Guwahati — In a major push to infrastructure development in India’s Northeast, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a concession agreement with M/s Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon Pvt. Ltd. to construct the ambitious Guwahati Ring Road project under the Build-Operate-Toll (BOT) model. The total project cost is pegged at ₹5,729 crore, with no central grant, marking a significant milestone in India’s efforts to boost Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in road development.
The agreement was signed in the presence of NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and senior officials. The 121 km long Ring Road project will be developed over a concession period of 30 years, including four years for construction.
Significantly, the Government of Assam will contribute nearly ₹1,270 crore towards the project by bearing 50% of the land acquisition cost and offering exemptions on aggregates royalty and state GST, pushing the gross project cost to approximately ₹7,000 crore.
The Guwahati Ring Road will comprise three key segments:
- A 56 km long 4-lane access-controlled Northern Guwahati Bypass
- An upgrade of the existing 8 km NH-27 bypass from four to six lanes
- Improvements to the existing 58 km stretch of the NH-27 bypass
One of the engineering highlights of the project will be a 3 km long major bridge across the Brahmaputra River, enhancing inter-regional connectivity.
Once operational, the ring road is expected to significantly decongest Guwahati city by diverting long-distance traffic away from urban areas. The route will serve as a bypass for vehicles travelling from states like West Bengal and Bihar towards Silchar, Nagaland, and Tripura, and enhance direct connectivity to towns such as Siliguri, Shillong, Jorhat, Tezpur, Jogigopha, and Barpeta.
This is the first project to be signed under the recently modified Model Concession Agreement for BOT (Toll) mode, a move aimed at reviving interest in PPP-led road infrastructure. With this success, the government anticipates a fresh wave of BOT-based projects across the country.
Aligned with the Government of India’s ‘Vision 2047’, the Guwahati Ring Road is part of a broader plan to develop high-speed corridors and a world-class national highway network. Robust participation from private players is expected to be key in accelerating these ambitious goals.
This project not only promises a new chapter in Northeast India’s connectivity but also sets a precedent for future infrastructure models in India.
