Indian Railways Grants INR 43.87 Crore to Startups for 23 Innovation Projects

Nitin Konde

Jul 16, 2024 — 2 min read

Indian Railways Grants INR 43.87 Crore to Startups for 23 Innovation Projects

A total of 23 innovation projects valued at INR 43.87 crore have been granted to startups by Indian Railways with the aim of improving services. Elastomeric pad design, lightweight wagons, track inspection technology, and rail stress monitoring are some of the issues that solutions aim to address.

A news source reported that out of 28 problem statements put up on an innovation portal for gathering ideas from companies, the Railways received 423 submissions. To support qualifying firms working on ongoing innovation projects, the Indian Railways have distributed approximately INR 10.52 Cr in funding.

In addition, it will simplify the design of OHE cantilevers, create rapid point locking clamps/systems, and install sensor-based fire/smoke detection systems with wireless networking for Indian Railways coaches. In power vehicles, these selected startups will be constructing load-counting devices with audio-visual alerts.

Initiated on June 13, 2022, the 'Startups for Railways' programme sought to enhance operational efficiency and safety within the railway network by using the talents of Indian startups, MSMEs, individual innovators, R&D companies, NGOs, and entrepreneurs.

The projects also centre on solar power generating systems that use flexible solar PV panels on the roofs of LHB coaches, warning systems for loco pilots, and guards for the initiative's second phase.

Preventing Human Incidents: Indian Railways Seeks Innovations to Enhance Safety

Along with the existing collaborations, 59 innovators are being considered for potential solutions to six concerns. Some of these pressing problems include finding non-invasive technical ways to detect drugs and explosives in delivery vans and goods rakes and avoiding human runovers on trains.

Preventing human accidents on rails is a major task for several reasons, such as trespassing, safety violations, and diversions. The rail company sent an invitation to tech companies to suggest solutions that may detect when people are nearby and react accordingly. The railways are now finalising their choices after eight businesses were shortlisted in the initial stage of screening.

Startups for Railways

A decentralised strategy, the "Startups for Railways" concept gives authority to divisional levels to speed up product development and reduce delays. The Ministry has established an open, unbiased, and user-friendly platform for promoting partnerships and pushing technological progress to transform the future of Indian Railways through the establishment of the Indian Railway Innovation Portal.

With a network size of approximately 123,542 km of tracks and 7,300 stations, employing nearly 1.2 million people, the Indian Railways (IR) is on the verge of embracing cutting-edge technology, environmentally friendly practices, and vast operations. IR is also the largest railway network in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. Aiming to complete manufacturing of India's debut hydrogen train, wholly built within the nation, and witnessing the introduction of the indigenous high-speed train, Vande Bharat Express, 2023 was a critical year for the Indian Railway.