The Indian economy has been one of the fastest-growing economies not only in South Asia but also in the whole world. In the last three decades, India has achieved new milestones through mega infrastructure projects across sectors like real estate, construction, manufacturing, IT (Information Technology), and pharmaceuticals have a great role in this prosperity. But it is the development of the infrastructure sector that has really been the economic driver.

An Overview of the Indian Infrastructure Project Sector

The infrastructure sector is an important economic driver in India. The sector is largely responsible for driving India's overall growth by developing new infrastructure projects and upgrading old infrastructure facilities. The government has placed a great deal of emphasis on implementing laws that will expedite the establishment of mega-construction projects in India.

The infrastructure sector comprises power, bridges, dams, national highways, regional highways, Indian railways, and urban infrastructure projects. In other words, the infrastructure sector catalyzes India's economic growth by driving the expansion of associated industries such as townships, housing, built-up infrastructure, and construction development projects.

To achieve India's goal of a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025, infrastructure development is urgently required. To boost the infrastructure investments, the government has developed the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) in conjunction with other initiatives such as 'Make in India' and the production-linked incentives (PLI) plan. Historically, over 80% of the nation's infrastructure expenditures have been allocated to transportation, energy, and water & irrigation.

8 Ongoing Mega Construction Projects in India to Watch out for in 2024

Narmada Valley Development Project

The Narmada Valley Development Project, or NVD Project, is an ambitious water resources development project in the Narmada River Valley in India. The project involves constructing a series of dams and canals along the river basin to generate electricity and provide irrigation and drinking water. One such project is the Sardar Sarovar Dam, a 1450 MW hydroelectric project dam. It is one of the mega projects in India with a budget of USD 30 billion.

Sardar Sarovar Dam

The Sleemanabad Canal Tunnel spread across 1,84,000 hectares of land. It will supply irrigation water in Rewa, Satna, Katni, Maihar and other districts of Madhya Pradesh. About Rs 600 crore (USD 7.2 million) has already been spent and works worth over Rs 200 crore are yet to be completed. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2024. The project will also drench the thirst of the local people in many parts of Madhya Pradesh.

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Navi Mumbai International Airport

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in South Mumbai is an under-construction airport in Navi Mumbai. The airport is Mumbai's second International airport after the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

Navi Mumbai International Airport

The Airport venture is being implemented on a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model on the BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer project) delivery scheme. An SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) named NMIAL (Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited) was formed to execute the project by Adani Group, CIDCO and GVK.

The project is built at a cost of the project is INR 16,700 crores (USD 200 million). 

Navi Mumbai International Airport update

On October 11th, 2024, The Indian Air Force (IAF) inaugurated the Navi Mumbai airport runway by operating the first inaugural flight to Navi Mumbai airport with an Airbus C-295 over runway 26 of the airport. The Navi Mumbai airport is likely to be operational by the end of March 2025. 

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Chenab River Railway Bridge

It is the highest railway bridge in the world, standing at a staggering 359 meters (1,178 feet) above the Chenab River

It is built at INR 1,486 crore (USD 17.8 million), and the Chenab Bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower. It is referred to as the eight wonder of the world. This 1.3 km long bridge is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, undertaken by the Indian Government in a strategic step to link Kashmir Valley with the rest of India by rail.

Chenab River Railway Bridge

The unique design of the bridge is an impressive feat. Along with a combination of steel and concrete, HSFG (High Strength Friction Grip) bolts have been used to connect the golden joints that keep the two ends of the overarch deck together. 

The bridge is an engineering marvel constructed by a JV (Joint Venture) between 3 major EPC companies - Afcons Infrastructure (India), Ultra Construction & Engineering Company (South Korea), and VSL India.

Chenab Rail Bridge Update

The newly constructed stations and railway line between Sangaldan in Ramban district and Resai were inspected. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is expected to be completed by Q4 of 2024. 

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The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)

The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is a mega infrastructure project launched by the Government of India in 2007. It aims to develop a sustainable and high-quality industrial infrastructure along the Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor, which is one of the busiest freight corridors in the world.

DMIC Project map

The project aims to promote industrialization and economic growth in the region by creating a number of industrial zones and logistics hubs along the corridor. These industrial zones will be equipped with infrastructures such as roads, ports, airports, and power plants, as well as social infrastructures such as schools and hospitals.

The DMIC project, with a budget of INR 17,500 crores (USD 290 million), covers an area of about 1,483 km, extending from Delhi to Mumbai via the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. It is expected to generate millions of jobs and boost the country's GDP significantly.

DMIC Current Status

On July 24th, 2024, a budget of INR 427 crores (USD 5.1 million) was allocated to develop Rajasthan’s Jodhpur-Pali-Marwar Industrial Park (JPMIA) along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

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Bharatmala Project

Bharatmala is a highway construction project launched by the Government of India in 2017. The project aims to improve connectivity in the country by constructing or upgrading approximately 34,800 km of national highways and border roads.

