Srinagar, Dec. 10 -- The plan to lift travel in Jammu and Kashmir to higher ground took a clear step Wednesday as the National Highways Authority of India opened technical bids for preparing Detailed Project Reports for seven proposed ropeways across the Union Territory.

Four consultancy firms have entered the contest. Bernard Gruppe ZT GmbH, ILF Consulting Engineers India, Aakar Abhinav Consultants and SA Infrastructure Consultants are now being evaluated on their technical proposals.

One of them will help shape projects that could change how people move through some of the region's most remote valleys.

The government first invited bids for five ropeways in September 2025. The list soon grew to seven, stretching from the high meadows...