After PM Modi’s Croatia Trip, Indian Companies Challenge China’s BRI in Major Infrastructure Deals: Report
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Croatia has led Indian companies to enter the race for large-scale infrastructure developments, taking on Chinese competitors in railway and highway ventures worth a total of 1.1 billion euros.
During his meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb last month, Modi received praise for India’s rising engagement with Mediterranean maritime trade routes. Just a few weeks later, two prominent Indian infrastructure firms are aiming to outperform Chinese contenders by bidding for some of Croatia’s largest transport-related projects, according to a report by Bloomberg, one of the first outlets to cover the development.
PM Modi’s trip has sparked increased interest from Indian companies targeting high-value infrastructure contracts in Croatia.
In the past week, a major Indian engineering and construction firm—renowned for its expertise in marine works, metro rail, bridges, and tunnels—has submitted three bids for significant government-backed rail and highway projects in the European Union’s newest member, collectively estimated at 1.1 billion euros (approximately $1.3 billion).
Another Indian corporation, headquartered in Nashik and known for its specialization in transport and highway EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) works, is also vying for the same railway redevelopment project.
India is still an emerging player in the Balkans, a region where China has maintained a dominant presence through its Belt and Road Initiative. Among the most notable Chinese-led ventures is the 2.4-kilometre-long Peljesac Bridge, Croatia’s biggest sea-crossing structure, constructed by a consortium led by China Road and Bridge Corporation. Inaugurated in 2022 with significant EU funding, the bridge connects Croatia’s coastal areas, bypassing a narrow Bosnian corridor, and has substantially improved tourism and transport connectivity.
As part of the bidding process, the Mumbai-based Indian firm submitted the lowest offer for a key railway modernization project floated by HZ Infrastruktura, estimated at around 620 million euros. This initiative, partially financed by the European Union, is considered one of the most significant railway undertakings in modern Croatian history.
For two other highway development tenders in southern Croatia, the same Indian firm is competing with a Chinese group, having submitted bids worth 240.5 million euros and 214.4 million euros respectively.
The Nashik-based EPC and engineering player is also in the running for the rail project, reflecting a broader and more assertive move by Indian businesses into Croatia’s infrastructure landscape.
