Bangalore-based TCE to tap African markets
Deccan Herald — 26 September 2008
Shruba Mukherjee

Johannesburg: Bangalore-based TCE Consulting Engineers Limited is planning to enhance its operations in Africa through collaborations in electricity generation and distribution sector.

The company, which is one of India's leading consulting engineering firms, has already started providing its expertise to the South African electricity producing and distributing company ESKOM.

"Our engineers are working here to assist the state-owned company in making power system studies and also developing the distribution system into a more robust one", R Srinivasan, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, TCE Consulting Engineers Limited, told Deccan Herald.

"We have started this operation six months back with five engineers and within a couple of months we will bring another 20 experts to jack up our activities here," he said.

TCE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Limited, would also look for local partners to start ventures for providing engineering consultancy services. According to Srinivasan, dearth of skilled manpower in South Africa and expertise in setting up coal-based power plants would be the USP of TCE to get a strong foothold.

English proficiency
"Our proficiency in English language and the very fact that Indian legal and financial framework is similiar to the European systems have always helped us in our ventures in Africa," he added.

TCE is also providing expertise for setting up a hydro power generation plant in Zambia, a joint venture between Tata Africa and Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation.

The company would also explore options beyond the electricity sector and would look into collaboration in the mining sector.

"We can invite South African companies to come to India to provide engineering consultancy services in the mining sector," he said adding that TCE also expects to establish offices in Qatar, Oman and the US shortly.