A Number of companies have shown interest in a proposed “iconic tower” in Central Mumbai. A flood of expressions of interest has come in, after a recent trend that has seen few or no bidders for projects planned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

“Nine companies have bought the bid document for constructing the tower while 23 companies have shown an interest in designing and offering consultancy services,” said R Ramanna, additional chief of transport and communication, MMRDA.

The MMRDA hopes the tower, at 101 storeys, will be not only the tallest in the country but also among the world’s 10 tallest buildings. The Rs 2,500-crore project will be executed on a build-operate-transfer basis.

Of the 101 floors, 30 will be given to the developer who can use those for hospitality and other businesses. The MMRDA plans to ensure that the tower conforms to green norms.

The firms interested in design and offering consultancy, sources said, include the Louis Berger Group (New Jersey), Peddle Thorp Architects (Melbourne), ICON Realty Management (NY), CFA Realty (Malaysia), Sparks Realty (California) and Kapoor Associates. The nine firms interested in construction include Akruti City Ltd, Tata Realty, IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd, India Bulls, Top Value Deal Developers, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Partibha Industries, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, Larsen & Toubro and Gammon India, said MMRDA official.

The MMRDA has called a pre-bid meeting on Thursday to clear doubts, if any.