Vande Bharat must make most procurement locally

28 Jan 2021 CW Team

Indian Railways has awarded a Rs 2,211 crore tender to Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives Ltd for procurement of Vande Bharat Express (Train 18). The Indian Railways put a condition that the tender would require that a minimum of 75% be made locally.

The contract includes design, manufacture, supply and other equipment required for making the sets for 44 rakes and 16 cars each. These train sets will be manufactured at three production units of Indian Railways—24 rakes at Integral Coach Factory (ICF), 10 rakes at Modern Coach Factory (MCF) and 10 rakes at Rail Coach Factory (RCF).

The Ministry of Railways (MoR) said the delivery schedule for the supply of the first two prototype rakes would be in 20 months and after successful commissioning, the Hyderabad-based firm would deliver an average of six rakes per quarter.

A five-year comprehensive annual maintenance contract with the supplier has been included in the procurement. The specifications were prepared after multiple deliberations with the industry at various levels for manufacturing the train sets indigenously. Whether three-quarters indigenous procurement is feasible in reality is not known at present.

Image Source

4th Indian Cement Review Conference 2021

17-18 March

Click for event info

Infrastructure Urban

09 Jan 2026

Mount Invests Rs 250 Cr, Adds PUF & PEB Plants, 400+ Jobs

TUMKUR, Karnataka, January 8, 2025 - Mount Roofing & Structures Private Limited, one of India's fastest-growing manufacturers in PUF and a leading solutions provider across Pre-Engineered Building (PEB) and Polycarbonate sheets, simultaneously inaugurated its second fully automated continuous Sandwich Panel manufacturing line and a new PEB manufacturing plant at its integrated campus in Tumkur." The milestone expansion, part of a total investment of INR 250 crores, marks a significant advancement in the company's commitment to engineered performance, manu..

Titan Intech Strengthens UltraLED Push With Global LED Veteran

Titan Intech has announced the induction of global LED industry veteran Su Piow Ko to its Board of Directors, marking a strategic step in strengthening its UltraLED Displays roadmap and building globally competitive LED display solutions from India.The appointment aligns with Titan Intech’s ambition to position India as a hub for advanced, high-quality LED display manufacturing. With an increased focus on UltraLED Displays, the company aims to enhance technical governance, raise manufacturing standards and expand its presence across global markets.Su Piow Ko brings over three decades of inte..

Dun & Bradstreet Flags New Growth Engines in India 2026 Outlook

Dun & Bradstreet has released its India 2026: D&B’s Perspective report, projecting a stable macroeconomic environment underpinned by fresh opportunities for productivity-led and inclusive growth. The report outlines how India’s next growth phase will be driven by digitised logistics, trusted data ecosystems, clean energy and rising city vitality.According to the outlook, India’s GDP growth is expected to reach around 6.6 per cent by FY2027, supported by resilient consumer demand and sustained public investment. Manufacturing is seen entering a new phase, moving beyond scale towar..