Grant Thornton-Nippon Koei to Lead Vadhavan Airport Prefeasibility Study

0 90

STN: Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd. (MADC) has awarded a contract worth ₹30 lakh to a joint venture between Grant Thornton and Nippon Koei India. The contract is for preparing a prefeasibility study for a new greenfield airport near Vadhavan Airport in Maharashtra.

Vadhavan Port and Airport Development Plan

The proposed Vadhavan Airport will support the upcoming Vadhavan Port project. The port is being developed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). It is located about 140 km north of Mumbai, in Palghar district. The port will be a deep-draft facility, built to handle large vessels.

The plan includes nine container terminals. Each terminal will measure 1000 meters. The port will also feature four multipurpose berths, a coastal berth, four liquid cargo berths, one Ro-Ro berth, and a dedicated berth for the Coast Guard.

The airport is expected to be located close to the port. An offshore site in the Arabian Sea is under consideration. This new airport will be a greenfield project, which means it will be built from scratch, without any existing infrastructure.

Prefeasibility Study and Bidding Process

MADC invited bids for the prefeasibility study in February 2025. The deadline for completing the report is 100 days. This study is the first step toward setting up the airport.

MADC opened technical bids in May. A total of seven firms submitted bids. Out of these, only three firms qualified for the financial bid stage.

Below are the financial bid values:

FirmBid (in ₹ crore)
Grant Thornton – Nippon Koei JV0.30
Ramboll India2.28
CPG Consultants India12.73

The following firms were disqualified:

  • Creative Group
  • PINI Group
  • RITES
  • SA Infrastructure Consultants

The winning bid by Grant Thornton – Nippon Koei JV was the lowest.

Scope of the Study and Infrastructure Connections

MADC has outlined a brief scope for the project. The consultants will study the viability of building a new Vadhavan Airport. The location will be in the Palghar district, close to the port. The study will assess technical, environmental, and financial aspects of the airport.

The Vadhavan Airport will benefit from strong connectivity. A new expressway will link the port to the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway. This will boost cargo and passenger movement.

The region also forms a key part of the proposed India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This corridor aims to improve trade routes and logistics infrastructure across regions.

Conclusion

The prefeasibility study for Vadhavan Airport marks the first step toward creating new aviation infrastructure in coastal Maharashtra. With port development already underway, the airport project will help boost regional connectivity and economic activity.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.