Jamshedpur: Industrial units in and around Adityapur are in line to expand business with greener horizons in sight vis-�-vis railway contracts. Presently, most of the Medium scale industries (MSI) and Small Scale units (SSI) manufacture products for Tata Steel and Tata Motors. These units have the capacity to meet the demands of the railways.
South Eastern railway organized a meeting with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) at Hotel Ramada in Bistupur. This meeting was based on Vendor Development Program (VDP). Representatives of these industries were informed about the nature of needs by the railways for various units.
They were told about the procedures related to Ease of Doing Business with Railways. In keeping in line with the government�s Make in India policy, the railways have decided to give prime importance to local suppliers.
It has been decided by rail authorities that orders for spare and other parts amounting to Rs 50 lakh and below would be awarded to such local industrial units. The vendors are confident that they have the infrastructure to manufacture spare parts for the railways. Among those present at the meeting were south-eastern railway�s principal chief materials manager Ratnakar Pandey, Kharagpur�s deputy chief materials manager DLN Prabhakar, NSIC�s senior branch manager BK Mitra and other senior officials.
Ratnakar Pandey, the principal chief materials manager from SE Railway�s Garden Reach head quarters averred, �We are adopting the latest techniques while moving ahead. We have introduced the latest technological Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches on important routes to make rail travel much more comfortable and in a shorter period of time between destinations. Rail engines with greater capacities are being manufactured.�
Pandey further stated that as a result of modernizing and updating, the requirement for small parts and spares had increased manifold. �These requirements can be met by the industrial units of Jamshedpur. The railways spend Rs 450 crore only on maintenance. The industrial units of Jamshedpur can cash in on this score,� he stated.