Alstom, a French power company, and India’s Bharat Forge are to break ground on a new power-equipment manufacturing plant at Mundra in the Indian state of Gujarat. The companies are expected to invest $500 million to set up the facility. Construction of the plant is to begin in January 2010, and it is expected to be operational by 2013. The plant will manufacture subcritical and supercritical power-generation equipment.

The arrangement between Alstom and Bharat Forge involves setting up two joint ventures – one for the manufacturing of steam turbine generators and the other to manufacture auxiliary components.