NLC India Ltd. (NLCIL), on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary NLC India Renewables Ltd. (NIRL), has invited bids for arranging 1,500 acres of private land through outright purchase for the development of solar photovoltaic projects in Tamil Nadu.

According to the tender, the procurement will be carried out through a two part bidding system followed by reverse bidding. The tender seeks land at a requirement of five acres per MW for solar project development.

The land will be purchased and transferred directly in the name of NIRL. NLCIL/NIRL has permitted bidders to offer multiple land parcels, provided each individual parcel has a minimum area of 500 acres. The offered parcels must have direct access from a main road or an approach road must be developed where required.

The tender specifies that all offered land parcels must be located within a 50 km radius of an STU substation with a voltage level of 110 kV or above. The land must be suitable for solar PV development, have clear title and remain free from encroachments, litigation, encumbrances and ownership disputes. The maximum natural ground slope at any localized section of the proposed land parcel must not exceed 20 percent.

The selected land must also comply with applicable Tamil Nadu policies for solar project development and must not fall within the Great Indian Bustard conservation zone, wherever applicable. Bidders will also be responsible for obtaining the required permits, no objection certificates, approvals and clearances related to the land.

NLCIL/NIRL has retained a green shoe option to accept up to 100 percent additional land over and above the 1,500 acres specified in the tender, subject to fulfilment of the applicable conditions.

For technical qualification, bidders must either demonstrate experience in arranging at least 300 acres of land through outright purchase or lease for a government entity, PSU, public limited company, private registered company or other eligible organisation in India, or demonstrate availability of at least 300 acres of land in Tamil Nadu through documentary evidence such as registered agreements, memoranda of understanding, land pattas, sale deeds or powers of attorney.

The tender requires the entire scope, including land arrangement and associated facilities, to be completed within nine months from the date of the Letter of Award. A three member technical committee constituted by NIRL will independently assess the availability, technical feasibility and long term viability of grid connectivity for the proposed land parcels before bids are evaluated further.

The tender carries a bid guarantee of INR 1.15 crore, while the non refundable tender document fee is INR 20,000. The pre bid meeting is scheduled for September 3, 2026 through video conference. The deadline for submitting Part I, Part II and the required physical cover is September 21, 2026, with Part I and the physical cover scheduled to open on the same day. The opening date for the price bids will be announced later.

NLCIL has stated that only Class I local suppliers meeting the applicable Make in India requirements will be eligible to participate. The tender will be conducted in two parts, with Part I covering technical and commercial requirements and Part II containing the price bid, followed by reverse bidding.

The land procurement forms part of NIRL's efforts to secure land resources for the development of solar PV capacity in Tamil Nadu, with the tender focusing on large, contiguous and grid accessible land parcels suitable for utility scale solar projects.