Posted on November 28, 2016
Having carried out large number of dredging operations at various ports along the Indian coastline, Vizag-based Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) is now looking at expanding its presence to the foreign shores.
As part of its plans to tap into dredging projects abroad, DCI recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Bahrain-based company with an eye on securing contracts in the Middle East.
The development comes after a gap of nearly four years as DCI had last worked on a dredging project in Sri Lanka in 2012.
According to DCI officials, the Vizag-based public sector undertaking has signed a business cooperation memorandum with Riyada Group of Companies of Bahrain with a view to expand further opportunities and expand operations in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries and Middle East.
A senior DCI official said the business cooperation MoU was inked so that DCI could project its capabilities and expertise in the areas of dredging, land reclamation and sand mining areas to the prospective market in the Middle East region. The deal also facilitates utilisation of equipment of each other for execution of various projects such as capital dredging, maintenance dredging, breakwater, revetments and rock works, sand and aggregate supply, land reclamation and other sustainable profitable ventures on a private public partnership (PPP) route on infrastructure projects.
DCI has also appointed marketing consultants and business associates in the Middle East and Far East countries for exploring dredging projects and also to assist it in execution of projects, officials said.
Earlier, DCI had successfully carried out land reclamation work in Bahrain in the year 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. The PSU had also taken up maintenance and capital dredging works as well as land reclamation works of all major ports in India, Sri Lanka and Taiwan, since its inception in 1976.
DCI currently has upgraded its dredgers and now owns 12 Trailer Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs), three Cutter Suction Dredgers (CSDs), three survey launches fitted with latest survey equipment, one Inland Cutter Suction Dredger and one high power backhoe dredger.
Source: The Times of India
