India has been looking at rebuilding infrastructure in Syria, including a power plant in the country, Mint reported on 12 August 2016.
“We will extend our support and help in such countries,” said an REC executive who didn’t want to be named.
With some areas in Jordan yet to be electrified, the country has sought REC’s help. Also, some sub-Saharan African countries are interested in REC doing the entire rural electrification package ranging from financing to technology transfer, detailed project report (DPR) preparation to execution.
In the nine months to December, REC’s loan book was Rs2.24 trillion, with a net worth of Rs36,567 crore.
India has been stepping up its engagement with Jordan, seen as part of India’s extended neighbourhood to its west. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the Gulf Arab states of Jordan, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates and Oman in February this year.
“We are working in some countries in areas of transmission through Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd (PGCIL). We are willing to provide consultancy to those who seek assistance through the consulting arms of PGCIL and REC,” said power secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
State-run PGCIL is already present in 20 countries with its consultancy business.
Some of its clients are in countries such as Kenya, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. A case in point being PGCIL implementing the 220KV transmission link in Afghanistan from Kabul to Pul-e-Khumri that brings power from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan.
Queries emailed to India’s ministry of external affairs and Syrian embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday remained unanswered. Jordan’s embassy in New Delhi couldn’t be reached.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had set a target to achieve universal household electrification by 31 March 2019. With electricity reaching all 597,464 census villages last month, the government’s focus is now on providing electricity connections under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya). The government plans to provide electricity connections to all Indian homes by December 2018, with REC being the nodal agency for implementing Saubhagya.