Big vs small in BOT project offering; traffic volume may be key determinant

Experts feel that kick-starting the process with relatively smaller stretches will help to test waters

The financial strength of companies and lower project risk could be crucial determinants in the success of the new build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, which the government is banking on to bring in private money to build national highways.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is likely to offer by month-end a 70-km stretch in Karnataka, costing around Rs 1,700 crore, on a BOT basis.

The stretch appears to be small but companies say it is traffic and toll revenue and not the contract’s ticket size that would make a project viable.

“Size is not a big determinant. It is the