Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed operations at Alstom’s Savli facility in Vadodara, Gujarat, declaring that Indian Railways is rapidly emerging as a global exporter of bogies, coaches, locomotives, and propulsion systems under the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision. The Minister conducted a focused assessment of maintenance practices and praised Alstom’s approach of designing customised solutions for each order, recommending that Indian Railways emulate such innovation.
He proposed the development of a joint training programme between Indian Railways, Alstom, and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya through a creative and collaborative framework. He also suggested that General Managers of all Production Units undertake training and exposure visits to the Savli unit. Discussions included the use of sensors and artificial intelligence for preventive maintenance.
The Savli facility is producing state-of-the-art commuter and transit train cars with a strong commitment to the Government of India’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Over 3,400 engineers from India are actively collaborating with 21 Alstom sites worldwide. Since 2016, India has exported 1,002 rail cars for various international projects, including 450 manufactured at Savli for Australia’s Queensland Metro.
The Savli unit has exported over 3,800 bogies to Germany, Egypt, Sweden, Australia, and Brazil, along with more than 4,000 flatpacks to Vienna, Austria. The Maneja unit has exported over 5,000 propulsion systems to various global projects.
India is currently leading 27 international signalling projects and supporting an additional 40 projects worldwide. Bangalore’s Digital Experience Centre is driving innovation through more than 120 global projects, focusing on next-generation signalling using IoT, AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity.
India’s rail exports include metro coaches to Australia and Canada; bogies to the UK, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia; propulsion systems to France, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Germany, and Italy; passenger coaches to Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka; and locomotives to Mozambique, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the Republic of Guinea.
A strong network of leading suppliers supports the manufacturing ecosystem near Savli. Prominent players include Integra, Anovi, Hind Rectifier, Hitachi Energy, and ABB, specializing in fabrication, interiors, and electrical systems.
Speaking to the media, Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the impact of the Make in India and Make for the World initiatives is clearly visible in the Indian Railways manufacturing sector. He highlighted that the export of railway components to multiple countries is creating significant employment opportunities in India. He added that Indian engineers and workers are now gaining expertise in international standards, describing it as a major success of the Make in India mission.
