Sixty to seventy years after being an importer of forged wheels used in the railways, India is poised to become an exporter of the train component, Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Thursday.
During the inauguration of the Chennai Design Centre of US-based semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm, Minister Vaishnaw revealed that construction activities for setting up a plant to produce forged wheels for the railways have commenced in Tamil Nadu.
The railways has entered into a joint venture with Ramakrishna Forgings Ltd to establish the manufacturing facility at Gummidipoondi near Chennai, with an initial outlay of Rs 650 crore.
"The factory to produce the forged wheels is now being set up. Construction has started. The plant will have the capacity to produce 2.5 lakh wheels, of which 80,000 will be used in India and the remaining 1.70 lakh will be exported," Vaishnaw informed reporters.
"For 60-70 years, India was an importer of forged wheels. India will now emerge as a major exporter of forged wheels. I am very happy that this plant is being set up in Tamil Nadu, and in another 16-18 months, the production will start," he added.
Additionally, Vaishnaw highlighted that the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai would also develop standard gauge Vande Bharat trains.
"When we are thinking of exporting Vande Bharat trains few years down the line, we must have the development of standard gauge Vande Bharat trains today," he stated.
The minister emphasized that designing, testing, and obtaining national and international approvals for standard gauge Vande Bharat trains will take time but is crucial for future exports.
"It is a very big and tedious process. But if we start today, in five years from now, we will have a good standard gauge product which will be ready for exports. I am very happy that these two developments will be done out of Tamil Nadu," Vaishnaw said.
The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai has achieved a significant milestone of producing over 73,700 coaches since its establishment in 1955, making it the highest by any passenger coach manufacturer globally. Additionally, the factory has exported more than 875 coaches and components to various countries, totaling about Rs 1,004 crore of trade.
This move marks a significant shift in India's railway manufacturing landscape, positioning the country as a major exporter of train components and further solidifying its foothold in the global railway market.
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