Gulmarg's Gondola lift in Kashmir.Rajgir's Chairlift ropeway in Bihar, also India's first ropeway.View of Palani from Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple Ropeway in Tamil Nadu. Many ropeways in India are built to connect temples atop hills.
The Aerial lift in India, also known as ropeways or cableways in India, consists of various Cable transport systems such as Aerial tramway, Chairlift, Gondola lift and Material ropeway where cabins, open chairs or containers are hauled above the ground with the help of cables.[1][2] With 30% of India being mountainous, aerial lifts offer an efficient mode of connectivity in these terrains where roads and railways are otherwise difficult to build.[3]
While historically restricted to hill stations and pilgrimage sites, under Indian government's Parvatmala Scheme (lit.'mountain garland scheme'), envisages spending ₹1,250 billion (US$15billion) in public–private partnership (PPP) mode over five years till 2030 to build 200 new ropeway projects of more than 1200km length, to decongest the traffic on the narrow roads of big cities where implementation of other modes would pose challenges, in addition to mountainous locations.[3][1][2] This article also contains a list of glass bridge skywalks in tourist locations.
Rajgir Ropeway in Bihar, a 333m-long chairlift ropeway built in 1960s, is India's first ropeway.[4] As of 2024, the 4km-long Auli Ropeway in Uttarakhand is India's longest[5] and world's the second-longest ropeway behind Vietnam's 7,899.9 m long Hòn Thơm cable car,[6] and when completed the under-construction 5.5km-long Mussoorie-Dehradun Ropeway will be the longest in India.[5]Kashi ropeway is India's first urban ropeway,[7] and world's third urban public transport ropeway behind Bolivia's Mi Teleférico opened in 2014 and Mexico City's Mexicable opened in 2021.[8]
As of 2025, all 36 states and union territories (UT) of India have either existing or planned ropeways, except in the UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
History
The first aerial lifts in India were being built during the 1960s and 1970s, primarily in hill stations and religious sites. Notably, the first modern ropeway in India was built at Rajgir Hills, Bihar as a 'gift' to the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir by the famous Japanese Buddhist monk Fuji Guruji (Nichidatsu Fujii). Political activist Jai Prakash Narayan was the first person to take the ropeway ride.[4]
Since the 2000s, state governments and private operators have developed several ropeways with modern cabins, automated drive systems and higher safety standards. With the announcment of Parvatmala Pariyojana in 2022, the importance and popularity of ropeways has increased. The project was aimed at creating sustainable ropeway infrastructures in both mountainous and urban regions under a Public–private partnership (PPP) model.[3][1][2]
Terminology
Indian aerial lifts use a range of technologies depending on terrain, needs and passenger volume. Cabins on modern systems are typically closed, climate resilient and equipped with CCTV surveillance, emergency communication and automated braking systems.
Gondola lift: It consists of a continuously circulating cable, strung between two or more stations over intermediate supporting towers. Mono-cable Detachable Gondola (MDG) is used for short routes and tourism, Bi-cable and Tri-cable systems span longer, provide additional support and safety during strong winds. Gondola lift is also the most widely used aerial lift system in India, including urban regions. Example: Kashi ropeway.
Aerial tramway: It uses one or two stationary cables for support, with a third moving cable for propulsion. The grip is fixed onto the propulsion cable and thus cannot be decoupled during operation. They provide lower capacities and frequencies compared to Gondola lifts.
Chairlift: They are continuously circulating systems carrying chairs, usually designed for skiers to board without removing skiing equipment. Detachable chairlifts usually move faster than fixed-grip chairlifts that enable safe boarding and deboarding. Chairlifts in India are also built in non ski areas. Example: Rajgir ropeway
Material ropeway: Material ropeways or Goods ropeways is built for carrying goods rather than passengers. They are usually monocable or bi-cable gondola lifts with containers. Example: Pamulapalli coal ropeway.
Legalisation
Aerial lift projects in India are regulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and implemented by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) under its National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), which oversees new projects under Parvatmala Pariyojana. The new ropeways are being aligned with Make in India initiative, which mandates at least 50% of indigenous components in construction.[9]
Ropeways
Alphabetical list by the state and union territories of India.
GuwahatiUmananda Island ropeway: Twin-track, bi-cable, double reversible jigback ropeway of 1800m length and 250 PPH capacity is India's longest river ropeway. It is built across Brahmaputra River over Umanand Island and allows easy transportation to and from North Guwahati.
Bihar
Rajgir Ropeway in Bihar, 333m-long chairlift ropeway built in 1960s, is India's first ropeway.[4]
Chandigarh
Chandigarh-Mansa Devi Ropeway: proposed ropeway will begin from the Chandigarh Botanical, with stops at Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, Mata Mansa Devi Mandir railway station, and end at Mata Mansa Devi Mandir hill top. No progress has been made as of September 2025. There is also proposal to extend it further 15 to make it part of Parwanoo-Shimla Ropeway.
