An exclusive report in Deccan Herald identified Adani group as the lowest bidder. B-SMILE said while they could not comment on the outcome of the bidding process, a decision on whether to accept the bid has not been taken.
Published Dec 22, 2025 | 1:54 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 22, 2025 | 1:54 PM
Peak-hour traffic on Bengaluru's Ring Road. (Creative Commons)
Synopsis: According to a report, the Adani group emerged as the lowest bidder for both packages of the contentious 16.75 km tunnel road project in Bengaluru. Proposed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the ambitious project aims to reduce traffic congestion in the city.
The Adani group emerged as the lowest bidder for both packages of the contentious 16.75 km tunnel road project in Bengaluru, according to an exclusive report by the Deccan Herald.
Proposed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the ambitious project aims to reduce traffic congestion in the city, ranked the third-worst in the world in 2024 on a global index. However, the project ran into multiple layers of opposition from the BJP and environmentalists, ever since the approval of its construction during the state’s budget speech in May 2025.
Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), the special purpose vehicle overseeing the project’s implementation, received bids from four prominent infrastructure firms — Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), Adani Group, Vishwa Samudra Engineering, and Dilip Buildcon Limited.
The Adani group has reportedly emerged as the lowest bidder, quoting ₹22,267 crore, while the government had estimated the entire project to cost ₹17,698 crore.
B-SMILE had floated global tenders for the project in July 2025. While the deadline was extended multiple times, the final deadline was set as 11 November, within which all four firms submitted their bids.
Sources within B-SMILE told South First that while they could not comment on the outcome of the bidding process, a decision on whether to accept the bid has not been taken yet.
The twin-tunnel project is divided into two packages, and bids were invited separately. While Package 1 spans 8.748 km from Esteem Mall Junction to Seshadri Road–Race Course Junction, Package 2 covers an 8.748 km stretch between Seshadri Road and Silk Board Junction.
According to the Deccan Herald report, the Adani group’s bid is about 24 percent higher for the first package (₹10,867 crore) and 28 percent higher for the second (₹11,400 crore) than the government’s estimates of ₹8,770 crore and ₹8,928 crore, respectively.
This gap may require authorities to get approval from the state Cabinet on how to proceed further.
During the bidding process, two firms were eliminated for different reasons: Dilip Buildcon was disqualified for violating Clause 2.2.1 (G) of the tender, which bars entities with a history of collapse of a bridge, flyover, or tunnel; RVNL’s joint venture partner failed to meet the technical criteria.
The Adani Group and Vishwa Samudra were the only two bidders who proceeded to the final stage, with the Adani Group emerging as the lowest bidder, while Vishwa Samudra ranked second.
The tender documents have set the construction period at 50 months, or four years and two months. If the project proceeds as scheduled, the tunnel road should be completed by the end of 2029.
The development could come as a dilemma for the BJP, which has been criticising the project, arguing that it was against the interests of the people. Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya had even led a massive signature campaign against the project in Lal Bagh last month. The Congress, on the other hand, has often called out the saffron party’s alleged “favouritism” towards the Adani group.
Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan, in a post on X, stated that the costs for the project may rise to nearly ₹1 lakh crore. “The project may take up to 10 years to complete, burdening citizens with taxes + tolls for another 40 years. Drop the Tunnel,” the post said.
Adani Group has emerged as the lowest bidder at ₹22,267 crore for the Bengaluru Tunnel Project. However, costs may rise to nearly ₹1 lakh crore, and the project may take up to 10 years to complete, burdening citizens with taxes + tolls for another 40 years. Drop the Tunnel⚠️
— P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) December 22, 2025
He further said that industry experts had flagged a “weak” private sector response to the tunnel road. “Major tunnelling firms stayed away, signalling a poor risk-reward balance under a model where concessionaires fund 60 percent and recover costs via tolls,” he said.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
