Soma looks for more infrastructure projects

The Hyderabad-based Soma Enterprises Ltd, which has already executed the largest aqueduct in Asia across the Orsang river on Narmada Main Canal, is looking to bag more infrastructure projects in Gujarat.

It has bid for a section of the East-West corridor project passing through Gujarat. Being a shortlisted companies for the project, the company hopes to bag the Rs 200 crore order.

"We have been growing at a steady 30 per cent even as the industry has been growing at around eight per cent. With new projects being lined up, we will cross the Rs 300-crore mark by the end of this fiscal and the Rs 500-crore mark by the end of next two years," said Rajendra Prasad Naganti, chairman and managing director of Soma Enterprises.

Naganti said that the aqueduct project across the Orsang river for the Narmada canal project was worth Rs 95 crore and was executed with a partner.

"Our share in the project was around Rs 40 crore. We have now bid for a Rs 200 crore project in Gujarat, which is regarding a section of the East-West corridor project," said Naganti. He hoped that the company will bag the project, as it has been shortlisted for the project.

Soma, incorporated in 1997, is one of the fastest growing infrastructure development company, with projects worth over Rs 1,600 crore spread across the nation.

The company has been involved in various projects in the country like the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, Aqueduct across Orsang rive on Narmada Main Canal, Koyna Hydroelectric Project among others.

Soma has also been awarded the largest civil construction contract in the power sector worth Rs 1,100 crore, Naganti said. Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project located on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border will be the country's largest hydro power plant generating 2,000 megawatt.

"This project would also help correct the mismatch between hydel and thermal power which currently stands in the ratio of 26:74 against a desireable ratio of 40:60, thereby enabling control over frequency fluctuation and correcting gap between base and peak load," the CMD said.

Besides, this project will help reduce perennial flood menace by about 15 per cent apart from enhancing the irrigation facilities and considerably reducing oil erosion.

"The hydropower generated by this project would be the cheapest in the country and the scheduled completion period is 72 months starting January 2004," Naganti said.

The company received the ISO 9001 and Q9001-2000 certification for construction and project management of infrastructure development projects and turnkey projects.