Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) has been awarded the contract to build the most awaited Sonprayag‑Kedarnath ropeway, a major infrastructure project aimed at transforming easy access to the sacred Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Uttarakhand.
The Kedarnath Ropeway project, valued at ₹4,081 crore, will be executed by Adani’s Roads, Metro, Rail & Water (RMRW) division. Stretching over 12.9 kilometres, the ropeway will link Sonprayag — the last point accessible by road — to Kedarnath Temple.
When complete, the ropeway will slash the current travel time from an arduous 8–9 hour trek to just 36 minutes. It will have a capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour per direction, under the advanced Tri‑cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology. Daily capacity is expected to be around 18,000 pilgrims.
The project falls under the Parvatmala Pariyojana, the centre’s National Ropeways Development Programme, which aims to build ropeway connectivity in hilly and remote areas. It is being developed on a Public‑Private Partnership (PPP) model. Adani will build and operate the ropeway, while revenue sharing arrangements have been agreed with the National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML).
The construction period is estimated at six years, after which Adani will operate the ropeway for 29 years.
Kedarnath is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and draws nearly 20 lakh pilgrims annually. Easier access is expected to greatly improve the pilgrimage experience and safety for devotees. The ropeway is likely to have major ancillary benefits: boosting tourism, creating jobs, and reducing risks associated with trek routes, especially during bad weather.
Adani Enterprises will now proceed to finalize designs, environmental clearances, and construction phases. Given the terrain and ecological sensitivity of the region, ensuring minimal environmental disruption and maintaining safety standards will be crucial.
Comment On Sonprayag-Kedarnath Ropeway contract assigned to Adani
Raghavan
Ropeway charges must be nominal to meet the common man’s purse