Railways Award Startups With 23 Innovation Projects Worth 43.87 Cr To Improve Services

The Indian Railways has awarded startups 23 innovation projects worth INR 43.87 Cr to address 15 problem statements aimed at enhancing services of the national transporter.

According to ANI, the Railways has received a total of 423 proposals against the 28 problem statements posted on an innovation portal aimed at soliciting suggestions from startups.

The Indian Railways has allocated about INR 10.52 Cr in grants to eligible startups involved in current innovation projects.

The problem statements for which projects have already been awarded include designing improved elastomeric pads for heavy freight wagons, developing lightweight wagons for transporting goods like salt, implementing rail stress monitoring systems, advancing track inspection technologies for precise assessment, enhancing broken rail systems, and innovating track cleaning machines. 

It also includes developing sensor-based load counting devices with audio-visual alarms in power cars, simplifying OHE cantilever design, creating quick point locking clamps/systems, and implementing sensor-based fire/smoke detection systems with wireless networking for Indian Railways coaches.

On June 13, 2022, the Ministry of Railways initiated the ‘Startups for Railways’ programme, aimed at harnessing the capabilities of Indian startups, MSMEs, individual innovators, R&D organisations, NGOs, and entrepreneurs to improve operational efficiency and safety within the railway network. 

As of July 2024, the Indian Railways Innovation Portal has attracted registration from 1,942 entities engaged in innovation, reflecting widespread participation across various sectors to innovate and enhance railway services.

In August 2022, Indian Railways received 297 proposals from startups as part of the ‘StartUps for Railways’ initiative. The proposals aimed to address 11 specific problem statements, with the highest number, 43, focused on the broken rail detection system. This was followed by 42 proposals for developing an on-line condition monitoring system for traction motors and 40 proposals for automating track inspection activities.