This comes after the bids were opened after much delay on June 25. ITD Cem had placed a bid of Rs 2,100 crore for the project.

The delay in opening the bids was due to the fact that though consortiums could bid for projects at the Kolkata and Chennai airports, two different companies would be selected for the modernisation. Hence, the decision for the Kolkata airport was kept in abeyance till the deadline for submission of the Chennai airport bids took place.

Larsen and Tourbo emerged as the second lowest bidder. The next step will involve a detailed evaluation of the bid by a technical committee. "It will take a month for the evaluation of 3000 items, which are in the bid," said an official of Airport Authority of India (AAI).

The Ministry of Civil Aviation had only permitted AAI to invite tenders for the project. The modernisation project still awaits the nod of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. After being evaluated by the technical committee, the bid will go for a second evaluation by the AAI board. Out of the six short listed companies, four companies -- Hervé Pomerleau of Canada-Consolidated Construction Consortium, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Ltd-Cementation India Ltd, TAV Tepe Akfen Yatirim ve Isletme AS-Punj Lloyd Ltd and Larsen and Toubro Ltd -- had submitted their respective bids.

ITD Cementation India Limited (ITD Cem) is a subsidiary company of the Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD). It is a construction company with over seven-decade presence in India. The company is involved in marine works, construction of highways and bridges.

The project involves the construction of a new integrated terminal building to handle 20 million passengers. The project is due to be commissioned by 2011.