Water supply tenders: Jal Jeevan Mission, AMRUT 2.0, buyers, works and eligibility

Water supply tenders are among the most common works tenders in India, and Jal Jeevan Mission tenders and AMRUT tenders make up a large share of them. This guide explains how JJM and AMRUT 2.0 work, who issues water supply tenders, the typical works and eligibility tests, the O&M you'll be asked to do, and where the tenders are published.

What are water supply tenders?

A water supply tender invites contractors to build, supply or run some part of a drinking water system. That might be:

• source works: intake wells, tube wells, borewells and pump houses;
• treatment: water treatment plants (WTPs) and chlorination;
• storage: overhead tanks (OHTs, also called elevated service reservoirs) and ground-level sumps;
• pipelines: rising mains, gravity mains and village or city distribution networks;
• house connections: the tap and pipe from the main line into each home;
• O&M: running and maintaining a scheme for a set number of years;
• supply: pipes, pumps, valves, meters and chlorinators.

Many tenders bundle several of these into one EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) package.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) tenders

What JJM is

The Jal Jeevan Mission, run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, started on 15 August 2019 to bring tap water to every rural household. A tap counts as a functional household tap connection only if it supplies at least 55 litres per person per day, of water that meets the BIS:10500 drinking water standard, on a regular basis.

On 10 March 2026 the Cabinet extended the mission up to December 2028, calling the new phase JJM 2.0. It said the focus moves from building infrastructure to delivering a service. The total outlay was raised to ₹8.69 lakh crore, with central assistance of ₹3.59 lakh crore. About 15.8 crore of the 19.36 crore rural households identified by the states have been reported as having a tap connection, and JJM 2.0 aims to cover the rest by December 2028. Operational guidelines for JJM 2.0 were issued on 22 May 2026; read them on jaljeevanmission.gov.in for the current rules.

How JJM works are packaged

JJM is carried out by the states, so the state's water department, Jal Nigam or water and sanitation mission issues the tenders. The 2019 operational guidelines set out the patterns you'll see:

• Single-village schemes (SVS): a source, tank and network for one village.
• Multi-village schemes (MVS): a large source and treatment plant feeding many villages through long pipelines. The guidelines call these costlier to run and ask states to use them only where needed.
• In-village works: the guidelines preferred the EPC mode with 2 to 5 years of O&M by the executing agency.
• The Gram Panchayat's role: the Gram Panchayat, or its water committee (the Paani Samiti or VWSC), plans, oversees and later runs the in-village system. Land for village structures is arranged in the panchayat's favour.
• Penalties for delay: the guidelines ask states to put penalty clauses for delay into contracts and to monitor them.

AMRUT 2.0 tenders

AMRUT 2.0 (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) is the urban counterpart, run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It was launched on 1 October 2021 for 2021-22 to 2025-26. Its goals:

• universal water supply through functional taps to all households in all statutory towns;
• sewerage and septage management in the 500 cities covered by the first AMRUT;
• about 2.68 crore new tap connections and 2.64 crore sewer connections.

The central share was ₹76,760 crore. Cities with a population above ten lakh must carry out projects worth 10% of their allocation in PPP mode, so some AMRUT tenders are PPP contracts rather than plain works; our PPP model guide explains how those work. Approved AMRUT 2.0 project costs include operation and maintenance, so expect O&M years in the contract.

The mission's period ran to 2025-26. Check the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for its current status before you plan around new AMRUT work.

Who issues water supply tenders

Names differ by state. Examples are UP Jal Nigam, the Delhi Jal Board, the Kerala Water Authority and Tamil Nadu's TWAD Board. Central buyers such as CPWD, Military Engineer Services, the railways and central universities tender water supply for their own campuses.

Typical works in water supply tenders

Most of these are priced through a BOQ (bill of quantities); our BOQ guide shows how to fill one. Pipe and pump supply tenders, and the third-party inspection and consultancy contracts around these schemes, are tendered separately. GovtTenderHub's pipeline tenders page collects the pipe-laying work.

Eligibility for water supply tenders

Each tender sets its own numbers, but the tests are familiar:

• Similar works: water supply schemes, pipelines or tanks of a stated size or value, completed within a stated period. Central works often use the DoE works manual's rule of three works of 40%, two of 50% or one of 80% of the estimated cost in the last seven years. See our eligibility criteria guide.
• Turnover: an average over recent years. The DoE works manual suggests at least 30% of the estimated cost for central works; states set their own figures.
• Bid capacity: larger works use A × M × N − B to check you aren't over-committed. Our bid capacity guide works through it.
• Registration: most state departments want you registered in their contractor class for the value of the work.
• Equipment and staff: pipe-laying machinery, a hydraulic testing kit, and qualified engineers named in the bid.
• Security: an EMD with the bid and a performance security if you win. Under central rules the performance security for works is 3% to 10% of the contract value.

O&M, defect liability and payment

Water contracts keep you on site well after the last pipe is laid:

1. Trial run and commissioning. Expect a period of running the scheme and proving the supply before handover.
2. Defect liability period (DLP). You fix defects from your materials or workmanship at your own cost. CPWD's general conditions set 12 months from completion; other buyers set their own. See our defect liability period guide.
3. O&M period. Often several years, paid separately from construction, with performance conditions such as hours of supply, water quality tests and complaint response times.
4. Handover. In JJM villages, in-village systems pass to the Gram Panchayat or Paani Samiti after the O&M period.

Price the O&M years carefully: electricity, operators, chemicals, spares and leak repairs add up, and penalties for missed supply can come out of your bills.

Where to find water supply tenders

• State e-procurement portals: almost all PHED, Jal Nigam, water board and municipal tenders are on the state's portal.
• CPPP and the central eProcurement portal: water works for central ministries, CPWD and central institutions.
• Defence eProcurement: Military Engineer Services water supply works.
• GeM: pipes, pumps, valves and water testing equipment.

These are spread across dozens of portals, so GovtTenderHub collects them in one place: water supply tenders for drinking water schemes, water and sanitation tenders for the wider sector including sewerage, and civil works tenders for all works. Set a daily tender alert for "water supply" or "Jal Jeevan" in your districts to see new ones each morning.

Common questions

What is Jal Jeevan Mission tender?

A tender issued by a state water department, Jal Nigam or water and sanitation mission for work funded under the Jal Jeevan Mission: village pipelines, tanks, sources, house connections, treatment plants and O&M. JJM is carried out by the states, so the tenders are on state e-procurement portals.

How do I get JJM tenders?

Register as a contractor with your state's water department or Jal Nigam in the right class, enrol on the state e-procurement portal with a Class 3 digital signature, and watch for tenders in your districts. Start with single-village schemes if your experience is limited.

Is Jal Jeevan Mission extended to 2028?

Yes. On 10 March 2026 the Cabinet extended JJM up to December 2028 as JJM 2.0, with a total outlay of ₹8.69 lakh crore and a focus on reliable service rather than only building new schemes.

What is AMRUT 2.0?

The urban water mission launched on 1 October 2021 for 2021-22 to 2025-26. It aims at tap water for every household in all statutory towns and sewerage in 500 cities, through tenders issued by cities and state agencies.

What is FHTC in Jal Jeevan Mission?

FHTC stands for functional household tap connection: a tap at home that supplies at least 55 litres per person per day of water meeting the BIS:10500 standard, on a regular basis.

Do water supply tenders include O&M?

Usually, yes. JJM's 2019 guidelines preferred EPC contracts with 2 to 5 years of O&M by the same agency for in-village works, and AMRUT 2.0 project costs include O&M. Read the O&M years, payment terms and performance conditions before you price your bid.