BEML scouting for partners for rail coach biz

 "For now, BEML is in a position to produce 550 rail coaches annually... India needs 22,500 coaches in the next five years. The company intends to make use of this huge opportunity,"  V R S Natarajan, CMD of BEML, said after inaugurating the company's second rail coach unit at BEML Nagar in Kolar Gold Fields.

"We are keen on partnering an MNC to produce multiple bogies, conventional coaches and metro coaches for both domestic market and exports," he added.

The company is looking at increasing its turnover from rail and metro coach business from Rs 100 crore (FY07) to Rs 1,000 crore in the next 2-3 years. It is hopeful of bagging orders from Bangalore Metro, Kochi Metro and Chennai suburban train services.

The company also announced it had secured a Rs 1,140 crore order from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to supply 192 coaches.

"BEML has formed a joint venture with Rotem of South Korea and Mitsubishi Industries of Japan to execute this order," Natarajan said.

"We will sign a MoU with the DMRC in New Delhi within the next 10 days regarding this order," he added.