By Sujoy Dhar, IANSÂ
Kolkata : Simplex Projects Ltd, a Kolkata-based construction company which built the country's first automated parking system in the city, is to build hi-tech parking systems in Indian metros, including national capital New Delhi, as well as in Bangkok.
Simplex, an ISO 9001-2000 certified construction company engaged in integrated engineering, procurement and construction services, including specialised pile driving, built the automated parking system, Parkomat, in New Market in the heart of the city a few years ago. The project has now drawn the attention of the Thai authorities.
"The Thai Consul General here was very happy with our project in New Market and asked us if we would be interested in building similar parking systems in their country. We have given a presentation already and it would be quite an achievement that an Indian company would build parking systems in a modern city like Bangkok," B.K. Mundhra, managing director, Simplex, told IANS.
He said new parking systems would be a huge business in India in the next five years and the Rs.1.35 billion company hopes to cash in on the trend. Simplex is coming out with a public issue soon to fund its projects on parking lots and technology upgradation.
"In the next five years, the parking system business would be Rs.50 billion in India. At least 15 modern parking lots for 7,000 cars are coming up in New Delhi alone after the Supreme Court asked the Delhi government to form a committee to solve the parking problem of the city," said Mundhra.
"We have already been appointed as consultants by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Delhi Tourism Development Corporation (DTDC). The Delhi authorities are in the process of inviting tenders for the projects," said Mundhra.
"The DLF group has also given us an order for building 180 semi-automated parking slots in Gurgaon. It would be a combination of underground and over-ground slots," said Mundhra.
"At least 15 city authorities in India contacted us for parking system projects. In Kolkata alone it would be a Rs.1 billion business," said Mundhra.
"We are holding talks with Italian and Swiss companies about supplying parking equipment besides taking up construction jobs in the Middle East," he said.
Simplex is also venturing into river-bank protection, said Mundhra.
"We have our ongoing pilot project to protect the banks of Ganges in Burdwan district of West Bengal. If this pilot project is successful we would have enormous opportunities, especially in areas like Malda (north Bengal) and Sundarbans," he said.