MTC Invites Bids To Procure 600 E-Buses, Project Tally To Reach 1,100

14 Feb 2025 CW Team

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), invited bids to procure 600 electric low-floor buses through a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) under the World Bank-funded Chennai City Partnership project. This will bring the total number of e-buses to hit Chennai roads to 1,420. In the second phase of the partnership project, the MTC has planned to procure 400 AC and 200 non-AC electric buses on a GCC basis, paying the contractor on a 'per km' basis. Per the tender provision, the bus procurement number could increase by up to 25 per cent. In the first phase, MTC placed orders to procure 500 electric low-floor buses including 100 AC buses and deliveries of the buses are expected from April 2025. A senior MTC official said the corporation would receive 1,420 electric low-floor buses - of which 820 would be AC buses and 600 non-AC buses.Under the GCC model, electric buses proposed to be procured will be operated and maintained by a private company. In other words, the electric buses will be operated under a public-private-partnership model wherein the company will provide the drivers while the conductors will be from the MTC. The technically qualified company would be selected based on the cost per km charge they quoted. The company will operate the electric buses from one point to another at an MTC fixed fare. The transport corporation has awarded a contract to OHM Global Mobility Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland and Switch Mobility, for the procurement of 500 low-floor electric buses, including 100 AC buses, in the first phase. Under the GCC model, the private sector would be responsible for fleet provision and operations. The MTC would pay Rs 77.16 per km for non-AC e-buses and Rs 80.86 per km for AC e-buses. The Institute of Road Transport has floated a separate tender to procure 500 low-floor electric buses, including 320 buses for MTC, 100 for TNSTC Madurai and 80 for TNSTC Coimbatore, under the KfW-funded Climate Friendly Urban Mobility project.

Infrastructure Transport

13 Oct 2025

Tata, Airbus to Build India’s First Private Helicopter Line

In a landmark development for India’s aerospace sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus will establish the country’s first private-sector helicopter assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 and H125M, marking a significant milestone in India’s push for self-reliance in aviation and defence manufacturing. The new Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce the H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, known for its versatility and performance in extreme environments. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to ro..

NeGD to Support Bharat Taxi in Building Cooperative Ride Platform

In a significant move for India’s digital and mobility transformation, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Digital India Corporation, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has entered into an advisory partnership with Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, the company behind Bharat Taxi — a first-of-its-kind, cooperative-led national ride-hailing platform. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NeGD and Sahakar Taxi to provide strategic advisory and technical support covering key areas such as platform integration, cybersecurity..

MeitY Hosts Pre-Summit for India–AI Impact Summit 2026

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, hosted a series of Pre-Summit events for the upcoming India–AI Impact Summit 2026 at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 in New Delhi. These sessions mark a key milestone ahead of the main summit, scheduled for 19–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Delivering the inaugural address, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, highlighted India’s innovative and frugal approach to AI development. “We have adopted innovative means by learning from others’ experiences to build projects and products that..