Under Budget & Over-Delivered: The ₹750 Crore Success Story of NSPL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 13, 2026, inaugurated the Capacity Augmentation Project of the Numaligarh–Siliguri Product Pipeline (NSPL) of Oil India Limited during a public event in Guwahati.

The 654-km-long pipeline, with a diameter of 406 mm (16 inches), was originally designed to transport 1.72 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of petroleum products. With the recent upgrade, its capacity has been increased to 5.5 MMTPA to support the expansion of the Numaligarh Refinery from 3.0 MMTPA to 9.0 MMTPA under the Government of India’s Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for the North-East.

The capacity enhancement involved upgrading key infrastructure, including the conversion of pigging stations at Sekoni, Guwahati, Bongaigaon, and Madarihat into intermediate pumping stations. Pumping facilities at the Numaligarh Dispatch Terminal were also strengthened, while the Siliguri Receipt Terminal was upgraded to improve operational efficiency and safety.

Implemented as a brownfield project, the pipeline augmentation was completed at an estimated cost of about ₹750 crore, lower than the approved budget of ₹860 crore, resulting in significant cost savings. The project also generated considerable employment, accounting for nearly 4.1 million man-hours over a period of more than three years across Assam and West Bengal.

The capacity expansion represents a major step toward strengthening petroleum product transportation infrastructure in the North-East and improving India’s overall energy security.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.