New Delhi ; June 10: The much-awaited 6th edition of Indian Railways Sourcing Week kicked off today, providing a common platform for the engineering industry to connect, collaborate, and engage with policy-makers. The three-day event organised by EEPC India will deep-dive into actionable themes designed to directly benefit member exporters.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Vimal Anand, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, said that the ongoing modernization drive of the Indian Railways offers engineering goods manufacturers, especially MSMEs, an opportunity to transition themselves into robust and competitive suppliers in the global railway equipment supply chain.
Mr. Anand stated that becoming a vendor of Indian Railways means that these engineering firms meet international quality standards and are ready to serve global players.
He noted that by mastering domestic sourcing requirements, Indian MSMEs can develop the technical maturity needed to seamlessly integrate into global engineering supply chains.
“The Government of India is deeply committed to ensuring that our MSMEs do not just remain subcontractors, but grow into prime innovators. Through the Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Order, we have mandated that Central Ministries, Departments, and Public Sector Undertakings procure a minimum of 25% of their annual requirements from MSEs, with dedicated sub-targets for SC/ST and women-owned enterprises,” Mr. Anand said.
He further said that in order to eliminate market entry barriers and bring transparency to procurement, the government has institutionalized the Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
“GeM has democratized the vendor development ecosystem, allowing small-scale engineering units from tier-2 and tier-3 cities to bid on equal footing for major public contracts, bypassing traditional intermediaries,” he highlighted.
Mr. Anand also said that as Indian Railways accelerates its expansion into high-speed bullet train corridors, regional rapid transits, and complex metro rail networks, the technological sophistication required will increase exponentially.
In his welcome address, Mr. Pankaj Chadha, Chairman, EEPC India, said that with a sustained pipeline of manufacturing over 1,500 advanced electric locomotives annually, thousands of advanced LHB coaches, and an expansive wagon procurement strategy to secure a 3,000 MT loading target, India has firmly established itself as a global epicenter for rail manufacturing.
“For our member engineering exporters and MSMEs, this transformation marks a historic window of opportunity. Over the years, the railway manufacturing supply chain has expanded significantly and is no longer solely a domestic avenue. It is an international launchpad for high-quality engineering equipment of international standards. As Indian MSMEs secure global footprints in rolling stock and component exports across Asia, Africa, and beyond, our vendors are uniquely positioned to become Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers to the world,” he said.
Mr. Chadha highlighted that the recent launch of the RailTech Policy and portal provides a catalyst and an institutional pathway for MSMEs and engineering startups to explore and co-develop cutting-edge technology, optimize localized component design, and bypass traditional entry barriers.
Over the next three days of Railways Sourcing Week, various sessions are scheduled on Decentralized and Digital Vendor Onboarding, Import Substitution and Advanced Material Sourcing, Technology Transfer and Future Procurement Roadmaps from Production Units, and new Government projects.
Mr. Aakash Shah, Vice Chairman, and Mr. Adhip Mitra, Executive Director, EEPC India, were also present at the inaugural session
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of Thanks by Mr. Raman Raghu, Regional Chairman (Southern Region), EEPC India.
He said that various sessions during the three-day event provide a comprehensive overview of vendor development and procurement opportunities. Mr. Raghu sought active participation from the engineering community in these sessions.
