Denmark's Ramboll Group acquires 60 per cent stake in IMIsoft

Mumbai:  Ramboll Telecom, a unit of Ramboll Denmark A/S, has acquired 60-per cent stake in IMIsoft Engineering Pvt Ltd, a Hyderabad-based power and telecom engineering consulting firm for an undisclosed amount.

This acquisition makes Ramboll Telecom the world's largest group in the design of telecommunication constructions.

Ramboll said that the acquisition would enable it to expand its services portfolio in India to include cellular site project services, project management and operations and maintenance of cellular sites.

India is the fastest-growing telecom market in the world with over 250 million mobile subscribers, and continues to add more than 8 million new subscribers every month. Each year, service providers and infrastructure companies are adding around 40,000 towers and the number is expected to rise even further in 2008.

A demand of such proportions requires massive investment and huge infrastructure projects in order to ensure adequate capacity and coverage, which Ramboll Telecom is expecting to gain a share of.

Post acquisition, IMIsoft founder and chairman  AR Vishwanath will step down, but will continue as a director and help in local strategy. The existing businesses of Ramboll Telecom and IMIsoft will operate as separate legal entities.

Since it's inception in 1988, IMIsoft has been providing value-added software solutions and services for the telecom and power industries in India and abroad. The company specialises in the design of transmission line towers, microwave towers, switch yard structures on some of the biggest projects in the world and develops software programmes for design of steel lattice structures and operates from 20 offices in India.

The Ramboll Group is a leading knowledge-based company operating from 127 offices in Northern Europe and the UK and from 31 permanent offices in the rest of the world.

The company provides engineering, consultancy, product development and operation services in the areas of infrastructure, building, industrial processes, energy, water and environment, telecommunication, management and information technology.

The Ramboll Group operating profit rose to nearly DKK 347.4 million (Rs291.12 crore) in 2007, which is almost 37 per cent more than the DKK 254 million (Rs212 crore) in 2006.