Fifteen infrastructure development firms have shown interest for the Mopa international airport PPP project (Goa, India) and eleven of them have attended the pre-bid meeting hold by the Government of Goa.

The fifteen companies that have shown interest in the airport PPP project are the following:

• Essel Infra,
• Air Asia Pvt Ltd,
• Vemb - Malaysia,
• Incheon Airport - South Korea,
• Darin Airport - South Korea,
• Indian Ocean Maritime India Pvt Ltd,
• Tata Realty (Tata Group),
• IRB-Infrastructural Developers Ltd,
• GMR-Airports,
• GVK,
• IL&FS,
• Shakat Aviation,
• Hira Nandani,
• Egis India Ltd, and
• Astute Engineering & Services Ltd

In early October the Government of Goa issued a request for qualification (RFQ) for the airport PPP project. Interested parties still have time to submit qualification documents on or before 12 December 2014.

According to the Chief minister Manohar Parrikar, the Government of Goa will shortlist the teams that score at least 70% in the technical qualification stage. Mr Parrikar added:

The government has decided to shortlist a minimum of six bidders, and if we do not get six bidders with 70% scores, we will relax the score to 60% to get at least six bidders.

The airport will be developed in four phases:

• Phase I - to be completed by 2020 and will cater to 4.4 million passengers;
• Phase II- to be completed by 2025 and cater to 5.8 million passengers;
• Phase III - to be completed by 2035 and will cater to 9.4 million passengers and
• Phase IV- to be completed by 2045 and cater to 13.1 million passengers.

The project will be developed on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.

The total project investment, including the four phases, is estimated at Rs30 billion (US$732.6 million). The estimated investment for phase I of the project is estimated at Rs 15 billion (US$366.3 million). 

To increase the viability of the project, the Authority may also provide a land parcel with a size of 381 acres, adjoining the airport for commercial development to be developed by the future concessionaire in accordance with the terms specified in the concession agreement.

Ammann and Whitney from the United states prepared the Master Plan and the Feasibility Study. A financial consultant, KPMG, and a technical consultant, Louis Berger, were appointed in March 2013 to analyze the feasibility of the project.

The new Mopa airport will enhance tourism in Goa, which is its primary industry. It handles about 13% of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. Goa is situated on the western coast of India, between the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka.