Six construction firms, including one consortium, have submitted bids for the civil construction of Indore Metro Yellow Line’s underground section. The Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MPMRCL) opened technical bids for the 8.626 km-long Package IN-05R, which features twin tunnels and seven underground stations. Key Details of Package IN-05R Route: Connects a ramp near Indore Railway Station to a ramp near Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport. Stations: Indore Railway Station, Rajwada, Chota Ganpati, Bada Ganpati, Ramchandra Nagar, BSF/Kalani Nagar, and Airport. Contract Scope: Includes tunnel design, cut-and-cover sections, cross passages, ramps, and station finishing works. Tunneling Requirement: At least four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for constructing 16 tunnels. Cost Estimate: ?25.5 billion ($305 million). Timeline: 4 years. This is the first underground package for the 33.53 km Indore Metro Phase 1 and will connect ongoing surface-level works on either side. Bidders for IN-05R Afcons Infrastructure – Sam India Consortium Gulermak Agir Sanayi Insaat Ve Taahhut A.S. Hindustan Construction Co. – Tata Projects Ltd. (HCC – TPL JV) ITD Cementation India Ltd. J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd. (JKIL) Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T) The technical bids will undergo evaluation, which is expected to take a few months. Financial bids for qualified firms will likely open by the end of Q1 2025, with the contract expected to be awarded in Q2 2025. Basic construction could begin in Q3 2025, with tunneling anticipated to start in Q3 2026. Financing and Future Outlook This project is backed by a $200 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), pending board approval. Once awarded, this package will be the sixth and final civil contract for Indore Metro’s Yellow Line, marking a significant milestone in the city's metro development.