Meinhardt plans to invest over Rs 100 cr in India

"We have over 400 engineers and architects in our offices in Delhi and Chennai. We plan to double the headcount and start operating from three other cities. A couple of acquisitions are also on the cards. All these will require over Rs 100 crore," Meinhardt Group International Global CEO Dr Shahzad Nasim

The Group, which has operations in 35 countries and had handled projects worth USD 15 billion last year, started its Indian operations in 2004 and from the scratch, it has now over 400 engineers and architects on board. The Indian subsidiary contributed over Rs 50 crore to the Group's total revenue of Rs 1,000 crore last year. In 2004, it has acquired Eigen Technical Services, a consultancy firm. Nasim said Meinhardt now plans to have its presence in Kolkata, Mumbai and in a Southern city within a year. It has initiated talks to acquire a couple of consultancy firms, which are engaged in water supply and sewerage space.

"We are currently talking to a company in South and also one in Delhi in the water supply and sewerage space. The deals are likely to be signed within a year. The cost of acquisitions might be more than Rs 50 crore," he said declining to divulge the names of the firms it is in touch with for acquisition. Stating that Meinhardt would fund from internal accruals the entire Rs 100 crore investment, he said the company could be listed on the domestic bourses within three years, by when Meinhardt is expected to double its revenue from India. Globally also, Meinhardt Group was targetting to double the revenue in the next three years, Nasim said.

The current portfolio of projects is a balance between Government and private clients and is split across infrastructure and Meinhardt's built environment. The ongoing and completed projects have enabled the company to develop extensive experience and capability in aviation, roads and highways, water and wastewater, environmental and buildings. In addition to designing a number of residential, commercial and mixed-use buildings, the company has also completed several hotels and data centres together with a sports stadium that played host to the 2011 Indian National Games. The company is now considered as one of the leading international engineering consultancies in India with a reputation for being a One Stop Integrated Engineering Solution Provider.