GMR Group to finalise EPC bids for Bhogapuram Intl Airport soon

Visakhapatnam GMR Group is in the process of finalising tenders for EPC contract for construction of a greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, about 45 km from here.

"Right now we are completing fencing and construction of our office building. In all probability, work will start in full swing in September once the bids for the EPC contract for the airport are finalised," GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd CEO Manomay Rai said here on Thursday.

He was speaking on airports as engines of economic growth and regional prosperity at the CII Conclave on Economic Growth Drivers and Real Estate Development. The programme was held with JLL India as the knowledge partner. Experts from various fields including JLL Head, Strategic Consulting, Value & Risk Advisory India Jerry Kingsley, JLL Senior Director, Strategy Consulting/Value & Risk Advisory Surya Kiran Balla, Avanthi Warehousing Services Pvt Ltd Executive Director Mahesh Varma, Varun Group Chairman and Founder V Prabhu Kishore, JSW Ltd Director R Kanaka Rao, Sunray Village Resort Managing Director Indukuri Appala Raju and CII Visakhapatnam vice chairman Rajesh Grandhi said infrastructure and tourism will get a big boost in Visakhapatnam region with several projects like Bhogapuram Airport, Adani Data Centre, Visakhapatnam-Bhogapuram Expressway, Raipur-Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor and Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor being grounded.

Explaining the salient features of the new airport, Rai said they are trying to make the airport operational as early as possible and attributed the delay in launching the project to certain legal hurdles. "Now all problems are sorted out and the project will take off as per schedule," he said asserting that the airport will change the industrial and tourism landscape of the region.

As per the concession agreement, GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd will design, build, finance and operate the international airport for an initial term of 40 years. The first phase of the project will be built within three years as per the agreement with a capacity to handle six million passengers per annum. The first phase project envisages an investment of around Rs 5,000 crore.

The new airport is expected to strengthen connectivity in the region, accelerate economic growth, foster sustainable development, drive innovation and create a lot of job opportunities in multiple sectors in the region. Once Bhogapuram Airport is made operational, the Visakhapatnam International Airport, a civil enclave operated on the Indian Navy's INS Dega airbase, is expected to stop handling commercial flights.

GMR Group Chairman and Founder GM Rao at the time of foundation-laying for the airport some time ago, had said the Bhogapuram Airport will have a dedicated state-of-the-art cargo terminal catering to exports, aerotropolis and airport city within the vicinity, to ensure world-class facilities for efficient cargo operations.