India is increasingly positioning itself as a global supplier of railway technology, with domestically designed and manufactured components now being exported to several advanced economies.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the country’s railway manufacturing ecosystem has evolved beyond meeting domestic demand and is now supplying critical systems to international markets. according to ANI.
Speaking during a visit to the Medha Bogies Factory in Hyderabad, Vaishnaw said India’s focus on indigenous design, advanced manufacturing and quality under the Make in India initiative has enabled the country to emerge as a manufacturer and exporter of complex railway products.
He was accompanied by Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy during the visit.
India exporting advanced railway systems to global markets
Speaking to reporters, Vaishnaw highlighted the growing global acceptance of railway systems designed and manufactured in India.
“India is becoming a major railway products manufacturer and exporter. In recent times, following PM Modi’s Make in India program, many of the railway components, especially the complex electronics and the propulsion systems, which are the heart of any railway system, are now designed in India, manufactured in India and exported to countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, the US and now even Japan. So this is a major achievement for our country, and the quality of many of these components has turned out to be really world-class. That is the only way to establish our country in the global market,” Vaishnaw said, according to ANI.
The minister said building globally competitive products requires sustained attention to design, manufacturing quality and supply chain integration.
“Making sure that the design focus is there, quality focus is there, and whatever supply chain is there, that supply chain should be properly aligned with the quality goals. That is the way we are working. Today morning we also had a very good roundtable with the IT industry where we focused on the way the semiconductor industry is growing in India and the huge demand for semiconductor design…”
Focus on manufacturing capabilities and workforce development
During his visit to the Medha Bogies Factory, Vaishnaw reviewed various stages of railway coach and component manufacturing and interacted with engineers and production teams to understand the facility’s capabilities.
He sought feedback on production systems, technical expertise, workforce training and skill development initiatives that support advanced railway manufacturing. The minister also discussed employees’ day-to-day responsibilities, their training experience and the adoption of modern manufacturing practices within the plant.
Vaishnaw also reviewed the factory’s manufacturing infrastructure and was briefed on quality control processes, production capacity and ongoing efforts to strengthen manufacturing capabilities.
The visit comes as Indian Railways continues to expand domestic production of rolling stock, propulsion systems and other critical railway technologies while increasing exports under the Make in India programme.
From importer to exporter
India’s railway manufacturing ecosystem has expanded significantly over the past decade as the government pushed indigenous production under the Make in India initiative. While Indian Railways earlier depended heavily on imported systems for several critical technologies, domestic companies are now manufacturing propulsion equipment, signalling systems, traction electronics, coaches, wagons and other railway components for both domestic use and exports.
Indian manufacturers are also supplying railway products to international markets, with exports ranging from rolling stock and signalling equipment to propulsion systems and other high-value components. The government’s focus on localisation, technology development and domestic manufacturing has been aimed at reducing import dependence while positioning India as a global railway manufacturing hub.