IRB Infra eyes around 300-kms of NHAI road contracts

With nearly 3,500 kms of road projects likely to be bid out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) this fiscal, toll-road firm IRB Infrastructure Developers today said it expects to bag at least 200-300 km of contracts.
Nearly 8,500 km of road projects are likely to be opened for bidding this fiscal, out of which 3,500 km will be on build, operate and transfer basis while the balance on EPC.
"We are qualified for bidding for such large projects. We expect to bag at least 200-300 km of projects from the 3,500 km of road projects which will come up for bidding this fiscal," company's Chairman and Managing Director Virendra Mhaiskar told reporters today on the sideline of its 16th AGM.

The company has already bagged two road projects of around 356 km, including 190 km and Rs 3200 crore worth four-laning of Yedeshi-Aurangabad section of NH-211 in Maharashtra and Rs 2300 crore worth 166 km stretch of Kaithal to Rajasthan border in Haryana, in FY15.
"We already have in our portfolio four laning of Solapur to Yedeshi section of NH-211. Therefore, with the Yedeshi-Aurangabad section project, IRB will now develop entire road length of 288 km from Aurangabad to Solapur," he said.
IRB is prequalified to bid for around Rs 33,000 crore worth road projects, he said.

Asked whether the company would also look at EPC projects, Mhaiskar said, "We are comfortable with BOT projects as we have the expertise in it. Our focus has always been on the toll-projects and we will continue to do so even in future. We are hopeful that with the new synergies that are being seen in the road sector, we will be able to maintain our leading edge."

Meanwhile, the company also won a Rs 1,687 crore project from Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) for operation and maintenance of an expressway along with a stretch of Mumbai-Pune NH 4.
As on June 30, IRB's order book stands at Rs 11,348 crore, which comprises Rs 9,405 crore of construction projects to be executed over the next four years and Rs 1,943 crore of operation and maintenance needed to be performed over the concession period.