• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Richa Mishra

Recently in Frankfurt,

Mr Christoph Nanke, Senior Executive Manager, Fraport Global Investments and Management, as well as alternate director on Board of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), said, “We are currently looking at various projects within India. The approach would be having multiple partners. Fraport would prefer having a minimum of 26 per cent stake in the project.”

The German company, which is the owner and manager of Frankfurt airport, is looking for investment opportunities where prospects are high, and the projects are economically viable. Fraport has already forayed into airport modernisation projects in India with a GMR Group-led consortium for Delhi airport through DIAL.

As regards tie-up with DLF, Mr Nanke said, it would not be limited to DLF’s SEZ projects alone. Fraport and DLF already have an agreement for exploring business opportunities in the sector. He, however, declined to give the names of the projects the two are examining. The company was looking at three-four projects, including the Goa project.

Brushing aside talk that the tie-up with DLF would adversely impact its relations with GMR, Mr Nanke said, “The tie-up with GMR is project specific and does not lead to any breach of clauses. The company was targeting to finish the Delhi airport project on schedule.” In fact, GMR and Fraport have competed against each other for the Turkey project.

For smaller, non-metro airports, the company would prefer to get two-three projects together, as it would make more economic sense, he said. Besides, the company would also prefer management control in these projects.

Apart from opportunities in India, Fraport was also keen on expanding its business in China, West Asia and parts of Europe. For global projects, Fraport does not rule out the possibility of roping in lenders as partners. On whether India was ready to have low cost airports, he said, the market in India is yet to mature for low cost airports to become viable.

Stating that Asia will continue to be the fastest growing region according to all forecasts - IATA, Airbus and Boeing - he said, India and China will top with the double digit growth in the coming years.

As regards, how the business opportunities in India are different from that in China, he said, “both India and China are currently at a similar stage of development as far as the sector was concerned. However, in India there are various levels of deliberations and discussions, while in China the decisions are taken at one level.”

More Stories on : Alliances & Joint Ventures | Modernisation | Airlines

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Dish TV to raise Rs 1,100 cr

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line