NEW DELHI: Along with rendering both freight and passenger services, the Indian Railways (IR) has started fostering innovations within its realm of services with an objective to leverage innovative technologies developed by Indian Start-Ups, MSMEs, innovators or entrepreneurs towards making the country self-reliant in sector of rail transportation.
The Railways has embarked upon innovation journey through a well-thought initiative called ‘Start-ups for Railway’ (SFR). Gone with such first of its kind initiative with effect from June 13 this year, the railway has registered more than 768 entities on Indian Railway Innovation portal to participate in innovation challenges floated by railways.
Recently, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had told this newspaper that supporting and going with innovative start up, has been taken by railways seriously in order to become not only self-reliant but also creating job opportunities to the nation. As part of this initiative, the fund-sharing scheme has been made on a cost-sharing in equal proportion--50:50 between Indian Railways and the Start-ups or innovators.
According to official data of the Ministry of Railway, so far, 311 offers for Startups have been received against 13 problem statements uploaded by railways on its innovation portal.
“This shows how the innovators are flocking towards railways from across various sectors for their Startups”, remarked a senior railway official, adding that all offers are being evaluated through a 2-stage process.
Notably, the railway working earnestly on a wider promotion of start-ups, has already one innovation challenge has been finalised.
Giving break up of offers of Startups, the Ministry of Railway said that more than 60 offers from individual innovators, 81 from MSMEs and 18 from R&D (Research and Design) organization are among a total of 311 offers received by railway.
To promote this initiative, the railways claims to have organized more than 131 workshops meeting on Indian Railway innovation policy across the railways at all levels in which more than 1,560 start-ups, innovators participated so far.
Appreciating this initiative of Indian Railways recently, Vinod Dham- who is also known as ‘Father of the Pentium Chip” for his contribution to the development of Pentium microprocessor, at a lecture program said that such initiative by railway will go a long way helping India to become more technology-driven in every part of life. He said that India is among top 3 Start Up countries and has the potential to lead the world.