Odisha: Adani, Fairfax, And GMR Evince Interest In Developing International Airport At Puri

Three major industry players, namely Adani Group, Fairfax, and GMR, have shown interest in the development of the Rs 2,203-crore greenfield airport in Puri.

During a second pre-bid meeting organised on Friday, the three potential bidders expressed their interest and requested access to the data room to facilitate their bid preparation for the tender. The deadline for submitting bids is 4 June, with the tender opening scheduled for the next day.

Earlier this year, in February, the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) issued a global tender for the first-phase development, operation, and maintenance of the Puri airport under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Located near Sipasarubali in Puri district, the Sri Jagannath International Airport will have a capacity of handling 4.6 million passengers per annum (MPPA) in phase 1, with projections of 10.18 MPPA in phase 2 and an additional 16.69 MPPA in phase 3.

The chosen site's proximity to Puri's renowned Jagannath Temple and other tourist attractions is expected to significantly enhance connectivity to this important pilgrimage and tourist destination, thereby boosting its tourism potential.

According to the tender documents, the construction work is likely to be completed within 1,095 days, and the selected bidder will have to maintain the facility for seven years from the date of commercial operation.

According to a document reviewed by businessline, potential developers inquired whether the airport would be developed as an international airport in the initial phase. IDCO clarified that subject to regulatory approvals, the airport is expected to achieve international status in the first phase itself.

All three participants in the pre-bid meeting are prominent players in India's expanding aviation sector.

The Adani Group, through its subsidiary Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), currently manages operations at seven airports nationwide: Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Lucknow, and Mangaluru, and is involved in developing the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in Mumbai.

Fairfax India, controlled by Indian-born Canadian businessman Prem Watsa, owns a 64 per cent stake in Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the operator of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).

Meanwhile, GMR Group, through its subsidiary GMR Airports Infrastructure, operates three airports in India — Delhi, Hyderabad, and Goa's Manohar International Airport. Additionally, the company is developing an international greenfield airport at Bhogapuram, Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh.

Furthermore, it manages two overseas airports: Mactan Cebu International Airport, the second largest airport in the Philippines, and Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, Indonesia.