Larsen & Toubro's Heavy Civil Infrastructure and Heavy Engineering business verticals have jointly secured a significant order from the Department of Atomic Energy to establish the LIGO India Observatory at Aundha in Maharashtra's Hingoli district. The contract covers delivery of vibration sensitive, specialised high precision civil infrastructure and associated engineering, procurement and construction services. The award reflects selection for a flagship national science project with technical and logistical complexity.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is used to detect gravitational waves from cataclysmic cosmic events through detectors that employ laser interferometry. The Indian initiative will be developed in collaboration with premier domestic research institutions, including the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT) and the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), and with the LIGO Laboratory of the United States, with support from the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The project forms part of broader international science cooperation.

L&T's scope comprises comprehensive engineering, procurement and construction of vibration sensitive, specialised high precision civil works, together with the manufacture and installation of an eight kilometre (km) ultra-high vacuum compatible beam tube and critical vacuum infrastructure equipment. The company will integrate mechanical, electrical, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire protection, vacuum control and monitoring systems and all support utilities. The contract specifies a project completion deadline of 48 months and includes testing and commissioning responsibilities.

The order is presented as a prestigious assignment that reinforces Larsen & Toubro's established expertise in delivering technically complex science and technology projects. The company indicated that delivery will draw on specialised skills and prior experience in high precision and high stability civil projects across challenging environments. The press release was issued by the corporate brand management and communications team from the company's Mumbai office.