Ashwini Vaishnaw Highlights India’s Global Rail Exports & Make in India Success

Union Minister for Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw visited Alstom’s Savli facility in Vadodara, Gujarat, one of India’s key railway rolling stock manufacturing hubs. He reviewed the plant’s operations with a focus on maintenance practices and lauded Alstom’s approach of designing customised solutions for each order, suggesting Indian Railways adopt similar innovations. He also proposed a joint training program with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya and recommended training and exposure visits to the Savli unit for General Managers of all Production Units. The use of sensors and artificial intelligence for preventive maintenance was also discussed.

The Savli facility manufactures advanced commuter and transit train cars aligned with the Government of India’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Since 2016, India has exported 1,002 rail cars for international projects, including 450 from Savli to Australia for the Queensland Metro. The unit has also exported over 3,800 bogies to countries like Germany, Egypt, Sweden, and Brazil, along with 4,000+ modules to Austria. Additionally, the Maneja unit has exported more than 5,000 propulsion systems globally.

India is currently leading 27 international signalling projects and supporting over 40 more. Bangalore’s Digital Experience Centre is driving over 120 global projects using IoT, AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity to advance next-gen signalling technologies.

Indian-made rail products are now reaching multiple countries: metro coaches to Australia and Canada, bogies to the UK and France, propulsion systems to Germany and Spain, and locomotives to Bangladesh and Mozambique. These exports are boosting the local economy and generating employment through a robust supplier ecosystem near Savli, supported by firms like ABB, Hitachi Energy, and Hind Rectifier.

Addressing the media, the Minister said the global success of Indian-made rail components reflects the growing strength of the “Make in India, Make for the World” vision. He emphasised that Indian engineers are now mastering international standards, marking a key milestone in the nation’s industrial progress.