India’s First LIGO Observatory in Maharashtra | 28 Feb 2026

Why in News?

Larsen & Toubro has won a contract from the Department of Atomic Energy to build India’s Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) facility in the Aundha area of Hingoli district in Maharashtra.

Key Points:

• Project Award: The contract has been awarded for the construction of the LIGO India facility, which will be built in Maharashtra. 
  • The project will be executed within a stipulated timeframe and involves highly specialised civil and engineering works.
• What is LIGO?: LIGO stands for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. 
  • It is a large-scale physics experiment designed to detect gravitational waves—ripples in space-time caused by massive cosmic events such as black hole mergers and neutron star collisions.
• Objective: The observatory will use advanced laser interferometry to measure extremely small distortions in space-time, enhancing India’s participation in frontier astrophysics and multi-messenger astronomy research.
  • The facility will include ultra-high vacuum beam tubes extending several kilometres, along with precision infrastructure such as vibration-isolated platforms, control systems, and advanced monitoring equipment.
• Global Collaboration: LIGO India will function as part of the global LIGO network, complementing existing detectors in the United States and other countries. 
  • The project is being implemented under the aegis of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
• Strategic Importance: Establishing LIGO India strengthens India’s position in advanced scientific research, promotes high-precision engineering capabilities, and fosters international cooperation in space science and fundamental physics.
• Vision: The LIGO India initiative reflects India’s broader vision of becoming a global leader in cutting-edge scientific research and innovation-driven technological development.