Startups and innovation are now welcome at Indian Railways. The government expects a large pool of start-up talent to contribute to faster technology adoption by railways. Like Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Our startups are changing the rules of the games”.
Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Indian Railways Innovation Program on June 13 inviting think tanks, innovators, entrepreneurs and technology developers to give solutions to problem statements uploaded on the railway portal.
“The challenges mentioned in the portal include avoiding rail fractures and reducing train headways (running two trains with minimal gaps between them). Imagine the kind of leap we can make with solutions for these problems,” he said.
The problem statements or challenges can be found at: https://innovation.indianrailways.gov.in/Home/Challenges.
“The process will not end with startups providing a solution and making a PPT presentation out of it. Railways will provide funding support to make the product out of the idea. Once the product is made, the development order is assured from the government,” the Minister further said.
“Startups get an opportunity to deploy their products on a larger scale. If they prove to be successful they enter into a regular production stage… In a few years India will export technology to other countries,” he added.
Indian Railway Innovation program
The Railway ministry will grant up to Rs. 150 lakhs to an innovator who has viable solutions to a challenge mentioned in the portal. There will be a time-bound approval process (90 days) and a proof of concept or prototype trials will be run in the railway divisions. There will be enhanced funding which is around double the amount provided in the initial stage, to scale up the deployment of successful prototypes.
The program’s transparent online process and its promise to accord the intellectual property rights to the innovator adds to its allure. For a transparent process of selection of startups an online portal will be launched shortly by the Railway Ministry.
Other salient features of the program include
– Assured development order to the innovator
– Decentralisation of the complete product development process to avoid delays.
A number of government initiatives in India, such as Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, Make in India – Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, and Innovations for Defence Excellence, encourage and motivate Indian entrepreneurs and innovators to come forward for the development of innovative technologies, products, and technological solutions to address the technological needs of the country’s various sectors.
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