The increasing demand for electri- city and the potential for mineral beneficiation projects spanning various mineral types made India a logi- cal destination for DRA to develop and expand its international footprint.

Anticipating this trend, DRA India was registered with a local partner, Elecon Engineering, which is primarily a materials handling contractor, a leading gearbox and transmission vendor and a widely recognised supplier of crushing, screening and general equipment to the Indian and Asian markets. Elecon is a listed Indian business and has been in operation for more than 50 years.

DRA India started operations during October 2006 with the establish- ment of a drawing office capability aimed at providing a service to the inter- national businesses of DRA, while simul- taneously establishing a base from which to venture into mineral beneficiation projects in India.

From this Indian base, DRA was strate- gically positioned to benefit from the human capital resource availability, from the procurement potential of Indian raw materials and equipment, and from the fabrication capacity surplus required to supplement the shortages experienced in South Africa. These shortages were all constraints to the growth and development of the busi- ness of DRA, which limited the scope of DRA to expand its project base at the time.

Subsequent to the start of business in India, DRA was able to acquaint itself with the Indian mining and minerals pro- cessing market, obtain market intelligence, forge strategic alliances with potential value addition partners, and identify niche markets in which to undertake mineral processing projects in India.

During this period, it became apparent that numerous Indian players were increasingly expressing interest in the available mineral wealth in Southern Africa, thereby positioning DRA well to take advantage of the reciprocal business potential with Indian clients in India, South Africa and elsewhere.

Continuing its philosophy, the market- ing efforts of DRA in India have succeeded in bringing about a local DRA brand awareness. The resulting demand for the DRA brand has enabled DRA India to engage with preferred clients selectively on a broad range of mineral processing plant requirements, building a solid foundation for the development of the project business in India.

The reputation that DRA has earned during its first 25 years, the expertise and experience of its engineering staff, and the business ethics and principles on which it has been founded have enabled DRA India to establish itself as a potential project management and engineering design company in India. Current indications surrounding the demand for the services of DRA in India justify the vision and foresight of the parent company to establish a presence in India, and provide the confidence of a bright and successful future for DRA India.

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