The Group was founded in 1978 by its Chairman Mr. G. Mallikarjuna Rao, a technocrat and first-generation entrepreneur to address the opportunity in the Agribusiness industry, the group extended its capabilities to the creation of mega infrastructure projects. This span the domains of developing, operating, managing, and owning international grade airports, setting and operating major energy utilities, developing and operating modern highways and urban infrastructure facilities besides developing multi-product SEZ Zones. In addition, the group continues its commitment to promote the agri sector with a focus on energy-efficient sugar manufacturing aimed to benefit the community of cane growing farmers and the region.

The Group is responsible for the development and management of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad and the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. The Hyderabad International Airport built by the Group along with its consortium partners, is the country’s first Greenfield airport, which commenced operations on March 23, 2008. The Group is also modernizing the IGI Airport in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. GMR made its first international foray, by winning the bid to develop Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISGIA) at Istanbul, Turkey, along with its consortium partners Limak Holding, Turkey (LIMAK) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB)

Contract and/or subcontract with third parties to undertake functions on behalf of DIAL, and sub-leases and/or license the Demised Premises in accordance with provisions of OMDA.

Besides upgrading the existing terminals, DIAL has already commissioned a new runway 11-29 at IGI Airport on September 25, 2008. It has also inaugurated the new domestic departure terminal 1D (T1D) on 26th February, 2009. T1D increased the capacity of IGI Airport by 10 million passengers per annum. DIAL is also constructing an integrated passenger terminal building (Terminal 3). The first phase of the airport is designed to handle 60 million passengers per annum (mppa).