This growth underscores the success of the Government’s ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ initiative, according to Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw.
He visited Alstom’s Savli facility in Vadodara, Gujarat—a key manufacturing centre for railway rolling stock in India—and reviewed the unit’s operations, according to an official statement. The Savli site, along with the Maneja unit, plays a crucial role in delivering critical rail components, including bogies, propulsion systems, and fully built coaches, to international markets.
The Savli facility is currently producing commuter and transit train cars. Over 3,400 engineers from India are actively collaborating with 21 Alstom sites worldwide. Since 2016, India has successfully exported 1,002 rail cars for various international projects, reinforcing its position as a trusted supplier of modern rail systems. Of these, 450 rail cars were manufactured at Savli and exported to Australia for the Queensland Metro project. The Maneja unit has supplied more than 5,000 propulsion systems to countries including France, Mexico, Romania, and Germany.
India’s railway exports now span a broad spectrum: metro coaches have been shipped to Australia and Canada; bogies to the UK, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia; passenger coaches to Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka; and locomotives to Mozambique, Myanmar, Senegal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Republic of Guinea.
Vaishnaw said that India’s rail manufacturing sector was clearly demonstrating the vision of designing, developing, and delivering world-class products from India to the world. The export of railway components to multiple countries was creating jobs domestically and training Indian engineers to meet global standards, he added.
The minister also advocated the development of a joint training programme involving Indian Railways, Alstom and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya to promote skill development and technical collaboration. He wanted General Managers from all Indian Railways Production Units undertake exposure visits to Alstom’s Savli plant.
Highlighting Alstom’s role in digital innovation, the visit also underscored India’s leadership in 27 international signalling projects, with support being provided for another 40 global assignments. From its Bengaluru-based Digital Experience Centre, Indian engineers are leveraging AI, IoT, blockchain, and cybersecurity technologies to drive the next generation of rail signalling solutions.
A strong supplier ecosystem around Savli—featuring companies like Integra, Hind Rectifier, Hitachi Energy, and ABB—is also contributing to India’s emergence as a global rail production powerhouse, supporting component manufacturing from interiors to electrical systems.
