Damodar Ropeways & Infra Limited: Powering India’s Ropeway Revolution with Vision, Sustainability, and Scale

India’s Ropeway Transformation: From Access to Experience

India’s infrastructure landscape is witnessing a quiet but powerful shift. Ropeways—once limited to difficult terrain—are now emerging as strategic tools for tourism, urban mobility, and sustainable development. At the centre of this evolution stands Damodar Ropeways & Infra Limited (DRIL), a company that has not only built ropeways across India but helped redefine what they mean for access, experience, and environmental responsibility.

Founded in 1974, DRIL has grown into one of India’s leading ropeway infrastructure companies, specialising in design, installation, execution, revamping, operations and Maintenance of passenger ropeways, material ropeways, ski-lifts, bulk material handling systems, CHP, and even rope suspension bridges. With decades of executional expertise and operational depth, DRIL continues to shape how India reaches its peaks—both literally and figuratively. 

A Legacy That Built an Industry

The foundation of DRIL is deeply rooted in the vision of Late Shri C.L. Chamaria, widely regarded as the Father of Modern Indian Ropeways. A pioneer far ahead of his time, he combined business acumen, legal insight, and an intuitive grasp of technical systems to establish DRIL as a trusted name in cable car infrastructure.

More than an entrepreneur, Shri C.L. Chamaria was a solution-driven leader who believed in integrity, people-first leadership, and perseverance. His ability to anticipate industry needs, introduce innovation, and collaborate across sectors helped elevate India’s ropeway ecosystem at a time when the industry was still in its infancy.

His legacy continues to guide DRIL’s philosophy—service before self, innovation with responsibility, and growth with purpose.

Leadership Driving the Next Phase of Growth

Under the leadership of Mr. Aditya Chamaria, DRIL has entered a new phase—one defined by scale, policy alignment, technology innovations, ITeS adoption, and future readiness. The past few years have been transformational for the ropeway sector, with landmark government reforms recognising ropeways as essential infrastructure.

DRIL played an active role in industry advocacy, including the successful proposal to reduce GST on ropeway tickets from 18% to 5%, aligning it with railways. Policy changes such as eliminated environmental clearances further validate ropeways as sustainable alternatives for connectivity in difficult and ecologically sensitive regions.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, DRIL demonstrated financial discipline, ensured  its workforce was fully taken care of, expanded operations by completing and operationalising 4 ropeways in Madhya Pradesh (Hanumandhara, Chitrakut) , Uttrakhand (Surkhanada, Dhanaulti), Assam (Guwahati) and Jammu & Kashmir (Mubarak mandi) , and accelerated technology adoption across all its ongoing projects under development  and also operational. This resilience was recognised with the Herald Global – Prestigious Brands of Asia Award (2021–22) in the Infrastructure – Travel, Tourism & Urban Transport category.

Ropeways as an Eco-friendly & Experiential Infrastructure

Modern travellers value the journey as much as the destination. DRIL’s ropeway systems reflect this shift—combining technical reliability with comfort, safety, and uninterrupted scenic views.

Be it open air cabins or enclosed cabins with Solar powered lights, controlled movement, advanced safety systems with multiple automated and manual redundancies, and panoramic vantage points make DRIL’s ropeways inclusive and accessible for families, senior citizens, and first-time visitors. What was once functional transport has become an experience-led infrastructure asset.

DRIL has created India’s first Urban Ropeway Transport system at Gangtok in April 2003 and India’s Second Urban transport Ropeway across the mighty Bhramputra, connecting north and South Guwahati in Feb 2020. There are many other firsts and feathers in DRIL’s cap as far as the Indian Ropeway Industry is concerned.

Expanding Access Across India’s Diverse Landscapes

DRIL has contributed to ropeway projects across varied geographies—hilltop temples, heritage zones, forest areas, Wildlife parks & Zoos, Entertainment focussed Parks,, and even urban corridors for locals, devotees and tourists. By improving access to elevated destinations, ropeways help decongest roads, enhance visitor flow, and improve safety with far greater conservation of the environment than creating road infrastructure..

Key underconstruction projects include: – The 2 ropeways project @ Vanabar, Bihar, ThePolo Ground to Polo Museum ropeway @ Imphal, Manipur and the Nandi Hill Ropeway project as part of a JV near Bangalore.

These projects will not only enhance tourism appeal but also improve accessibility for devotees, senior citizens, and persons with limited mobility.

Sustainability at the Core

Ropeways are increasingly recognised as environmentally responsible infrastructure. Compared to road construction, they require minimal land acquisition, lower material usage, and reduced ecological disruption.

DRIL’s projects align with India’s sustainability goals—supporting low-impact development while enabling access to sensitive regions. This balance between connectivity and conservation positions ropeways as a future-forward solution for tourism and urban mobility alike.

Economic Impact Beyond Connectivity

The benefits of ropeway infrastructure extend well beyond transport. Improved access leads to increased footfall, longer tourist stays, and higher local spending—directly benefiting hotels, eateries, transport operators, and small businesses.

Additionally, ropeway projects generate long-term employment across operations, maintenance, ticketing, and site management, providing stable livelihoods in regions often dependent on seasonal tourism.

Ropeways and the Future of Mobility

While tourism remains a key application, ropeways are gaining relevance in urban and semi-urban mobility discussions—especially where terrain, congestion, or land constraints limit traditional infrastructure.

With proven execution capabilities, operational experience, and technology adoption, Damodar Ropeways & Infra Limited is well-positioned to contribute to India’s next phase of mobility solutions.

Conclusion

India’s ropeway expansion reflects a broader shift in infrastructure thinking—one that values experience, sustainability, and efficiency. Guided by a strong legacy and driven by forward-looking leadership, Damodar Ropeways & Infra Limited continues to play a defining role in connecting people to places—safely, responsibly, and beautifully.

As policy focus and investment in ropeway infrastructure accelerate, DRIL stands ready to help shape a more accessible, scenic, and sustainable India.