GMR to invest Rs 300 crore initially to upgrade Nagpur Airport

New Delhi: GMR group on Wednesday said it will invest an initial ₹300 crore to modernise Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport at Nagpur. The plan envisages increasing the airport's passenger handling capacity to 30 million passengers annually from the current 3 million over the 30-year concession period, with the potential to scale it up further to 50 million passengers a year, the infrastructure conglomerate said.

The company also plans to develop Nagpur into a major aviation and cargo hub, targeting a long-term cargo handling capacity of 150,000 metric tonnes per annum, leveraging the city's strategic location at the geographical centre of India.

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"The transformation of Nagpur Airport reflects our long-term vision of creating world-class aviation ecosystems that strengthen connectivity and contribute meaningfully to India's growth journey," said GBS Raju, chairman, GMR Airports.

The group took over operations of the airport, nine years after winning the bid. The takeover was delayed by a combination of legal disputes, land ownership issues and government approvals, stretching the process to nearly nine years after GMR won the bid in 2019.

The first phase of the project, spread over the next eight years, will begin with immediate upgrades to the existing airport at an investment of about ₹300 crore, focusing on passenger experience, operational efficiency and capacity enhancement.

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The initial works, expected to be completed in the next 12-18 months, include refurbishment of the existing terminal and associated airside and landside facilities, installation of additional check-in counters and self-check-in kiosks, expansion of the security screening area with additional X-ray machines.

The second phase, planned over three to four years, includes construction of a new integrated passenger terminal with an initial annual capacity of 4 million passengers, additional contact and remote aircraft stands, a new cargo terminal with an annual handling capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes, among others. In the third phase, GMR Airports plans to construct a second runway, a new air traffic control tower and technical building.