Jurong opens its Hyd office

Jurong Consultants (India) Private Limited, the subsidiary of Singapore-based Jurong International, inaugurated the company's second office in India at Hyderabad.

The company's headquarters is located in Bangalore.

Addressing a press conference, Rao Munukutla, chief executive officer of Jurong Consultants, said: "The Hyderabad regional office will provide an entire service package which includes master planning, architecture, engineering, project management, facility management, construction and design, and build turnkey services."

The company would increase the headcount from the present 100 to around 250 by the end of the current financial year.

"We are also looking at opening regional offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata soon," he said. According to him, housing and infrastructure development would be high on the agenda of the Indian subsidiary of Jurong.

At present, the company is working on projects worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore in India. On the projects in the pipeline, he said: "We are at present working on a $3.2-billion project to construct the Mumbai integrated special economic zone. We will commence construction work from October and expect the project to be completed in the next five to eight years."

Goh Song How, president and chief executive officer of Jurong International, said, "We see a huge potential for growth and innovation in India. The two-way trade between the two countries in also on the rise and is expected to touch Singapore $10 billion for the current financial year."

Jurong International recorded a turnover of Singapore $258 million in 2003-04 as compared to $98 million in the previous year.

"Out of the total turnover, 10 per cent is contributed by the Indian subsidiary," he said. According to him, a major part of the turnover from foreign operations come from China which contributes around 30 per cent.

"From a minor loss during the first year of operations, it is now showing signs of profitability and we expect it to grow during the current financial year," How said.