The Railway Ministry has asked all its zones to share their operational challenges on the Indian Railways Innovation Portal, enabling start-ups, individual innovators, research institutes and MSMEs to develop breakthrough solutions. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between the railways and India’s innovation ecosystem.

Launched in 2022 under the Startups for Railways programme, the portal has received strong participation over the past four years. According to a senior railway official, more than 4,043 entities have registered so far, including 416 start-ups, 2,655 individual innovators, 233 MSMEs, 213 R&D institutes, as well as NGOs and Section 8 companies.

These entities have proposed cutting-edge solutions in areas such as smart track inspection systems, fire and smoke detection for coaches, solar-powered LVPH coaches, lightweight wagons for salt transport, rail stress monitoring and broken rail detection, robotics, sensor-based alarms and e-seal systems for safer shunting and caution relaying.

Officials said that over 131 workshops and meetings have been held across railway zones and PSUs, with around 1,560 start-ups and innovators participating to discuss operational and safety-related issues.

Some of the innovations—particularly track inspection technologies enabling more accurate assessment, and rooftop solar systems using flexible PV panels on LVPH coaches—have already shown strong potential to enhance safety and environmental sustainability.

“We are working with partner firms to integrate these innovations into railway operations,” a railway official said.