Dhaula Kuan-Manesar ropeway from Delhi to Gurugram, planned, nearly 40 km long pod ropeway with 200km/h speed will cutdown over 1 hr travel time to few minutes, with stopover at IGI Aerocity, repeatedly announced by the MoRTH minister Gadkari several times include in Sept 2025.[15]
Bilaspur ropeway: It is one of the 7 ropeway projects, of 60.6km combined length, approved for construction in Himachal Pradesh in September 2022 at the total combined cost of nearly INR2964 crore (~US$355 million).[16]
Chamba ropeway: It is one of the 7 ropeway projects in Himachal approved for construction in September 2022.[16]
Dharamshala ropeway: It is one of the 7 ropeway projects in Himachal approved for construction in September 2022.[16]
Kangra ropeway: It is one of the 7 ropeway projects in Himachal approved for construction in September 2022.[16]
Kullu ropeway: It is one of the 7 ropeway projects in Himachal approved for construction in September 2022.[16]
Devi ropeway: It was built in 1997 with 800 PPH capacity.
Parwanoo Timber Trail ropeway: It is India's first Hill to Hill ropeway which is 1.8km long without pillars in between the LTP (Lower Terminal point) and UTP (Upper Terminal Point). This bi-cable ropeway, with capacity of 1000 PPH, was built in 1988 for the Timber Trail Resort.
Parwanoo-Shimla Ropeway: a proposed 40 km, 11 station ropeway line, taking two hours for the entire length, expected to be completed by 2030. [17] There is proposal to link it with Chandigarh-Mansa Devi Ropeway by extending it 25 km south to make it one integrated ropeway.
ShimlaJakhu Temple ropeway: This is 410 m long, double-grip, mono cable ropeway, with 400 PPH capacity was built in 2017.
ShimlaTara Devi Temple ropeway: It was approved for construction in September 2022. This 14.67km long ropeway with 15 stations will cost INR1546 crore (~US$200 million).[16]
Sirmaur ropeway: It is one of the 7 ropeway projects in Himachal approved for construction in September 2022.[16]
Gulmarg Gondola at Gulmarg: This ski resort has the 2nd highest cable car in the world and Asia's highest and longest cable car reaching an altitude of 13,400ft.[19]
Jammu ropeway: it is 1.65km long cable car, with first section from Peer Kho to the Mahamaya temple over the Tawi River and second section is from the Mahamaya temple to the Bahu Fort.
Ramban ropeway: planned from Karchial to Vasmarg in Ramban district, tenders for preparation of DPR have been invited in March 2025.[18]
Srinagar Shankracharya Temple cable car: 1.05 km planned.[18]
Vaishno Devi ropeway: It is a 375 m long, bi-cable, double reversible jigback ropeway with 800 PPH capacity to carry passengers from The Bhavan to Bhairon temple.
Chitrakoot ropeway: 302 m long ropeway with 500 PPH capacity. This Aerial Ropeway is situated at Hanuman Dhara in Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh.
Dewas ropeway: 400 PPH capacity 367 m long ropeway ascends from the junction of two national highways right up to Maa Chamunda Temple and Tulja Bhawani Mata Temple, while simultaneously being home to a Jain Temple and a Mosque.
Maihar Maa Sharda Devi ropeway: It was built in 2009 with 800 PPH capacity.
Gangtok ropeway: Built in 2003, this ropeway ferries tourists from one part of the city to another and offers a panoramic view of the full Gangtok city. This ropeway also serves to de-congest the city.
Namchi ropeway: It is a 2.75km long cable car. Another ropeway is also there in yangang area, Sikkim
Coal Handling Ropeway near Pamulapalli in Telengana.
Golconda Fort Ropeway: 1.5 km long ropeway project between hilltop Golconda Fort and 7 Qutb Shahi tombs was approved in September 2025, tenders were invited for feasibility study, following which DPR will be prepared for the construction.[27]
Pamulapalli Coal Ropeway: existing, for transporting coal.
Auli ropeway: This is 4.2km ropeway constructed in 1987 by Aarconinfra Ropeways ( earlier Method & Erectofab Consultant) and it was then considered as India's longest and second longest ropeway in Asia at the time of its construction.[28]
Mussoorie ropeway: It is India's first cabin /gondola based ropeway which was constructed in 1971 by Aarconinfra Ropeways ( earlier Method & Erectofab Consultant) and It is 400m long, bi-able zig back with 400 PPH capacity.[29]
Haridwar Mansa Devi Temple Udan Khatola: Haridwar is India's first city with two passenger ropeways. This ropeway, built in 1981 with 800 PPH capacity, is the busiest ropeway of India.
Nainital ropeway: Constructed in 1990 by Aarconinfra Ropeways ( earlier Method & Erectofab Consultant), it is 2270m long bi-cable, zig-back, 1200 PPH capacity ropeway with 2 wagons which can carry 8 persons each.[29]
Kedatnath Ropeway: Rs 4,081 crore 12.9 km Sonprayag to Kedarnath proposed system, based on the advanced Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology with a capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD) carrying 18,000 passengers per day, reduces the 8–9 hours trek for a pilgrim to 36 minutes. In September 2025 thr contract for construction was awarded to Adani group.
Digha cable car: It was built in 2015 is within the premises of Amrabati Park and traverses the beautiful lake and greenery of the park. Digha is a seaside resort town in Purba Medinipur district and at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal.
Kolkata Science City ropeway: Built in 1998, with 500 PPH capacity in the heart of city Kolkata.[34]
Lonavala Tiger Point Skywalk, a 125 meter long, 6 meter wide, horseshoe-shaped glass-bridge skywalk at Tiger Point in Lonavala, will commence construction in 2025 with target completion by June 2027.[38]
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