Davanagere-Ballari Transmission: PM Lays Stones for Over Rs 4,550 Crore of POWERGRID Grid Work

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for two POWERGRID transmission schemes in Karnataka’s Davanagere and Ballari belt on 13 November 2026, together worth more than Rs 4,550 crore. These aren’t new awards; POWERGRID already holds both. What matters to a plant owner is the timetable. The Central Transmission Utility’s own status report shows the main pooling station running six months behind its scheduled date, so the next dry season carries most of the catch-up.

What was laid, and what the schedule says

IANS and Construction Mirror both carried the official project list after the event on 13 November, with the same figures for both schemes. The scope comes from the Central Transmission Utility’s status report for southern-region schemes, dated 31 July 2026.

Scheme 1 builds a 765/400/220 kV pooling station near Davanagere or Chitradurga, rated 4×1500 MVA plus 4×500 MVA. It adds a 400/220 kV, 4×500 MVA pooling station near Bellary and a 400 kV double-circuit line between the two. It also loops the Narendra New-Madhugiri 765 kV line into the new station and lifts Madhugiri to 765 kV. The Davanagere station was due in March 2027 and is now expected in September 2027. Scheme 2, due February 2028, adds transformers at both stations and a second 400 kV quad double-circuit line from Bellary to Davanagere. The report sizes it for 0.25 GW at Davanagere and 2.75 GW at Bellary.

Which machines this work needs

Most of the steady work is at the two pooling stations. An 8,000 MVA yard at Davanagere is a large graded and compacted platform, transformer and reactor foundations, cable trenches and internal roads. That means motor graders, soil compactors, excavators and backhoe loaders, plus transit mixers and a mobile crane for gantries. Scheme 2 then puts new bays and transformers on the same platforms, so the earthmoving is mostly done once and the later work is foundations and erection.

The two 400 kV lines are the hire half: tower pits strung along a route, a few days at each before the crew moves. Compact excavators, backhoe loaders, an auger rig where the ground allows, and low-bed trips between locations.

Two things work in a contractor’s favour here. A six-month slip on a fixed commissioning date usually means more machines on site at once, not fewer, and the October to May dry window is the one that has to absorb it. And the Koppal, Gadag and Bidar schemes just opened, so crews and plant from those jobs are coming free in the same part of the state. Expect hire rates for compaction and tower-foundation plant in north-central Karnataka to hold up through this dry season and soften once these sites finish. That is our reading, not a disclosed plan.

FAQ

Is Rs 4,550 crore a new contract?

No. Both schemes were already with POWERGRID, and the figures are investment values from the official project list. The stone marks the scheme, not a fresh award.

When will the Davanagere and Ballari substations be ready?

The transmission utility’s July status report expects the first scheme by September 2027 and the strengthening scheme by February 2028.

Who builds the transmission lines?

POWERGRID owns the schemes. It usually splits the substation and line work into separate packages, and no package winners have been published.

Related on DesiMachines: Power Grid wins the Humnabad transmission project in Bidar

Source: Construction Mirror

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