The Bombay High Court has dismissed Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) petitions challenging the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) over the ₹16,000 crore Thane-Bhayandar infrastructure projects.
The division bench, led by Justices Kamal R. Khata and Arif S. Doctor, ruled on 20 May that L&T’s plea lacked grounds for further delay in the financial bidding process. L&T had approached the court after claiming it was excluded from communication regarding the evaluation of its technical bids, even as other bidders were allegedly informed. The petitions pertained to two high-profile projects: a tunnel between Gaimukh and Fountain Hotel Junction at Shilphata, and an elevated creek bridge connecting Bhayandar to Ghodbunder Road—expected to be the region’s second-largest after the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu). MMRDA had floated tenders for both projects in July and again on 8 October last year.
Following a separate petition by L&T, the bid submission deadline was extended by 60 days, with technical and financial bids submitted by 30 December 2024. While technical bids were opened on 1 January and evaluations began, L&T alleged that it received no updates on its bid status, even as the opening of financial bids was scheduled for 13 May 2025. L&T’s counsel argued that the lack of communication from MMRDA violated fair tendering practices and deprived the company of a level playing field. The firm sought an extension of the stay on opening financial bids until the status of its technical bid was clarified. The court, however, refused to extend the stay or interfere with the ongoing process. It found no merit in L&T’s claims that MMRDA’s actions were discriminatory or lacked transparency. With this verdict, the bidding process for one of the Mumbai region’s most critical infrastructure projects is expected to proceed without further legal hurdles.
The decision underscores the judiciary’s reluctance to stall large-scale public projects in the absence of clear evidence of procedural violations, particularly when delays risk derailing urban connectivity goals.
