HCC-Tata Projects JV wins ₹2,191 crore civil contract of Indore Metro Rail Project

The 8.626 km-long underground stretch of the Yellow Line will connect a ramp east of Indore Railway Station to a ramp west of Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport. The project includes the construction of twin tunnels and seven underground stations at key locations: Indore Railway Station, Rajwada, Chota Ganpati, Bada Ganpati, Ramchandra Nagar, BSF/Kalani Nagar, and the Airport.

This underground package is the first and only one for the entire 33.53 km Indore Metro Phase 1 project, which is set to transform urban mobility in Indore. The underground section will link to Package IN-04 on the east side, currently under construction by the RVNL-URCC JV, and Package IN-03 on the west side, being built by URCC under a subcontract from RVNL.

Originally, MPMRCL invited bids for this contract in February 2024 under Package IN-05. However, after cancelling the initial call, they reissued the bid as Package IN-05R with an estimated cost of ₹2,550 crore and a completion deadline of four years.

In November 2024, six bids were opened, with Afcons-Sam India JV and ITD Cementation India being disqualified due to substantial non-responsiveness in their technical submissions—a surprise to many in the tunneling industry. The following financial bids were received:

• HCC-TPL Indore Metro JV: ₹2,190.91 crore
• Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T): ₹2,268 crore
• J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd. (JKIL): ₹2,690 crore
• Gulermak Agir Sanayi Insaat Ve Taahhut A.S.: ₹2,832.06 crore

MPMRCL's brief scope for the project includes the design and construction of twin tunnels using shield tunnel boring machines (TBM), cut-and-cover tunnels, cross-passages, ramps, and the seven underground stations. Additionally, the contract will cover architectural finishes, plumbing works, and other civil and mechanical works as directed by the engineer.

HCC-TPL’s bid of ₹2,190.91 crore is 14.08% lower than the MPMRCL’s estimated ₹2,550 crore, which makes it highly competitive. Barring any delays in the financial bid evaluation, the contract is expected to be awarded in the coming weeks.

This project will be financed by a $200 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), pending approval by ADB's board.

As for the construction timeline, groundwork is expected to commence in Q2 2025, with actual construction set to begin in Q3 2025. Tunneling operations are likely to begin no earlier than Q3 2026, with HCC-TPL JV deploying at least four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to create the 16 tunnels required for the underground section.

This development marks a major step forward in the realization of the Indore Metro Yellow Line, which promises to enhance connectivity and reduce traffic congestion in the city, offering a sustainable and efficient solution to Indore's urban transport needs.