Bharatmala Project phase-1

The estimated project cost of Bharatmala Project phase-1 is INR 5,35,000 crores (USD 63.81 billion). The project will comprise of 44 economic corridors, inter-corridor and feeder roads, national corridors, coastal & port connectivity roads and expressways. 

The mega project will also connect 550 districts in the country through NH linkages (National Highways) and the phase-1 will include the development of 24,800 kms. Additionally, 10,000 kms from the balance works of the NHDP (National Highways Development Project) will also be covered  in the phase -1 taking the total to 34,800 kms.

 It is implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Highways Authority of India, the project will provide last-mile connectivity from Gujarat to Mizoram and from Maharashtra to West Bengal.

Bharatmala Project Latest Update

The Bharatmala project phase 1 was planned with a length of 34,800 kms of which about 17,411 kms has been constructed and the entire stretch is expected to be completed by 2027-28.  

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Indian Bullet Train

India’s first bullet train is being manufactured in Bengaluru, which will travel with a design speed of 280 kilometers per hour (kmph) which is close to the Japanese Shinkansen E5 series, which achieves a speed of 320 km/hr.

The Indian bullet train project contract is being secured by BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited), one of India's renowned engineering and manufacturing companies. The contract is worth INR 866.87 crores (USD 103.506 million) and will include the supply of two high-speed rail sets, each comprising eight coaches. Each coach is valued at INR 27.86 crores (USD 332 million). 

Construction of India’s First 7 km long Undersea tunnel in progress in the State of Maharashtra

This contract is being awarded by the Indian Railways Integral Coach Factory (ICF).The contract value includes design costs, non-recurring charges, testing facilities, fixtures, and jig costs. For more details about the Indian bullet train cost, timeline, and contractors involved, subscribe to Blackridge’s construction database in India.

The bullet rail project is expected to reduce the traffic congestion once it is operational across the Mumbai–Ahmedabad stretch.
 

Inland Waterways Development Project

India has around 14,500 kilometers of navigable waterways, including major Indian rivers, canals, backwaters, and creeks. However, India moves only 0.5% of its cargo through inland water compared to 8.3% in the United States and 8.7% in China.

Inland waterways development project

The government of India has designated 111 NWs (National Waterways) in the country. These waterways are being developed to make them operational/navigable and usable for transportation. 

The development of inland waterways as strategic infrastructure can play a vital role in realizing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to make India zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Inland Waterways Development project update

One of the 111 NWs, 6 projects including NW 9 (National Waterway-9) in Kerala and terminal at Pandu and Dhubri have been completed. About 18 projects which include the NW-1 on the Ganga river and passing through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, is set for a capacity augmentation at a project cost of USD 600 billion of investment and technical assistance from the world bank. The Project is expected to be completed by December 2025.

Zoji-la & Z-Morh Tunnel Project

The Zoji-la Tunnel (14.2 km) and Z-Morh Tunnel (6.5 km) are two geostrategically important tunnels currently under construction phase on National Highway 1 or Leh-Srinagar Highway. The two-lane, bi-directional, single-tube tunnels will provide all-weather access between Kashmir and Ladakh while reducing the travel time between the Union territories to 15 minutes from the present 3 hours.

Zoji-la tunnel project

These tunnel projects were both a strategic and economic need since Zoji-la passes on National Highway 1 that connects Ladakh and Kashmir Valley remained closed for almost half a year due to heavy winters in the Himalayas.

The project is expected to be completed by 2026, the travel time between the Union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will reduce to 15 minutes from the present 3-3.5 hours. The project is being implemented on an EPC contract basis by the project operator NHIDCL (National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited).

Zojila Tunnel Update

The project construction is going rapidly, and about 40% of the drilling work has been completed. The project is expected to be completed by December 2026. 

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Other Notable Ongoing Mega Projects in India 2024

Below is the list of upcoming infrastructure projects in India:

Make Informed Decisions with Our Comprehensive Construction Database

Access detailed information on projects, contractors, and suppliers in India's construction industry. Explore Global Project Tracking (GPT) platform by Blackridge Research, designed to provide you with the most recent Construction Industry Projects in India better and faster across various stages of development:

• Upcoming projects
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The user-friendly interface helps you obtain early-stage awareness of projects and find the right business opportunity quickly.

With its user-friendly interface, this platform empowers you to gain early-stage awareness of projects and swiftly identify the right business opportunities.

Each project will have all the essential details, such as scope, capacity, CapEx, status, project description, companies involved, funding information, location, periodic updates, important event dates like construction start date, commissioning dates, and key contact information of project owners and stakeholders.

The database is a vital resource for a wide range of entities, including EPC companies, civil engineering companies, general contractors, project management companies, construction managers, facility operation and maintenance (O&M) companies, consulting and advisory firms, investors, infrastructure investment firms, project finance agencies, research and development organizations, regulatory bodies, and law firms.

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