Mumbai-based Mercator Lines, country's second largest private shipping firm by fleet size, has sketched Rs 4,000-crore expansion plan in the domestic and international markets.

The company plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore each in Mercator Lines India and its Singapore-listed subsidiary, Mercator Singapore.

In the domestic market, Mercator Lines is operating in offshore, tankers and dredging business while the Singapore company is engaged in bulk cargo. The company also plans to add eight dry cargo vessels to its existing fleet of bulk carriers.

The objective of the company is to expand businesses such as tankers, offshore, dredging and bulk cargo where it has a strong presence. The company will go for a fleet addition programme in all these segments, especially to buy dredgers and dry bulk cargo carriers.

Six months ago, Mercator ventured into dredging by buying three second-hand dredgers and has placed an order for one more dredger from China. The company has invested around Rs 400 crore in the vessels, which are deployed with Dredging Corporation of India.

Mercator Lines has registered a 225% increase in net profit at Rs 20.96 crore for the quarter ended December 2007. Its sales increased by 7% to Rs 196.11 crore.