India leads in rail electrification as network expands to 68,000 km

26 Aug 2024 CW Team

India is leading the charge in rail electrification, with the nation's rail network now extending to 68,000 km, according to Mukul Saran Mathur, Additional Member, Commercial, Ministry of Railways. Speaking at the ASSOCHAM National Conference in New Delhi, Mathur highlighted the significant role of the Indian railway system, which accommodates 20 million passengers daily and has recently operated over 5,000 special trains to assist migrant workers. The Vande Bharat trains were also recognised as a key ?flagship product? in India's ongoing rail modernisation efforts.

The Indian government has committed Rs 850 billion for railway expansion in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Among the improvements is a faster ticket refund process, now completed within one to two business days.

Deepak Sharma from ASSOCHAM emphasized that modernising the railways is central to India's vision of 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India), aiming to improve connectivity and drive economic growth. Additionally, Sanjay Bajpai from the National Council on Logistics and Warehousing highlighted the role of AI and machine learning in achieving 100% cargo visibility and last-mile connectivity through the Gati Shakti plan.

Animesh Gupta, Goldratt Research Labs underscored the need to increase rail freight share to 40% and reduce the environmental impact of railway operations. Manish Puri of ACTO and Moonish Ghuge, ABB India Ltd stressed the importance of modern safety measures and infrastructure to meet growing trade demands and ensure passenger safety.

The conference discussions emphasised the importance of transparency and reliability in implementing transformative technological solutions for India's railways.

(Financial express)

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..