Dubai: India's engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro, with its newly-floated shipbuilding venture, is keen to exploit the current growth of the industry in the Middle East.

A.M. Naik, Chairman and Managing Director of L&T, said in an exclusive interview to Gulf News, "Dubai presents a good future for the shipbuilding industry. There are requirements for high end offshore utilities. L&T is keen to get into the market and demonstrate its world class engineering prowess."

L&T has won a key contract for the construction of four ships worth over Rs4.4 billion (Dh365 millon) from Zadeko Ship Management of the Netherlands.

The order marked the formal launch of L&T's venture into shipbuilding this month. The vessels will be built at a new shipyard that will form part of the company's engineering complex at Hazira in Surat. Construction of the ships will begin next month.

Other leading shipping companies across the globe are also in touch with L&T for their fleet augmentation requirements.

"We have enquiries for dredgers, chemical tankers and multi utility cargo vessels from European clients," said Naik.

On the company's focus in this region, he said, "Many Indian shipyards have been getting orders from Middle East. We shall commence our marketing there in due course."

Described technically as ro-ro/lo-lo semi-submers-ible, heavy lift container cargo ships, these highly specialised vessels are among the only ones of their kind to be made in India.

The vessels have a deadweight capacity of over 8,250 tonnes, 17,000 cubic metres of cargo hold and can carry 830 TEUs of containerised cargo.

L&T's shipyard at Hazira will focus on construction of commercial vessels and warships for the navy as well as the coast guard. The yard will have the capacity to construct high technology vessels of up to 150 metres in length and displacement of 20,000 tonnes.

Expansion programme

Further expansion programmes envisage installation of ship lift system for new construction, repairs and refit of ships including defense and paramilitary vessels.

"L&T's vision is to get into the higher end of shipbuilding/ship repair for civilian as well as military application.

"Construction and repair of such technology-intensive specialised vessels is planned in the recently established yard at Hazira as well as in the proposed large shipyard, location for which is being explored," said Naik.