Calcutta, April 20: Alstom will pick up a minority stake in the upcoming power projects in India as part of its strategy to focus on the market here.

Senior officials said they are drawing up a list of projects where the company can take some exposure. The move, the officials feel, will help it to find a bigger market for its equipment and services.

Alstom has picked up a 10 per cent stake in Torrent Power Generation in Surat for Rs 1,000 crore. The company expects to bag the EPC contract for the project.

Many of the power equipment manufacturers, including Bharat Heavy Electricals, have decided to pick up stakes in power plants so that they can bag EPC contracts.

Alstom plans to make India a manufacturing hub for its global requirements. It is upgrading the facilities at Vadodara on the lines of its Brazil and China plants for its hydro business. Alstom has plans to employ 200 people for the hydro business.

The company has bagged the 2,000-MW Subansiri project from the National Hydro Power Corporation. It also plans to strengthen its engineering centre in Delhi and set up a research and development centre in Bangalore for its requirements world-wide.

The restructuring of Alstom businesses world over has had its impact on local operations too.

Alstom has sold its transmission and distribution operations to the French state-owned Areva. It is now in the process of selling its T&D operations in India ? operated through Alstom India ? to Areva as well.

Alstom?s power business has been reorganised into three different segments: power generation, power service and transport.

The restructuring drive has prompted the company to move its business out of Europe to low-cost countries like China and India.

More than 60 per cent of the power market is in India and the Asia Pacific.

China comes first on Alstom?s list of investments, especially in the hydro segment. India is next in terms of investment.

Senior officials of Alstom added: ?It is certainly an opportune time for Alstom to establish a firm base in India and expand its market share. The government has planned ambitious capacity expansions in the Tenth and Eleventh plans.?