India is preparing to take its indigenously developed Vande Bharat Express trains to the overseas markets, with plans to develop a standard-gauge version of the semi-high-speed train, according to a report by business daily Mint. Rahul Mithal, chairman and managing director of RITES Ltd, an engineering consultancy under the railways ministry, told Mint that the company is working with the Indian Railways on designs for a standard-gauge Vande Bharat platform aimed at the export markets.
The exports will help establish India's presence in the lucrative global market for high-tech urban mobility products. The move marks a push to position India as a supplier of modern, cost-competitive rail mobility products in the global urban markets, where most railway networks run on standard-gauge tracks. "We are working in close coordination with the railways to try and develop the design for standard-gauge Vande Bharat trains and explore its future potential for exports," Mithal told Mint.
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