HC upholds BSNL decision to not consider A2Z Infra bid for Bharat Net tender
This story was originally published at 19:17 IST on 10 September 2025
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NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court on Wednesday upheld Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.'s decision to not consider A2Z Infra Engineering Ltd.'s bid for a 2024 tender relating to development of the middle mile network of Bharat Net of a "package 13", and instead chose Sterlite Technologies Ltd. as the L1 bidder. The tender consists of different packages with the total contract value being approximately INR 650 billion.
In 2024, BSNL had issued the tender, wherein the petitioner, A2Z Infra, as a part of a consortium with another company Bharat Electrical Ltd. had made the bid for "package 13". Thereafter, BSNL made certain queries regarding the eligibility of the petitioner as a consortium partner of Bharat Electrical.
The petitioner said that it provided requisite clarifications wherein it stated its experience as a consortium partner in the previous tender issued by BSNL. Despite the aforesaid clarifications, BSNL rejected the bid of the petitioner declaring it technically non-responsive for "package 13", said A2Z Infra Engineering. Thereafter, financial bids were opened and Sterlite Technologies Ltd. was declared as the L1 bidder in the "package 13" of the tender.
A2Z Infra had argued that it had entered into a teaming agreement with Sterlite Technologies in 2014 and was also a part of the consortium in BSNL's 2013 tender, so its experience was to be counted for "package 13". However, the 2024 tender had made an amendment through which it prohibited consideration of experience from any type of joint execution like teaming agreement, sub-contracting, backend partnership other than consortium experience. In addition, Sterlite Technologies had also denied that it was in a consortium with the petitioner for BSNL's 2013 tender. The high court noted that the petitioner had not challenged the amendment to the tender and Sterlite Technologies had also denied its ties with A2Z Infra.
On Wednesday, shares of A2Z Infra Engineering Ltd. closed 2.0% lower at INR 19.49 on the National Stock Exchange, and those of Sterlite Technologies Ltd. closed 2.1% lower at INR 114.60.
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Deepshikha Bhardwaj
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