L&T Secures Significant Order to Build LIGO India Observatory

Larsen & Toubro announced on February 24, 2026, that its heavy civil infrastructure and heavy engineering business units have jointly secured a significant order from the Department of Atomic Energy. The project involves establishing the LIGO India Observatory, a major upcoming scientific facility.

L&T categorises ‘significant’ orders as those valued between ₹1,000 crore and ₹2,500 crore. The observatory will be located in Aundha, Hingoli district, Maharashtra as part of India’s flagship scientific expansion.

L&T Awarded EPC Contract for LIGO India Development

L&T stated that the order was awarded by the Department of Atomic Energy for the construction of the LIGO India Observatory. The order involves extensive engineering, procurement, and construction responsibilities, making it a large‑scale civil and engineering project.

L&T has confirmed that the order falls within its ‘significant’ category defined at ₹1,000 crore to ₹2,500 crore. The observatory forms part of the country’s major scientific infrastructure initiative under central government supervision.

Scientific Significance of The LIGO India Observatory

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is designed to detect gravitational waves generated by large‑scale cosmic events. It uses multikilometre‑scale interferometers to measure extremely small distortions in space caused by gravitational waves.

The Indian observatory will be developed in collaboration with premier national institutes, including RRCAT and IPR. Support from the LIGO Laboratory in the United States, along with Caltech and MIT, also forms part of the project’s scientific foundation.

Scope Of Work Under L&T’s Engineering Responsibilities

According to L&T, the awarded scope includes the creation of vibration‑sensitive, high‑precision civil infrastructure for the observatory. The company will also manufacture and install an 8km ultra‑high vacuum‑compatible beam tube system, which is central to gravitational wave detection.

In addition, the project covers the development of critical vacuum infrastructure components necessary for scientific operations. These tasks require advanced engineering capabilities due to the precision demands of the facility.

Collaboration And Role in India’s Mega Science Programme

The observatory will form a major component of India’s ‘mega science’ initiatives, aimed at expanding research capabilities in frontier scientific domains. Collaboration between Indian institutions and international research bodies ensures knowledge exchange and technical integration.

The project reinforces India’s role in global scientific research linked to gravitational wave astronomy. The development is expected to enhance India’s long‑term research infrastructure once the facility is operational.

Read More: L&T Market Cap Nears ₹6 Trillion as Stock Gains 10% in One Month.

Conclusion

L&T’s significant order to build the LIGO India Observatory marks an important advancement in India’s scientific infrastructure. The observatory will support gravitational wave research through precision‑engineered civil and vacuum systems.

With collaboration from top Indian and international scientific institutions, the project forms part of India’s broader mega science commitments. The upcoming facility in Hingoli positions the country to contribute substantially to global astrophysics research.

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