Consortium from Kolhapur eyes nuke power business

PUNE: Engineering companies from the Kolhapur area have formed a consortium to target the country’s ambitious nuclear power programme. With the state owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, or NPCIL, having specified that all such power plants have a local content, in terms of equipment and machinery, of at least 60%, this is a great opportunity for domestic companies. Consortium members believe they can supply as much as 80% of a nuclear power plant’s requirements.

Since this is a nuclear power project and the deals have not yet been finalised, no one wanted to be identified. The consortium is tying up with a Russian company which is sending a delegation to Kolhapur on June 24 to finalise the deals. This will be the latest in a series of meetings that the Russian provider has had with the consortium.

"The Russians have come and visited consortium members’ and their plants a couple of times. This is their final surveillance visit and members are expected to sign individual agreements with the Russians," said an industry source from Kolhapur.

Indications are that the Kolhapur based Mohite group, with a major presence in the textiles sector which has recently forayed into the hydro electric power generation business, will supply turbines, Ghatge Patil Industries, a leading foundry and products maker will supply valves, Kirloskar Brothers the pumps while another local unit will supply the welding technology. There are more members of the consortium but they did not want to be named nor did they divulge a name for the consortium.