The 'Make in India' drive has put India's slow-growing infrastructural development onto a fast-track. China’s largest high speed train maker recently announced that its first USD 63.4 million joint venture plant in India to repair and manufacture railway locomotive engines has started operations in Haryana. The JV named CRRC Pioneer (India) Electric Co. Ltd. is expected to encourage the growth of a large number of ancillary industries including aluminium locomotive parts manufacturing in the state.
The state-run China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) is the first foreign company to set up assembly line of rail transportation equipment in India. The plant was set up with a total investment of $63.4 million and the Chinese side holds 51 per cent of the share, reported industry sources.
The India plant will repair and manufacture railway locomotive engines, spurring growth of units manufacturing ferrous metal and aluminium die-castings. It will also provide technology support to India’s rail system and supply electric transmission systems to oil drilling, wind power generation and mining equipment making in India, the report said.
This is China’s first major investment in Indian Railways after the two entered into a multi-pronged collaboration for the Chinese participation in the modernisation of Indian railways. China is also cooperating with India to come up with a railway university similar to the one it developed.
In addition to the high speed train project, India and China have also agreed to cooperate to identify the technical inputs required to increase speed on the existing railway track from Chennai to Mysore via Bangalore.
Feasibility study is also being conducted for building a high speed railway line between Chennai and New Delhi.
CRRC Vice President Yu Weiping said the new train manufacturing plant in Haryana will create jobs and tax revenue for local people and help improve infrastructure. Moreover, it will advance cooperation in industrial capacity and local equipment manufacturing, he said.
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