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PM Modi’s Croatia visit led Indian firms to bid for major infrastructure projects, competing with Chinese rivals, including railway and highway projects worth 1.1 billion euros.
In this AI-generated image, Indian engineers are seen being welcomed by Croatian locals as they begin work on major infrastructure projects in the region. In contrast, Chinese engineers stand off to the side, appearing sidelined. (IMAGE: IMAGEN 3 ENGINE)
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb last month, Plenkovic praised India’s growing interest in maritime trade routes to the Mediterranean. Barely weeks later, two top Indian infrastructure firms are looking to outpace Chinese rivals by bidding for some of Croatia’s biggest rail and road projects, according to a report by Bloombergwho were among the first to report the developments.
PM Modi’s visit has prompted growing interest from Indian firms eyeing big-ticket infrastructure projects in Croatia.
In the past week, a leading Indian engineering and construction heavyweight which is known for its work in marine infrastructure, metros, bridges and tunnels has placed three bids for key state-backed railway and highway projects in the EU’s newest member, with a combined value of 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion).
Another Indian conglomerate, based in Nashik and known for its expertise in highway and transport EPC projects, is also competing for the same railway reconstruction contract.
New Delhi is a relatively new player in the Balkans, a region where Beijing has long had a strong presence through its Belt and Road infrastructure push. One of the most prominent Chinese-led projects is the 2.4-kilometre Peljesac Bridge, Croatia’s largest sea bridge, built by a consortium headed by China Road and Bridge Corporation. Opened in 2022 and largely funded by the European Union, the bridge linked Croatia’s coastal regions, bypassing a narrow stretch of Bosnian territory, and gave a significant boost to transport and tourism.
As part of the tender process, the Mumbai-based infrastructure player submitted the lowest bid for a major railway reconstruction project floated by HZ Infrastruktura, valued at around 620 million euros. The project, partly funded by the European Union, is among the largest rail ventures in Croatia’s recent history.
In two other highway construction tenders in southern Croatia, the same firm is competing with a Chinese consortium, placing bids of 240.5 million euros and 214.4 million euros respectively.
A Nashik-based engineering and EPC major is also in the race for the railway project, signalling a stronger push by Indian firms into Croatia’s infrastructure sector.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
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