Nearly a year after tender, Rs 1,600-crore gravitational wave observatory in limbo
The showpiece Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is designed to work in sync with two similar facilities in the United States which, in 2015, detected gravitational waves for the first time.
The construction of a major gravitational wave observatory in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, one of the country’s biggest science projects, remains in limbo with the Rs 1,600-crore work tender floated in April last year yet to be awarded, according to records accessed by The Indian Express under the RTI Act.
Responding to an RTI query by this newspaper, the Directorate of Construction Services and Estate Management of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), however, maintained that the project would be completed as scheduled within the next four years. “In the present scenario, the project is set to be completed by its original deadline of 2030,” it said.
The showpiece Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is designed to work in sync with two similar facilities in the United States which, in 2015, detected gravitational waves for the first time — exactly 100 years after their existence was predicted in Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity.
At the time of floating the work tender in April last year, Sunil Ganju, the then Scientific Secretary of DAE had told The Indian Express that construction would commence in the second half of 2025. However, the tender has undergone multiple date extensions since then, according to information available on the Government eMarketplace (GeM), the central public procurement portal.
In response to the RTI query about the current status of the tender, the directorate, in its reply dated February 10, wrote that “the financial bid of tender opened on 23.01.2026 (January 23, 2026)”, and that “the work has not been awarded yet”.
On the state of construction at the site, the directorate said, “The site office has only been constructed so far”.
The Centre’s financial approval of Rs 2,300 crore for LIGO-India was given in April 2023, two years before the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) tender was issued.
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Explained
Why LIGO matters
The ability to detect gravitational waves gives scientists a new vision to track cosmic events that light or other electromagnetic waves are not able to capture. The LIGO is designed to work in sync with two similar facilities in the United States.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior official involved with LIGO-India said, “The tender process is progressing at the right pace. One must appreciate that the work order is against a tender worth Rs 1,600 crore. It is for a mega-science project, which India is undertaking for the first time ever.”
According to the official, the tender will be awarded this year. The LIGOs in the US are a few years old now and the facility in India will be far more advanced, the official said.
LIGO observatories have two 4-km-long arms built at 90-degrees to each other. These are vacuum chambers with reflective mirrors at their ends. Beams of lasers are reflected off these mirrors and are used to detect gravitational waves. The first such wave was detected in 2015, which was caused by the merger of two black holes 1.3 billion years ago. The measurement of these waves requires unprecedented accuracy as their effects are extremely small.
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
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