NGI enters strategic partnership on natural hazards and tunnel safety in Mumbai
The agreement was signed during the World Economic Forum in Davos. It will strengthen efforts in natural hazards, tunnelling, and resilient urban development in one of the world's fastest-growing metropolitan regions.
Representatives from Indian authorities, academia, and international professional communities gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where NGI entered into a cooperation agreement on natural hazards, tunnel safety, and resilient urban development in the Mumbai region.
NGI has signed a cooperation agreement with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). The agreement establishes a framework for long-term technical cooperation on urban natural hazards, tunnelling, and safe infrastructure in the Mumbai region.
The agreement was signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January this year, alongside the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Cooperation on complex urban challenges
Mumbai faces significant geotechnical and natural hazard challenges related to rapid urbanisation, dense development, and extensive underground infrastructure construction. The agreement aims to strengthen planning, risk management, and execution of significant projects, including tunnelling and ground conditions.
– The Mumbai region combines extreme urban density with challenging ground conditions. This is precisely the type of complex challenge where NGI's international experience can be of practical benefit, says Dominik Lang, Director of the Natural Hazards Division at NGI.
Knowledge sharing and applied research
The cooperation includes technical advisory services, joint research, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. A key objective is to combine NGI's global expertise with IIT Bombay's local and academic foundation to support MMRDA's major infrastructure projects.
The agreement also provides for workshops, training programmes, and professional exchanges between the institutions, both in India and internationally.
– This is not just about exporting solutions, but about developing robust and locally adapted approaches based on best international practice. When research, governance, and technical implementation are more closely linked, the likelihood of safe, sustainable solutions also increases, says Lang.
Framework agreement for further cooperation
The agreement is an overarching cooperation framework without financial commitments, and separate contracts will govern each project. The cooperation has been entered into for a period of five years, with annual reviews.
The goal is to contribute to safer, more resilient, and sustainable urban development in Mumbai, while also strengthening international knowledge cooperation in geotechnics and natural hazards.
