Railway Make in India
Railway Make in India
“Make in India” in Railways is the national transporter’s drive to indigenously design, manufacture and maintain every rolling stock, signalling system, track component and even station infrastructure so that India becomes a global rail-equipment hub and the ₹1.5-lakh-crore annual import bill is brought to near zero.
Key Facts & Figures
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch date of Rail Make in India | 24 Sept 2014 (with Make in India Week) |
| First Made-in-India locomotive | WAG-12 (12,000 HP) from DLW, Varanasi (Apr 2018) |
| First indigenous EMU | Medha (3-phase IGBT) by BEML & RDSO (2019) |
| First indigenous Vande Bharat | Train-18, Integral Coach Factory, Feb 2019 |
| Highest HP freight loco now made | 12,000 HP WAG-12 ( twin-cab ) |
| Total % of ‘Made in India’ coaches | 100 % since 2017-18 (all ICF/LHB design) |
| Share of Indian vendors in LHB coach | > 90 % by value |
| Metro coach indigenisation | 75 % in Alstom-India Mumbai & Chennai rakes |
| Rail-cum-road vehicle & tower-car | 100 % indigenous by RDSO & BEML |
| Automatic signalling ‘Kavach’ | 95 % Indian IP, developed by RDSO |
| Electric loco production target | 1,200 locos/yr by 2025 (CLW+DLW+BLW) |
| DFC locos order placed on | Alstom (Madhepura) & BHEL-Titagarh JV |
| Station redevelopment–Indian partners | IRSDC, RLDA, NBCC, RVNL, RITES |
| Total FDI allowed in rail | 100 % in most segments since 2014 |
| Current annual saving on imports | ≈ ₹12,000 cr (FY 24) |
Important Points
- 100 % of conventional passenger coaches are now built inside India (ICF, RCF, MCF).
- DLW (now Banaras Loco Works) rolled out India’s first 12,000 HP electric freight loco under Transfer-of-Technology from Alstom—over 900 ordered.
- ‘Train-18’ (Vande Bharat) is a completely domestic IP: design by RDSO, shells by ICF, propulsion by Medha, software by BHEL.
- ‘Kavach’ automatic train protection is SIL-4 certified and mandatory on 3,000 km Golden-Quad by 2025.
- Indian Railways has stopped import of wheels; Rail Wheel Plant, Bela, and RWF, Yelahanka meet 100 % demand.
- EMU/MEMU traction equipment indigenisation touched 92 %; only semiconductors still imported.
- Metro rake manufacturing facilities exist in SriCity (Andhra), Savli (Gujarat), Coimbatore & Bengaluru.
- National Rail Plan (2030) envisages 100 % electric traction and 100 % ‘Made in India’ rolling stock.
- 75 % of high-speed corridor EPC contracts are reserved for Indian firms (Mumbai-Ahmedabad).
- ‘One-Station-One-Product’ scheme dovetails Make-in-India by promoting local MSME crafts on 1,000 A-1 stations.
- Production-Linked-Incentive (PLI) for advanced coach components (air-con, couplers, composites) notified 2022.
- RDSO has floated 180 master specifications that only allow Indian-registered suppliers for critical safety items.
- Export earnings from rail items crossed ₹3,000 cr in FY 24 (locos to Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Nepal; coaches to Bangladesh).
- Rail India Technical & Economic Service (RITES) and IRCON are now turnkey exporters of ‘Made in India’ rail systems to 62 nations.
Frequently Asked in Exams
- Name the first 100 % indigenous semi-high-speed train of India.
- Which plant manufactures 100 % of Indian Railways’ wheels?
- What is the horsepower of the WAG-12 electric locomotive?
- Which organisation has developed the ‘Kavach’ ATP system?
- Under which ministry was the National Rail Plan (2020) launched?
Practice MCQs
Question:01 The first Made-in-India 12,000 HP electric locomotive was rolled out at
A) Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Asansol
B) Banaras Loco Works (DLW), Varanasi
C) Integral Coach Factory, Chennai
D) Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Banaras Loco Works (DLW) in Varanasi manufactured and rolled out India’s first 12,000 HP electric locomotive, marking a major milestone in high-power indigenous traction capability.
Question:02 Which of the following is NOT a sub-component indigenised under Make-in-India coaches?
A) Coupler draft gear
B) Air-conditioning package
C) Rail-wheel steel alloy
D) IGBT traction converter
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Rail-wheel steel alloy has already been indigenised; the other items are still being localised under the Make-in-India coach programme.
Question:03 Train-18 (Vande Bharat) was designed and developed by
A) DMRC in collaboration with BHEL
B) RDSO in association with ICF
C) CLW with support from NTPC
D) RailTel jointly with SIDBI
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Vande Bharat (Train-18) was indigenously designed and developed by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) in association with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.
Question:04 100 % FDI is now permitted in Indian Railways for
A) Passenger train operations only
B) Freight train operations only
C) Both passenger & freight infrastructure
D) None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The Government of India has allowed 100 % Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under the automatic route in Indian Railways for both passenger and freight infrastructure projects, covering areas such as high-speed trains, suburban corridors, freight terminals, rolling stock, and signalling systems.
Question:05 The automatic train protection system ‘Kavach’ is certified to which Safety Integrity Level (SIL)?
A) SIL-1
B) SIL-2
C) SIL-3
D) SIL-4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Kavach, India’s indigenous ATP system, is certified to SIL-4—the highest Safety Integrity Level—indicating an extremely low probability of dangerous failure and ensuring maximum safety for train operations.
Question:06 Which facility produces the maximum number of conventional ICF coaches in India?
A) Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala
B) Integral Coach Factory, Chennai
C) Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli
D) Rail Wheel Plant, Bela
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Chennai, established in 1955, is the oldest and largest coach manufacturing unit in India, producing the bulk of conventional ICF-design coaches for Indian Railways.
Question:07 The Rail Wheel Plant that meets Indian Railways’ total requirement is located at
A) Durgapur, West Bengal
B) Bela, Chhapra (Bihar)
C) Kapurthala, Punjab
D) Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Indian Railways’ entire requirement of wheels, axles and wheel-sets is met by the Rail Wheel Plant situated at Bela, near Chhapra in Bihar.
Question:08 As per NRP 2030, what percentage of rolling stock is targeted to be ‘Made in India’?
A) 75 %
B) 90 %
C) 100 %
D) 60 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The National Rail Plan 2030 aims for complete self-reliance in rolling stock manufacturing, setting the target at 100 % ‘Made in India’.
Question:09 Which PSU is the nodal exporter for ‘Made in India’ locomotives and rail systems?
A) IRCTC Ltd.
B) RITES Ltd.
C) BHEL
D) CONCOR
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: RITES Ltd. is the designated nodal PSU for exporting Indian-made locomotives and rail systems, leveraging its engineering and consultancy expertise to market ‘Made in India’ rail products globally.
Question:10 The indigenisation of which item has helped Indian Railways save the maximum foreign exchange annually?
A) Railway wheels
B) Electric locomotives
C) High-speed rails
D) Signalling systems
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Indigenous production of railway wheels has eliminated the need for large imports, resulting in the highest annual foreign-exchange savings for Indian Railways.
BETA
