NHPC may foray into road construction

01 Apr 2019 Editorial Team

The state-run NHPC, formerly National Hydroelectric Power Corp, is reportedly exploring bidding for road construction projects. Considering that hydropower projects are located in far-flung areas, the firm has already been constructing roads in remote locations for its own use; it is already doing some Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) roads in Bihar. Reportedly, it wants to leverage its learnings from this work to tap the booming highways sector as part of its diversification strategy in India and overseas.

NHPC has constructed around 3,209 km of roads in Bihar. It now plans to participate in tariff-based or toll-based bids. Apparently, the PSU is also attracted by the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) Bharatmala project.

According to Jagannarayan Padmanabhan, Director, CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory, “With an increased focus on awards of contracts, there is room for fresh players to compete in the Government’s highway programme. With HAM and EPC being NHAI’s preferred mode of award, and having taken away much of the project risk from the plate of the private player, this presents an exciting opportunity to developers or contractors who have dabbled in road construction before. Having said that, it is important to foray with a long-term strategy and not treat it as an opportunistic short-term play.”

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

GAIL to Set Up Bengaluru CBG Plant Under New Concession Pact

GAIL (India) Limited has signed a 20-year concession agreement with the Bengaluru City Municipal Corporation (BBMP) to set up a compressed biogas (CBG) plant in the city. The project, expected to produce around 10 tonnes of CBG daily, will utilise municipal solid waste as feedstock, contributing to clean energy generation and efficient waste management. The CBG produced will be used in GAIL’s City Gas Distribution network to promote cleaner fuel usage. The initiative aligns with the government’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme and GAIL’s broader ..

Uttarakhand HC Lifts 31-Year Ban on ONGC’s Contractual Hiring

The Uttarakhand High Court has lifted a 31-year-old ban on the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from hiring contractual workers, a restriction imposed in 1993. The decision enables ONGC’s Dehradun establishment to employ personnel on a contractual basis to meet operational requirements. The long-standing prohibition had limited ONGC’s ability to fill vacancies in its technical and administrative departments, often leading to project delays and higher dependence on outsourcing. With the court’s directive, the public sector enterprise can now proceed with temporary recruitments whil..

JSW Energy’s Utkal Unit Bags 400 MW, 25-Year Power Supply Deal

JSW Energy Limited announced that its subsidiary, JSW Energy (Utkal) Limited, has secured a Letter of Award (LoA) from Karnataka’s Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) for the supply of 400 MW of electricity for 25 years. The agreement is part of a competitive bidding process for long-term procurement of power to meet the state’s growing energy demand. The 400 MW capacity will be supplied from JSW Energy’s upcoming thermal power project in Odisha. This development strengthens JSW Energy’s presence in the southern market and aligns with its strategy to enhance long-term contracte..