The Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (APMRC) has announced a significant decision, permitting Joint Ventures (JVs) composed of multiple companies to bid for the ambitious metro rail projects planned for Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
According to APMRC Managing Director N.P. Ramakrishna Reddy, this move aims to foster broader participation from qualified bidders. The corporation’s goal is to ensure the speedy completion of these vital infrastructure projects within an ambitious 36-month timeframe, by enlisting competent firms with extensive experience in executing large-scale developments.
International Competitive Bidding (ICB) tenders for the civil works of Visakhapatnam Metro Phase-I (covering 46.23 km) and Vijayawada Metro Phase-I (spanning 38 km) were initially issued in the last week of July 2025.
A recent pre-bid meeting saw participation from 13 companies, many of whom requested that the projects be divided into multiple packages and that Joint Ventures be explicitly allowed to submit bids.
While the APMRC declined to split the projects into smaller packages, citing potential for excessive delays and cost increases, it did approve the request to permit JVs to compete for the contracts. This decision aligns with the procurement guidelines set by the Government of India and the Central Vigilance Commission, ensuring fair competition.
Prospective bidders should note that the deadline for submitting tenders for the Visakhapatnam metro project is October 10, while for the Vijayawada project, submissions are due by October 14.