“Turkish contractors can collaborate with Indian companies in Africa and Asia in JVs, technology transfer, financing, capacity building and market expansion.” - Cüneyt Yavuzcan, Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Mumbai Here’s a fact you may not know! In the list of The World's Top 250 International Contractors, published by Engineering News Record (ENR) magazine, Türkiye ranked second after China in August 2022. As Cüneyt Yavuzcan, Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Mumbai, tells us, this is a testament to the country’s impressive track record in contracting and construction. A career member of the Turkish Diplomatic Service, Yavuzcan served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Turkish Embassy in New Delhi from November 2019 to December 2022, before arriving in Mumbai. This international relations graduate of the Middle East Technical University in Ankara has previously served in various capacities in Turkish diplomatic, permanent or consular missions in Nairobi, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Prague, Kabul, Plovdiv, Montreal and Bratislava. He shares more about Türkiye’s stellar reputation for international contracting, the reasons for its success, and the potential for Turkish companies to work in and with India. Please tell us more about Türkiye’s international constructing services. The construction industry plays a crucial role in Türkiye’s economic development, accounting for nearly 5 per cent of the country’s GDP and employing almost 1.5 million people. With the direct and indirect impacts on other sectors, the share of the construction sector in the Turkish economy reaches to 30 per cent. What’s more, the global competitiveness of the Turkish contractors and construction materials producers is constantly growing. From 1972 to 2022, Turkish contractors have undertaken 11.605 projects in 133 countries, with a total value of $ 472 billion. Meanwhile, Türkiye is among the world's leading producers of construction materials. The country’s unique geographical location contributes a great deal to the global competitiveness of its contracting services. Türkiye’s strength in the field is not only due to its location but also the cost-effective services provided at international standards, high client satisfaction, credibility in partnerships, vast international experience in a wide variety of projects, familiarity with business environments especially in neighbouring regions, qualified manpower and a calculated risk-based approach to business. Turkish contracting companies successfully operate across five continents, offering affordable services at high quality. They are open to enhancing international partnerships not only in the field of contracting but also in construction industry investments, ranging from production of construction materials to infrastructure, housing, industrial plants and tourism projects in the African, Eurasian and Middle Eastern countries. Turkish contractors continue to increase their competitiveness with extensive know-how and experience gained in all kinds of challenging projects and in all forms of business environments. Rich experience in diverse markets, cost-effective service at international standards, ability to take initiative, willing to take risks and extensive partnership experience are the key factors behind the success of Turkish contractors. In addition, adaptation to social life in the countries where they operate with good communication skills, providing added value to the country and employment of local labour, have also created an advantage for Turkish companies. In the regional distribution of international business volume, Eurasian countries are well ahead of the others with a share of 45.9 per cent. Eurasia is followed by the Middle East (24.7 per cent), Africa (17.7 per cent), Europe (7.9 per cent), South Asia and Far East (2.9 per cent), and North and South America (0.9 per cent). What sectors are Turkish contractors active in? During the last 50-year period, the market, product and business diversification have gained momentum in the sector and some contractors have specialised in certain project types like international airports, railways, metro and light rail systems. The distribution of the international activities of Turkish contractors by nature of work since 1972 is housing with a share of 13.9 per cent, followed by roads/bridges/tunnels, commercial centres, industrial plants and others. Over the years, the share of roads/bridges/tunnels, power plants, industrial plants, airports and railway projects has increased significantly. In fact, in the list of The World's Top 250 International Contractors published by Engineering News Record (ENR) magazine, one of the leading publications in the sector, Türkiye ranked second after China with 42 companies in August 2022. What projects can Turkish contractors realise in India? So far, Turkish construction and engineering companies have been involved in several big construction projects in India. Many Turkish firms have structured their Indian business holdings as JVs with Indian firms and Turkish stakeholders are involved in EPC contracts as engineers, technical consultants and constructors. Some leading Turkish contracting companies have undertaken various railway and metro projects in India, especially within the scope of the development of the rail system infrastructure. According to the disclosed figures, as of 2021, 32 contracting projects worth $ 1.67 billion and 32 technical consultancy