Banking on its more than four decades of expertise in project consultancy and implementation, the state-owned Kitco Limited is all set to expand its operations outside India once again this fiscal.
Some of the major projects that the agency is eyeing to take up this year include the establishment of an airport at Babylon in Iraq and a tourist free zone in Sri Lanka. Another key project that has come its way is the formulation of a comprehensive oil spill contingency plan for the 1,600-kilometre-long coastline of Gujarat.
“We have already prepared a master plan for the airport project, coming up on an area of about 8,000 acres. Alongside the airport, it also envisages the setting up of a township and related infrastructure around it,” said Cyriac Davies, Managing Director, Kitco Limited.
The tourist free zone, coming up on about 1,000 acres, is proposed to be set up using foreign investment and will include hotels and dedicated shopping enclaves among other infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the agency is slated to submit its final report on oil spill contingency plan for five ports located in the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat. Thereafter, it is slated to carry out a similar programme for the entire coastline of the State within the next six months.
The project, awarded by the Gujarat Maritime Board, encompasses preparation of resources inventory, sensitivity mapping, risk assessment and plan for individual ports. “Based on this, the equipment requirements will be assessed and roles and responsibility of the response team will be decided in addition to coordinating the response plan and imparting training,” Mr. Davies said.
The agency has already deployed a 20-member expert team comprising environmentalists and scientists for the task, which has kick-started the preliminary works.
During the fiscal 2014-15, the agency maintained a ten per cent growth in its annual turnover, reaching Rs. 44 crore. On the back of its expanded activities to markets outside India, it aims to touch the Rs.100-crore mark in the next couple of years.
