The process to set up Asia’s largest train wheel manufacturing plant is under process. The wheel plant will be set up by a consortium of Titagarh Wagons, and Ramkrishna Forgings. The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India‘ initiative. This is also a perfect example for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Manufacturing capacity of Ramkrishna Titagarh Rail Wheels Limited:-
The proposed factory will be equipped with state-of-the-art German technology and machinery. The plant will have the capacity to build two-lakh wheels annually. The factory will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
Location of Asia’s largest wheel manufacturing plant:-
The location to set up the Ramkrishna Titagarh Rail Wheels Limited has not yet been finalized. As of now, the study is underway to identify the best-cost effective location. However, the consortium will take the final decision after consultation with the railway authorities.
The locations for setting up the factory will be finalised on the basis of – easy access to source raw materials, cost-effective transport of finished goods, etc.
Revenue:-
Once the wheel plant starts operating at its full capacity, the annual revenue of the consortium will be between Rs 1,500-2,000 crore. It will supply 80,000 wheels annually to the railways.
The consortium of Titagarh Wagons and Ramkrishna Forgings has recently won the tender with an aggressive bid of Rs 12,226 crore. The national transporter will off-take 80,000 wheels annually for the next 20 years to support manufacturing in the country.
In the past, the railways used to import train wheels worth around Rs 500 crore per annum. However, as part of self-reliant India, the government had decided to stop importing train wheels. It also decided to build up a capacity to export the wheels to foreign nations. The new proposed factory will also export forged wheels to Europe and other countries, after supplying its products to the railways.
