Ashoka Buildcon wins ₹865.90-crore contract to complete Gujarat expressway section

Ashoka Buildcon has received a Letter of Acceptance from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for ₹865.90 crore of balance construction work on the Karvad–Jujuwa section of the Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway in Gujarat. The award covers a 26.6-kilometre stretch of the eight-lane, access-controlled corridor.

The company disclosed the acceptance on 9 November 2026, following its announcement on 5 November that it had emerged as the lowest bidder. The accepted contract price excludes Goods and Services Tax (GST).

What work does the contract cover?

Designated Package IX, the project extends from kilometre 128.0 to kilometre 154.6 between Karvad and Jujuwa. The scope involves completing the remaining works on this section of the expressway.

The contract will be executed under the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model. Ashoka Buildcon has disclosed an execution period of 18 months and a defect liability period of 10 years.

The latest announcement moves the procurement process beyond the lowest-bidder stage to formal acceptance by NHAI. It does not specify a calendar date for opening the section to traffic.

How does the section fit into the wider corridor?

The Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway forms part of the wider Delhi–Mumbai Expressway programme, which is being developed through multiple construction packages. Completing individual sections is therefore part of establishing continuous connectivity along the corridor.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has described the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, including its spurs, as a 1,386-kilometre programme divided into 53 packages. It connects major economic centres across northern, central and western India.

In a parliamentary reply in July 2024, the ministry said the detailed project report envisaged shortening the distance between Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru Port by approximately 180 kilometres. It also projected travel-time reductions of up to 50% for connected destinations. These are corridor-level projections, rather than benefits attributable solely to the Karvad–Jujuwa package.

What progress has been made in Gujarat?

Several Gujarat sections have already been inaugurated as construction advances across the expressway.

The 87-kilometre Vadodara–Bharuch stretch was inaugurated on 22 February 2024. More recently, the 36-kilometre Kim–Ena section and the 27.5-kilometre Gandeva–Ena section were inaugurated on 5 June 2026, according to the government’s corridor update.

The Karvad–Jujuwa award adds a further execution milestone within this phased development programme. For freight operators, the corridor’s intended logistics benefits depend on the availability of connected sections, rather than individual contract awards alone. The government identifies improved logistics efficiency and stronger links between economic centres among the expressway’s objectives.

What other transport contract has Ashoka Buildcon secured?

The highway award follows a separate ₹290.23-crore contract from North Eastern Railway, disclosed in October 2026. That contract value includes GST.

The railway project covers the Gorakhpur Cantt–Chhapra Gramin section of the Varanasi Division. Its scope includes designing, supplying, erecting, testing and commissioning traction substations and associated switching posts for a 2×25-kilovolt autotransformer traction feeding system.

The work is intended to upgrade electric traction power-supply capacity and is also being undertaken on an EPC basis. Completion is scheduled within 24 months from commencement, with a two-year defect liability period.

The two awards give Ashoka Buildcon additional work across road construction and railway electrification, with different execution schedules and contractual obligations. For the Gujarat expressway package, the immediate focus now shifts to completing the specified balance works within the disclosed 18-month period.