Mumbai: VM7 Expressway Private Ltd., a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd., has announced that it has received the Provisional COD for its 8-lane Gandeva–Ena section of the upcoming Delhi–Mumbai Greenfield Expressway, being implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).

The Gandeva–Ena HAM project (Package VII) is part of India’s ambitious ‘Bharatmala Pariyojana’ under Phase I of the NHAI. It is a greenfield project involving the eight-laning of a 27.5 km section on the under-construction Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway.

With this Provisional COD, the SPV is now eligible to receive the bi-annual annuity payment from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for a concession period of 15 years.

Current status of Vadodara–Mumbai section of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway

The Vadodara–Virar stretch of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway comprises 13 packages, with Packages 1 to 10 located in Gujarat, spanning from Vadodara to the Maharashtra border.

Packages 1, 2, and 3, covering the Vadodara–Bharuch segment, are operational up to Dehgam village in Bharuch district, providing smooth connectivity. Package 4, from Manubar to Ankleshwar, is fully constructed but has not yet been opened to traffic.

Progress on Packages 5 to 10 varies: Package 5 (Ankleshwar to Kim Interchange) is 76% complete, while Package 6 (Kim Interchange to Ena Interchange near Surat) is fully completed and was temporarily opened last month due to the closure of the Tapi River bridge on National Highway 48. Recently, Package 7 has also been fully completed.

However, Packages 8, 9, and 10—which cover the Gandeva–Jujuwa–Karvad–Talasari stretch in South Gujarat—show slower progress, with completion levels at 5%, 10%, and 96%, respectively. Work on Package 8 has remained stalled at 5% since May.

Impact on travelers with completion of this package

Earlier, the central government had informed Parliament that the entire expressway would be completed by October 2025. This timeline now appears unlikely, as monsoon rains have slowed construction and several packages are still far from ready.

Currently, the most realistic possibility for motorists is that the expressway could be opened up to Gandeva after Diwali or before the New Year, as only Package 5 requires significant work, while the other packages are either ready or already operational.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman & Managing Director of the company, Mr. Virendra D. Mhaiskar, said:
“This is a remarkable milestone for us, with both our Hybrid Annuity Projects on the prestigious Delhi–Mumbai Greenfield Expressway now operational. The Gandeva–Ena project alone is expected to generate annuity revenues of about Rs. 180 crore annually, providing strong and stable cash flows and further strengthening the company’s financial position. More importantly, the project has been constructed with utmost focus on sustainable sourcing and water preservation under the Sujalam Sufalam scheme, helping us be water positive for construction.”

To reiterate, the company had already achieved COD for its first HAM project, the Vadodara–Kim stretch, which also forms part of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway project.