DMRC eyes overseas metro projects, sets up Delhi Metro International Ltd

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has set up a new subsidiary, the Delhi Metro International Limited (DMIL), as it looks to bid for metro-rail projects in foreign cities and expand its consultancy and related urban-transport services abroad.

The new company has been created as part of the DMRC’s efforts to expand its expertise in metro-rail planning, construction and operations beyond India, and explore business opportunities in international markets, an official said.

He said the subsidiary will enable the DMRC to directly participate in bidding for metro-rail projects in foreign cities and undertake consultancy work related to urban-transport systems.

“The corporation has already been exploring opportunities abroad and is currently associated with a metro-related project in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where it is providing technical support and consultancy,” the official said.

According to the Delhi Metro, it has qualified in the pre-bid process for the construction of the Tel Aviv Metro Project in Israel. In addition, the DMRC is also in the process of bidding for other international metro projects, such as those in Alexandria in Egypt, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Mauritius.

According to the official, to streamline the overseas projects, the DMIL will mainly focus on consultancy services, Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS)-related activities and last-mile-connectivity business operations linked to metro and urban-transport projects.

He said the move will help the Delhi Metro utilise its experience in building and operating one of the country’s largest metro networks and offer its expertise to cities abroad.

To operationalise the subsidiary, the DMRC plans to extend its existing enterprise resource planning system based on “Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing” (SAP), which is currently used to manage various administrative and operational functions, he said.

The official said this will involve creating a separate company code for the DMIL within the existing SAP framework, allowing the new company to function independently, while remaining connected to the DMRC’s central system.

The system will support operations related to finance, human resources, procurement and project management, while ensuring smooth coordination between the parent organisation and the subsidiary, according to the official.

The proposed framework will also ensure statutory compliance for the DMIL under laws, such as the Companies Act, and requirements related to the GST, TDS, payroll management and auditing processes, he said, adding that as part of the project, the contractor handling the work will create the new company code and configure statutory details, such as the registered address, PAN, TAN, GSTIN and financial year settings.

The enterprise structure will also include organisational units, such as plant, business areas, segments and profit centres, to support financial reporting and operational management for the new entity, the official mentioned.

He said the system will allow secure, role-based access to different departments and maintain a complete audit trail along with reporting systems for the functioning of the subsidiary.

The arrangement is expected to help streamline the functioning of the DMRC’s international business arm, while enabling it to pursue metro-rail and urban-transport projects abroad more effectively, he added.