The construction of a major gravitational wave observatory in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, one of the country’s biggest science projects, remains in limbo with the Rs 1,600-crore work tender floated in April last year yet to be awarded, according to records accessed by The Indian Express under the RTI Act. The showpiece Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is designed to work in sync with two similar facilities in the United States which, in 2015, detected gravitational waves for the first time — exactly 100 years after their existence was predicted in Albert Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. Story continues below this adExplained Why LIGO matters The ability to detect gravitational waves gives scientists a new vision to track cosmic events that light or other electromagnetic waves are not able to capture. One must appreciate that the work order is against a tender worth Rs 1,600 crore. Beams of lasers are reflected off these mirrors and are used to detect gravitational waves.

Source: Indian Express March 10, 2026 06:10 UTC