NBCC bags Rs 2,000 cr contracts to build convention centres

New Delhi: State-owned construction firm NBCC (India) on Thursday said it has bagged contracts worth Rs 2,000 crore to build high-capacity convention centres in nine different African countries.

These nine countries are Niger, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Liberia, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Togo and Gabon, the company said in a statement. The contracts have been secured through an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs. As per the order, NBCC will build nine Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centres (MGCC) in African nations.

"Such overseas projects will go a long way in establishing NBCC as a formidable PMC overseas as well," NBCC CMD Anoop Kumar Mittal said.

At the third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) held in December 2015, India had offered Africa a concessional credit of 10 billion dollars over five years and a grant of 600 million dollars to create 100 capacity-building institutions, and developing infrastructure, public transport, clean energy, irrigation, agriculture and manufacturing capacity across Africa, the statement said.

NBCC already has offices in Oman, Maldives, Turkey, Mauritius and Botswana. It has executed many diverse projects over the past 37 years in Mauritius, Nepal, Maldives, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey and Botswana.

"While executing these projects, NBCC plans to scout for further business in these countries. At the same time, building convention centres in overseas locations will enable Indian engineers and other employees posted there to get acquainted with modern construction technologies," NBCC said.

Recently, NBCC secured projects at Mauritius which comprise construction of the new Supreme Court building valuing Rs 250 crore and 956 social housing units worth Rs 300 crore.