Delhi-Mumbai Expressway's Gujarat Stretch Faces Fourth Tender Setback
Bansal Construction Works emerged as the lowest bidder after quoting more than 10 per cent below the estimated project cost of Rs. 14.76 bn. The company reportedly declined the award, leading NHAI to encash its bid security of Rs. 147.6 mn. A fresh tender was issued on September 14, with bid submissions due by October 13.
Package 8 covers the Jujuwa-Gandeva section. Roadway Solutions India Infra (RSIIL) was initially awarded the work in 2021 under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM), but NHAI terminated the contract in March 2023 after delays. The work was awarded to RSIIL again in November 2023 under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode, before the contract was terminated once more in January.
Physical completion of the package stood at 4.85 per cent. Nine companies were assessed during the technical stage, while four were rejected or declared non-responsive, including RSIIL. Bansal Construction, Ashoka Buildcon, Ceigall India, G R Infraprojects and Kalthia Engineering and Construction participated in the financial bidding, with Ceigall India quoting Rs. 15.81 bn.
Two other Gujarat packages are also facing execution problems. NHAI terminated package 9, a 26.6-km Karvad-Jujuwa section, after progress reached around 22 per cent, and invited bids for the remaining work at an estimated Rs. 8.74 bn. Package 10, covering 24.6 km between Talasari and Karwad, is 36.23 per cent complete and faces a potential termination over poor performance.
The 1,386-km expressway, estimated to cost Rs. 1.04 tn, is being built through 53 packages. Expenditure had reached Rs. 717.18 bn by December 2025. The revised completion deadline is June 30, 2028, although repeated contract changes in Gujarat are likely to put additional pressure on the schedule.