Shimla/Kaza, Jan 2(.) State-run PSU ITI Ltd. has secured a Rs 72.76-crore turnkey contract to construct a state-of-the-art ice hockey rink facility at Kaza Soma in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district.
The project marks a significant diversification move by ITI beyond its traditional telecom manufacturing operations into large-scale infrastructure and system integration projects.
The contract has been awarded by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul and Spiti, for execution on a turnkey basis. Once completed, the facility will be the second natural, world-class ice skating rink in Kaza, strengthening the region’s position as a key hub for winter sports in India.
According to project details the ice hockey rink would be supported by comprehensive modern infrastructure. The scope of work includes construction of a full-fledged ice hockey facility along with a 500 kW solar power backup system to ensure uninterrupted operations in the high-altitude, power-sensitive region. The project will also feature an integrated CCTV surveillance network, advanced lighting systems, and other essential accessories and supporting infrastructure.
The development is expected to give a major boost to ice hockey and ice skating in India, sports that currently remain niche and largely confined to high-altitude cold desert regions such as Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh. Despite growing interest, India continues to compete in the lower divisions of international ice hockey due to limited access to modern training and competition facilities. The Kaza rink is expected to help bridge this infrastructure gap and provide better training opportunities for local youth and national-level players.
For ITI Ltd, the project reflects a strategic effort to diversify revenue streams and leverage its engineering, project management, and system integration expertise beyond the telecom sector. The PSU has been gradually expanding into non-telecom verticals, and the Kaza ice hockey rink stands out as a high-visibility infrastructure project in a challenging terrain.
Local officials believe the facility will also promote sports tourism and generate economic activity in the remote tribal district, aligning with broader efforts to develop Lahaul and Spiti as an international winter sports destination.
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