GMR gets nod to operate Nagpur airport

GMR Group, an Indian infrastructure development company to take over operations and upgrade projects at Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has dismissed the annulment of the bidding process for Nagpur airport issued by Mihan India Limited in March 2020. The decision paves the way for the GMR group. The tender process in 2019, conducted by Mihan, a joint venture (JV) between Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited (MADC) and Airports Authority of India (AAI)— the GMR Group had emerged as the highest bidder. In March 2019, Mihan issued a letter of award (LoA) to GMR. However, the Maharashtra government decided to cancel the tender process and issued a letter annulling the process in March 2020. The bench finds that the impugned communication is not sustainable in the eye of the law, and it deserves to be canceled and set aside, the HC bench said. The bench urged Mihan to take all steps, including the concession agreement signing, within six weeks. GMR said that it expects to develop the airport in phases to attain a capacity of 30 million passengers per annum. The first phase will witness GMR initiate a complete transformation of the airport over four years, including the greenfield terminal construction with the initial capacity of managing 4 million passengers per annum, the company said. Image Source Also read: GMR Group plans modernisation and development of Nagpur airport