RITES Experts Recruitment 2026 – REOI for Empanelment of Experts (Port of Colombo Study)

Post-Wise Vacancy & Pay Scale

The REOI lists three positions for empanelment. The number of Experts to be empanelled per position is not stated in the notification. Salaries are not fixed by RITES; applicants must propose their own indicative monthly remuneration (INR or USD, excluding GST) which is negotiated at project engagement stage.

Eligibility Criteria & Educational Qualification

Port Planning Expert (Team Leader/Project Manager)

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. The degree must be from a Chartered / Recognized internationally accepted Civil Engineering related professional body.
• Sector Experience: Minimum 15 years
• Similar Assignment: Minimum 15 years of firsthand experience in port infrastructure planning and execution in a major container port
• Additional: Must be an expert in port facility planning

Port Related Logistics Expert

• Education: Master's degree or Post Graduate Diploma in Supply Chain Management, Port & Logistics Management, Port & Shipping Management, or Shipping Logistics
• Sector Experience: Minimum 15 years in managing and operating port-related logistics facilities
• Similar Assignment: Minimum 5 years of international logistics exposure in major foreign ports — ideally in a country with leading Container Performance Index ranking and LPI ranking below 35 (this 5-year requirement must be maintained after 2015 to ensure current knowledge of modern logistics trends and market strategies)

Transport Planner Expert

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering / Transport Engineering
• Sector Experience: Minimum 5 years
• Similar Assignment: Minimum 3 successfully completed projects of similar size — "similar size" is defined in the REOI with reference to containerized cargo flows through the Indian Ocean (Europe–Asia–Europe: 23 million TEUs in 2024; Trans-Pacific: 28.5 million TEUs in 2024; TransAtlantic: 7.9 million TEUs in 2024), and Sri Lanka handling over 25% of the regional container throughput

General Eligibility Conditions

• Age not more than 60 years as on the last date of EOI Application submission; no minimum age or age relaxation specified
• Applicant must not be blacklisted, debarred, banned or restricted by any Central Government, State Government, Central PSU or State PSU Department as on the submission date — any prior blacklisting/debarment/ban must be disclosed in Form-II
• Open to both International and National Experts — passport copy is mandatory
• The name and nomenclature of Bachelor's degree may differ across countries; RITES reserves all rights to determine whether the qualification criterion is fulfilled based on submitted documents

Selection Process & Screening Clause

The REOI does not involve a written test or interview. The process for empanelment and subsequent project engagement is as follows:

1. Application Submission & Completeness Check: RITES verifies that all prescribed forms (Form-I, Form-II, Form-III of Annexure-II) and supporting documents are provided. Clarifications may be requested from applicants within a specified time.
2. Evaluation: RITES evaluates applications using the inputs submitted in the prescribed formats and any clarifications obtained. RITES reserves the right to assess an applicant's capability and capacity to perform where circumstances warrant.
3. Empanelment: After evaluation, applicants are empanelled and informed by email. The first empanelment list is prepared from applications received up to 08 October 2026, 17:00 hrs. The list is subsequently expanded at intervals decided by RITES on a continuous basis.
4. Project-Wise Shortlisting: When RITES is bidding for a project, it scrutinises the CVs of empanelled Experts to judge suitability against the specific project's RFP requirements.
5. Negotiation & Written Consent: RITES interacts with shortlisted Experts, negotiates remuneration and obtains written consent on willingness, availability and agreed remuneration before the bid is submitted.
6. Project Engagement: Once the project is awarded to RITES, the Experts whose CVs were used in the bid are engaged for the project duration.

Important: Mere empanelment does not guarantee a job or project engagement with RITES Limited. RITES may suspend, remove or terminate the empanelment of any Expert at any time without assigning any reason. No TA/DA is applicable as this is an empanelment process, not a walk-in interview.

Required Documents & Instructions for Candidates

• Covering Letter (Form-I, Annexure-II) — addressed to Sub Unit Head, Ports & Water Resources Subunit, AP Vertical, RITES Limited. Must be unconditional, unqualified, signed with date, place and name.
• Specific Details Form (Form-II, Annexure-II) — positions applied for with nationality; passport number with self-attested passport copy; income tax returns of the last 3 filed returns; details of any blacklisting, debarment, ban or restrictions.
• Detailed Curriculum Vitae (Form-III, Annexure-II) — strictly following the prescribed format. Must include colour photograph, contact address, phone/mobile number, education, employment record, professional memberships, publications, language skills, trainings, prior assignments and a signed certification. Must indicate current work in hand and duration until which the applicant is engaged in that assignment.
• Educational qualification certificates and experience certificates (or any other document showing evidence of qualification and experience).
• Proof of Date of Birth, Proof of Qualifications, Proof of Memberships and Training, Proofs of Experience — all listed as attachments with the CV.
• Indicative Expected Remuneration Statement (Annexure-IV) — specifying position of interest, minimum qualification and experience, currency (INR/USD) and indicative expected monthly remuneration per person (basis: 22 working days per month, excluding GST).
• All applications must be signed in indelible ink with no interlineations or overwriting; any correction must be initialled by the applicant.
• Email the complete application to: [email protected] (copy to: [email protected]; [email protected]) with the subject line: "Empanelment of Experts for Preparation of a Land Use Optimization Study for the Port of Colombo".

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the last date to submit the RITES Experts EOI Application?

The last date for applications to be included in the first empanelment list is 08 October 2026 up to 17:00 hrs. Applications received after this date will still be accepted — empanelment is a continuous process and RITES evaluates applications at intervals it decides.

2. How do I submit the RITES Experts application?

There is no online application portal. Applications must be submitted by email to [email protected], with copies to [email protected] and [email protected]. The complete application must include all prescribed forms (Form-I, Form-II, Form-III of Annexure-II) and supporting documents, prepared in indelible ink with no overwriting. The subject line must read: "Empanelment of Experts for Preparation of a Land Use Optimization Study for the Port of Colombo".

3. Is there any application fee for RITES Experts Recruitment 2026?

The REOI does not specify any application fee. There is no mention of a payment requirement in the notification for empanelment of experts under this REOI.

4. What is the employment nature — permanent or contractual?

This is an empanelment process for a specific consultancy project (Land Use Optimization Study for the Port of Colombo). Empanelment is contractual and project-based. Selected experts are engaged only when a project is awarded to RITES and their CVs are used in the bid. Mere empanelment does not guarantee employment. RITES can remove or terminate any empanelment at any time without cause. Empanelment is valid for two years or until the Expert ceases to satisfy the REOI terms, whichever is earlier.

5. What salary will be paid for RITES expert positions?

RITES does not fix a salary for any position. Each applicant must state their indicative expected monthly remuneration (in INR or USD, excluding GST) on the basis of 22 working days per month. At the project engagement stage, RITES negotiates remuneration with shortlisted Experts and obtains written consent before the bid is submitted.

6. What is the upper age limit for RITES Experts empanelment?

The upper age limit is 60 years as on the last date of submission of the EOI Application. No minimum age or age relaxation has been specified in the notification. Proof of date of birth must be furnished with the application.