‘Our strategy is to accelerate local development,’ says Olivier Loison

Author Summary

Alstom India MD Olivier Loison outlines the firm's strategy to boost local development as a key partner for Indian Railways, emphasizing AI, IoT integration, manufacturing expansion, and alignment with 'Make in India' for rail modernization. (152 characters)

Alstom's Role in India

France’s Alstom serves as a strategic partner for Indian Railways, advancing rail modernization through projects that incorporate AI, IoT, big data analytics, digital twins, and virtual reality. These technologies help optimize operations, maintenance, and passenger experience. The company drives progress across urban, regional, and mainline sectors with advanced manufacturing, maintenance, and signaling.

Key Projects and Milestones

Alstom provides rolling stock, signaling, and maintenance for nearly all metro projects in cities like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kanpur, Agra, Indore, Bhopal, and Kochi. It supports emerging cities such as Bhubaneshwar, Patna, Nashik, and Visakhapatnam, with recent achievements including driverless trains for Chennai Metro and CBTC signaling for Mumbai Metro. In mainline operations, WAG-12B electric locomotives enhance freight transport and aid decarbonisation, plus electrification and signaling over 343 km of the eastern dedicated freight corridor.

Strategic Importance of India

India represents a fast-growing market for mainline and urban mobility, fueled by government priorities for modern rail transit. Alstom leverages global expertise and a strong local presence to deliver tailored manufacturing, engineering, and innovations. About 33% of its global engineering now occurs in India, with plans to expand, supporting domestic needs and exports in line with Viksit Bharat.

Expansion and Future Focus

Facilities like Sri City in Andhra Pradesh produce rolling stock for local and global markets, featuring India's longest dynamic test track and 90% localization. Savli in Gujarat handles manufacturing, testing, and exports of bogie frames and flat packs. Alstom eyes growth in rail maintenance, high-speed projects, and a total cost of ownership model as India scales its rail ecosystem.

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The Financial Express The Financial Express — 2025-11-30

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