Ahmedabad, Sep 15 : Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) on Monday said it has received Letter of Award (LoA) from the National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML) for building the prestigious ropeway project connecting Sonprayag with Kedarnath for a total investment of Rs 4,081 crore.

The company's first ropeway project, to be completed in six years, will be executed by AEL's Roads, Metro, Rail, and Water (RMRW) division.

Once operational, the 12.9 km ropeway project will reduce travel time from an arduous 9-hour trek to just 36 minutes, making the pilgrimage far easier and safer.

The ropeway will be able to carry 1,800 passengers per hour per direction, serving lakhs of pilgrims each year. Kedarnath witnesses around 20 lakh pilgrims annually, highlighting the importance of this project, according to the flagship incubator of the Adani Portfolio.

The ropeway is part of the National Ropeways Development Programme ' Parvatmala Pariyojana.

Developed on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis, the project will take six years to complete and AEL will operate it for 29 years after construction. Along with improving connectivity, the project is expected to create jobs and boost tourism in the region.

'The Kedarnath ropeway is more than an engineering project ' it is a bridge between devotion and modern infrastructure,' said Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group.

'By making this sacred journey safer, faster and more accessible, we honour the faith of millions while creating new opportunities for Uttarakhand's people through our partnership with NHLML and the Government of Uttarakhand. This prestigious project reflects our commitment to building infrastructure that not only serves the nation but also uplifts its people,' Gautam Adani noted.

Over the years, Adani Enterprises has focused on building emerging infrastructure businesses, contributing to nation-building and divesting them into separate listed entities.

The next generation of its strategic business investments are centred on the green hydrogen ecosystem, airport management, data centre, roads and primary industries like copper and petrochem - all of which have significant scope for value unlocking.

/IANS