DOHA: India's $3.3bn engineering and construction giant, Larsen & Toubro Limited, popularly known as L&T, is taking measures to set up an engineering centre in the Gulf. L&T is also assessing the feasibility of having project-execution facility in place in the region for low-voltage switchboards and custom-engineered switchgear and motor control centres. The company is committed to making the necessary investments to become a full service provider of electrical, control & autmation products in the region, an L&T statement issued here said yesterday.

L&T is a technology-driven engineering and construction entiry headquartered in Mumbai, and one of the largest companies in India's private sector with additional interests in manufacturing, services and information technology. The company has an active presence in Qatar in terms of involvement in high-end engineering projects like oil and gas platforms and supply of critical equipment to Qatar Petroleum (QP) and process plant equipment to Qatar Fertiliser Company (Qafco).

R N Mukhija

Its Doha-based subsidiary is known as Larsen and Toubro Qatar LLC. L&T is already a significant player in the country, both directly and through its subsidiary. The hydrocarbon, power and infrastructure sectors represent its prime areas of interest, the company statement added. L&T's construction division has built two stadiums in Qatar and is presently associated with projects such as building of a section of the Asian Games Village, the 36-storey Al Jazeera Tower in the West Bay and the construction of power plant in Ras Laffan
Across the region, the company is currently involved in the construction of a process platform for Bunduq Company in Abu Dhabi, a gas compression facility for Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Limited, an environment protection facility for Takreer Al Ruwais and gas-insulated sub-station, package units and transmission lines in Abu Dhabi.

The company has recently bagged a covered contract for $29.3m to supply a reactor to Kuwit Olefins Company. As for Qatar, the company said it had placed Qatar as a priority country for doing business and playing a long-term role in its enviable development of business and infrastructure. Yesterday, L&T's President (Operations), R N Mukhija, who is also a memeber of the board, was here to address a symposium. -THE PENINSULA , Monday 28th November 2005