projects worth $ 112.2 million were undertaken in India by Turkish companies. Please share some noteworthy projects. For instance, Doğuş Group, a diversified conglomerate with operations in various sectors, including construction, automotive and energy, worked in the construction of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). DMIC is a mega-infrastructure project aimed at developing a high-tech industrial zone spanning six states in India. Doğuş Group was involved in the construction of infrastructure and industrial facilities within this corridor. Within the scope of the Mumbai Metro Line 3 as the first underground metro line for Mumbai, Doğuş Construction of the Group with its Indian partner is carrying out the construction of a metro line with a total length of 5.05 km, including five stations and a double tunnel with a length of 3.55 km. When Metro Line 3 is completed, it will connect some of the city's most populated areas. Another Turkish company Gülermak, with expertise in infrastructure and transportation projects, has been actively involved in the construction of metro rail projects in India. One notable project it has undertaken is the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's Phase 3. In collaboration with an Indian partner, Gülermak has been responsible for the construction of several underground metro stations, tunnels and associated infrastructure in Delhi. Additionally, it has participated in the Lucknow Metro Rail project, another major metro rail initiative in India. It has contributed to the construction of metro stations, underground tunnels and related infrastructure in Lucknow. Turkish firm Yüksel Proje, a leading engineering consultant globally, has been providing consultancy services in India since 2017. Over the years, it has been involved in assignments related to rail tunnels, road tunnels and metro projects. Most of these tunnel-based projects are notable projects and of strategic national importance. Currently, the company is working on the preliminary designs for the tendering stage of an underground section of the Kolkata Metro. It is also associated in the supervision (project management) services for two tunnels on the Mumbai side of the eight-lane Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway. Yuksel Proje has also been involved with some multilateral agency-funded projects in India – one of them being an ADB-funded road project. The Turkish construction industry has also been involved in the Atal Tunnel project in India, which was completed in 2021. Tech firm Savronik was responsible for the electromechanical work in the construction of the 9-km-long Manali-Leh tunnel. The electromechanical systems, software and completion of the technological infrastructure of the tunnel were carried out by the company. Indeed, Turkish companies have showcased their expertise in construction and infrastructure development through their involvement in projects in India. Their contributions have helped enhance transportation infrastructure and promote economic growth in the country. The construction sector in Türkiye is expected to grow, with the main contributors being ongoing road and railway infrastructure projects, residential housing, office and warehouse construction. Turkish construction companies have successfully undertaken many construction and infrastructure projects in other countries and there are huge opportunities for them in India's new infrastructure and logistics projects. What can renowned Turkish construction companies do together with Indian companies in third countries? India continues to be an attractive market for the Turkish construction industry, given the rapidly growing economy and large infrastructure investments. On the other hand, Türkiye and India can also cooperate in projects in third countries. Africa and Asia come to mind as geographies where Türkiye and India can cooperate in this context. Since 1980, construction companies from Türkiye have emerged as a major force in the Middle Eastern and North African markets. Turkish construction companies have long had a big footprint in North Africa and have recently begun making inroads in the continent's south. Turkish contractors have also expressed readiness to play a role in the rebuilding of Ukraine, a country that is already an important market. Renowned Turkish contractors can collaborate with Indian companies in Africa and Asia in various ways, such as: JVs: Turkish and Indian companies can form JVs to undertake construction projects. This will allow them to combine their expertise, resources and networks to bid for and execute large-scale projects. Technology transfer: Turkish companies can share their knowledge and expertise with Indian companies in areas such as project management, engineering and construction techniques. This will enable Indian companies to improve their capabilities and competitiveness in the global market. Financing: Turkish and Indian companies can collaborate to secure financing for construction projects. This will enable them to undertake large-scale projects that require significant investment. Capacity building: Turkish and Indian companies can collaborate to build the capacity of local contractors and workers. This will enable them to transfer skills and knowledge to local communities and contribute to the development of local economies. Market expansion: Collaboration between Turkish and Indian companies will enable them to expand their market reach and increase their competitiveness in the global market.