Indian Railways plans to reduce its reliance on imports from Russia, China, and European countries for forged wheels used in its trains and locomotives. Since the 1960s, the railways have been importing these wheels from various countries such as Brazil, Japan, the UK, and Ukraine. However, the supply from China was disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, causing delays in the production of the Vande Bharat express. In response, a tender was issued last year for the manufacture of 80,000 wheels annually for the next two decades. The contract was awarded to Ramakrishna Forgings and Titagarh Wagons, who offered the lowest bid. Bharat Forge and SAIL were second and third, respectively.
The railways imported 80,000 wheels valued at Rs. 520 crores from China and Russia in 2022-23, with the remaining 40,000 sourced from SAIL. Ramakrishna Forgings is expected to set up the manufacturing plant within 36 months of the award date, with a price reduction of 2% annually for up to three years. Shri Prakash, a former Railway Board Member, and railway expert G Raghuram both believe this is a much-needed initiative, with the demand for forged wheels expected to rise due to the induction of more semi-high-speed trains, making it essential to increase domestic manufacturing capacity. By 2026, Indian Railways estimates that the requirement for wheels will increase to Rs. 2 lakhs per annum, and with the new plant's establishment, the railways hope to meet their entire requirement domestically.
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