Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) has invited bids through an open tender for the selection of bus operators for the procurement, supply, operation, and maintenance of 10,900 electric buses under the PM E-Drive scheme. This project also includes the development of necessary electric and civil infrastructure on a Gross Cost Contracting (GCC) basis. The notice was issued on 27th June 2025.
The tender process follows a single-stage, two-envelope bidding system and will be conducted entirely online via the CESL e-tendering portal. Bidders must register on the portal https://cesl.eproc.in and are encouraged to submit their bids at least one hour before the closing time to avoid last-minute issues.
The tender documents are available for download from 27th June 2025 and can be accessed until 12th August 2025, 14:00 IST. The deadline for online bid submission is also 12th August 2025, but slightly later, at 14:30 IST. A pre-bid conference will be held on 10th July 2025 at 11:00 IST, both virtually via Microsoft Teams and physically at the CESL office in New Delhi.
Bidders are required to pay a non-refundable and non-adjustable tender fee of ₹25,000. In addition, they must submit an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) based on the cities they are bidding for. The city-wise EMD requirements are as follows: Ahmedabad: ₹28.21 crore, Bengaluru: ₹121.65 crore, Delhi: ₹87.93 crore, Surat: ₹15.10 crore, Hyderabad: ₹59.96 crore.
If a bidder applies for more than one city, the EMD must be the cumulative total for all selected cities. For instance, bidding for Ahmedabad and Bengaluru would require an EMD of ₹149.86 crore. The EMD must be valid for the bid validity period plus an additional 45 days from the date of opening of the techno-commercial bid. The bid validity is set at 180 days from the bid opening date.
The techno-commercial bids will be opened on 12th August 2025 at 15:00 IST at the CESL office in New Delhi. All bids must include the tender fee and EMD; otherwise, they will be considered non-compliant and will not be opened. These payments must be submitted physically in a sealed envelope before the bid deadline.
The bid documents include six sections: Detailed Invitation for Bids (IFB), Information to Bidders (ITB), General Conditions of Contract (GCC), Technical Specification and Special Conditions of Contract (SCC), Measurement and Verification, and Forms & Procedures.
CESL has the right to cancel the tender without assigning any reason and will not be held responsible for system issues, delays, or non-submission of bids. Interested bidders must comply with the detailed instructions and eligibility criteria as outlined in the tender document.
