New Delhi - A consortium of Indian engineering major Larsen and Toubro and Malaysian firm Scomi International have been awarded the contract to build India's first monorail in business hub Mumbai, a company release said.

The consortium will implement the 24.6-billion-rupee (519-million-dollar) project for the Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority over the next 30 months, Larsen and Toubro said in the release.

The consortium would design, construct, install, test and commission the 20-kilometre rail network connecting west and north-east Mumbai.

The monorail has been in the pipeline for several years as one of the efforts to ease the city's traffic congestion.

Work on the project will begin December 1 and will be executed on a "fast-track" as it required minimal demolition of buildings, the release added.

Larsen and Toubro holds a 55 per cent stake in the project while Scomi holds a 45 per cent interest. (dpa)