several Expression of Interests (EOIs) for the project,to be completed by 2021.

Among the consortia that involve Chinese companies is the 50-year-old China Railway 18th Bureau Group Company Ltd (CR18G) that has undertaken over 100 national railway engineering projects,including the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway. CR18G has teamed up with IL&FS Engineering to bid for the civil works under the metro project.Other reputed Chinese companies who have formed joint-ventures are China Rail First Group (CRFG) and China Railway Third Group (CRTG),Shanghai Urban Construction Group (SUCG).

The trio are already working on Delhi metro project and have formed joint-ventures with IVRCL,J Kumar and L&T,respectively,to bid for various works under the Ahmedabad Metro project.

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“Over 50% of the companies who have shown active interest are foreign joint ventures,” says Sanjay Gupta,executive chairman of Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA).

Among Spanish firms,Isolux Corsan,which has participated in laying high-speed tracks in Spain,has teamed up with Gurgaon-based C&C Constructions Ltd. Spanish Railways’ coach and component maker Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles SA (CAF),a global leader in coaches,has tied up with Japanese firm Mitsubishi Electric for passenger rolling stock. France’s 40-year-old Egis Rail has shown interest in being appointed as a general engineering consultant for the project.