4 bidders qualify to submit requests for Navi Mumbai airport

CIDCO hopes to award contract by December this year; first phase to be completed in 2019

All four companies, who had submitted request for qualification for the Navi Mumbai international airport in January this year, have been qualified for the submission of request for proposal.

These companies and consortia included GMR Delhi, the GVK-led Mumbai International Airport Ltd, the Zurich Airport with Hiranandani Developers, and MIA Infrastructure of France along with Tata Realty.

RFQ is a technical bid while RFP is financial one.

According to the RFQ, bidders with a minimum net worth of Rs 2,375 crore (Rs 23.75 billion) and having developed Rs 9,500-crore (Rs 95-billion) projects will be eligible to bid for the green field international airport project.

These four bidders had fulfilled this crucial criteria and therefore become qualified for submission of RFP.

CIDCO vice chairman and managing director Sanjay Bhatia told Business Standard, "CIDCO completed four months exercise to examine RFOs of these companies. They all are qualified to submit RFP.

"CIDCO will soon get the approval for the RFP document and concession agreement from the union ministry of civil aviation and thereafter these companies will be asked to file RFP. CIDCO hopes to award contract by December for the airport project."

As per the RFQ, bidders with a minimum net worth of Rs 2,375 crore (Rs 23.75 billion) and having developed Rs 9,500 crore projects will be eligible to bid for the green field international airport project.

The project cost, which was pegged at Rs 4,766 crore (Rs 47.66 billion) in 1998, has increased to Rs 15,000 crore (Rs 15 billion).

In all 2,268 hectare is required for the airport project.

Bhatia informed that the first phase is expected to be complete by 2019 with the passenger handling capacity of 10 million while the entire project with 60 million capacity will be over by 2030.