Adani Lowest Bidder For Bengaluru North–South Tunnel Road

A total of four infrastructure companies had participated in the tendering process for the project, which has been proposed under the build-operate-transfer model. While 40 per cent of the funding is to be provided by the government, the remaining portion will be raised by the private concessionaire. During the technical evaluation stage, only the Adani Group and Hyderabad-based Vishwa Samudra Engineering Ltd qualified for the financial round. Dilip Buildcon was disqualified due to a conflict with Clause 2.2.1(G) of the tender, which bars entities with a record of collapse of a bridge, flyover or tunnel. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd exited the race after its joint venture partner failed to meet the technical requirements.

With only two bidders remaining, the Adani Group secured the lowest position, with Vishwa Samudra placing second, sources said. The development marks a key milestone for a project that has faced sustained political opposition and policy concerns. Senior BJP leaders have opposed the tunnel road, particularly the proposed alignment that requires six acres of the historic Lalbagh Botanical Garden. Officially known as the North–South underground corridor, the tunnel road forms part of the Congress government’s plan to ease congestion in Bengaluru through the construction of two underground roads spanning a total of 40 km, along with 13 flyovers and elevated corridors. The project is spearheaded by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru development portfolio. Mobility experts, however, have cautioned that the tunnel road could undermine the Bengaluru Metro’s Phase 3A project, as the proposed alignments run close to each other.