New Delhi. Along with conducting inaugurations of Indian Railways trains, it has also become the country’s largest innovation lab. In the year 2022, the Railway Ministry had started a special initiative named “Startups for Railways”. Under this, startups, small-medium industries (MSME), research institutes and common people were also given the opportunity to create new technologies in collaboration with the Railways. Its objective is to make rail travel more safe, faster, cheaper and environment friendly.
The youth are participating enthusiastically in this initiative. This is the reason why so far 4043 people and organizations have joined the ‘Innovation Portal’. These include 416 startups. This includes 2655 common people (individual innovators), 233 small-medium industries, 213 research and education institutes and many NGOs and Section-8 companies.
Such new innovations
These people are coming up with cheap and easy solutions to the problems of railways. Smart machines that will automatically check railway tracks. New safety equipment like systems that immediately detect fire or smoke in train coaches, low voltage coaches (LVPH) running on solar power, light and strong wagons for carrying salt, sensors that detect strain and cracks on railway tracks, robots, smart alarms and e-seals, equipment that makes shunting work safe have come up. All these things will make Indian Railways modern, safe and energy saving.
Growing trend of startups and innovators
So far, 131 workshops and meetings have been held in different zones of Railways and public undertakings. About 1560 startups and innovators have participated in these. In these meetings, railway officials explain the problems and young entrepreneurs present their solutions.
Railway talent is also improving
!Railway Board has asked all divisions and workshops to post their new problems (problem statements) on the portal. This means that more new ideas are being sought. Indian Railways is now carrying not only passengers and goods but also the talent and new thinking of the country’s youth.
