Kirby wins new order for Nano project

Hyderabad: Pre-engineered building systems maker Kirby announced it has bagged a Rs 70-crore order for the construction of manufacturing facilities from the Tata Nano small car greenfield project coming up at Sanand in Gujarat.

The project is under rapid execution mode, encompassing facilities for assembly, engine, weld and press shops with a total built-up area of about 10 lakh sq ft.

The Chairman of Kirby Building Systems India, Mr Praveen K. Tandon, said more than the value of the order, it is extremely prestigious as the project is being closely observed by people all over the world.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Tandon said the company has already created facilities for Nokia, Foxconn, Suzlon among others and automotive companies Skoda, BMW and Renault-Nissan’s car projects.

The company is engaged with Delhi Metro on a continuous basis and is eyeing other metro projects in the country with its pre-fab systems.

The Tata Nano project was won under competitive bidding process, he said without elaborating on the others in fray. “The total project will be completed from concept to completion in less than four months as against eight months’ time required for conventional construction mode. The time is ticking and we expect to complete within 119 days,” Mr S.V. Rao, Chief Executive Officer of Kirby Building Systems India, said.

Part of the Kuwait-based Alghanim Group, Kirby has five manufacturing plants two of them in India, two in West Asia and one recently established in Vietnam.

The company officials said they now command about 50 per cent market share in the country and expect to close this year with revenues of Rs 1,200 crore.

Kirby India is in the process of evaluating setting up a facility for pre-structured steel buildings and also storage solutions in warehouses.

Referring to the general economic slowdown, Mr Rao said orders on new projects are taking longer time. Decision making is delayed. The company is eyeing the growing opportunity in warehouses and organised retail space and has bagged a couple of important clients.