Mumbai: Metallurgical coke maker Tata Metaliks Ltd. (TML) has signed a three-way joint venture agreement with Kubota Corporation and Metal One Corporation - both Japanese companies - to manufacture ductile iron pipes.

Tata Metaliks would hold 51 per cent in the venture, Tata Metaliks Kubota Pipes Ltd, that would cost Rs150 crore. Kubota would have 44 per cent and Metal One 5 per cent, the company said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The manufacturing facility, with an initial annual capacity of 110,000 tonnes, would be located at Kharagpur in West Bengal. A portion of the output would be exported.

Tata Metaliks produces foundry-grade pig iron and the proposed manufacturing facility would use liquid pig iron from TML''s existing mini-blast furnace. The plant is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2008-09.

The first phase would establish capacity of 1,10,000 tonnes per annum of ductile iron pipes, a part of which would be exported.

The Japanese partner Kubota Corporation would bring in technology for manufacturing DI pipes.

Kubota Corporation President Daisuke Hatakake said the partnership would help in export of DI pipes across the globe.