SCR, Secunderabad division welcomes startups

Hyderabad: Under the Indian Railway Innovation Policy, the South Central Railway (SCR)Secunderabad division open its gates for startups, to find solutions to improve the efficiency and safety of rail services. Following this initiative SCR uploaded 11 initial problem statements on online portal on Tuesday.

According to SCR officials, the Ministry of Railways has launched this initiative to encourage young entrepreneurs to come up with new ideas and their implementation, to leverage new innovative technologies developed by Indian Start-ups, MSMEs, Innovators and Entrepreneurs, to improve operational efficiency and safety on Indian Railways and to get a low-cost, user-friendly reliable products and innovative solutions for Railways. The Union Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw launched 'Startups for Railways' on June 13.

Abhay Kumar Gupta, Divisional Railway Manager(DRM), Secunderabad Division, SCR said, "this policy was launched to improve our railway's maintenance, operational related and quality-related problems. Around 11 common problems were identified that the railways come across on regular basics and uploaded it in the online portal. This process will be done in two stages. In this, railways will invest in start-ups so that they can procure innovations directly from the start-ups. In each case, the Ministry of Railways will be funding Rs 1.5 crore. The funding mechanism will be on a cost-sharing basis in equal proportions, 50:50, by the Railways and an innovator.

In first stage trails will done in one of division which will be decided by the railway board. Once the concept that the innovator wants to give it is been proven and finalized, scaling up will be done, for which railways will give Rs 3crore and will also give development order. Once it is found that the particular product is useful to solve the railway problem then this product will be adopted by railway. After the product is adopted by the railways, the innovators will provide for two to three years."

Senior officer, Secunderabad Division, SCR, said, "This programmewill be done in two stages. 11 common problem are been uploaded in the portal. Anybody can upload their problems that are been recognised by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The problem will be evaluated in 30 days by an Evaluation committee and the result will be out within 15 days. This complete process is available on online portalwww.innovation.indianrailways.gov.in.This process is very transparent. A reason will be stated if any innovator is been rejected."

Once this policy is conceptualised, the railway is hopeful that they will find a concrete solution to the 11 problems which they are facing. We have planned a workshop on June 24, where around 30-40 start-ups will be coming.As Hyderabad is a hub of start-ups, the railway is hoping that many new innovators would come up to avail this opportunity," added a senior officer.