Railways awards tender for Vande Bharat train sets to Hyderabad-based company

• Out of three bidders, Medha Servo Drives Ltd made the L1 offer and met the minimum local content of 75 percent of the total value

• First 2 prototype rakes are to be delivered in 20 months followed by six rakes per quarter

New Delhi: Indian Railways has awarded Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives Ltd a Rs 2,211-crore tender for the procurement of Vande Bharat or Train 18 type train sets. In an official statement released on Friday, the Ministry of Railways said, "Indian Railways has finalised the tender for design, development, manufacture, supply, integration, testing and commissioning of IGBT based 3-Phase Propulsion, Control and Other Equipment for Train Sets (Vande Bharat Type Train sets) for 44 Rakes of 16 Car each on January 21."

Vande Bharat train sets tender: L1 bidder met min local content criteria of 75%

In this tender, three bidders participated and the lowest offer was from indigenous manufacturer Medha Servo Drives Ltd who successfully met the minimum local content of 75 percent of the total value. "Tender was finalised on Medha Servo Drives Ltd. for all in cost of Rs.2211,64,59,644 (Two thousand two hundred eleven crores, sixty four lakh, fifty nine thousand and six hundred forty four Rupees) for 44 rakes of 16 car each.  These will be manufactured at three production units of Indian Railways – 24 rakes at ICF, 10 rakes at RCF and balance 10 rakes at MCF," said the statement.

The procurement includes five years' comprehensive annual maintenance contract with the supplier.

The backdrop

The specifications were prepared after multiple deliberations with industry at various levels for manufacturing the train sets indigenously. For the first time, the tender required minimum 75 percent local content requirement of the total value of the tender. This is expected to give a boost to AtmaNirbhar Bharat mission, said the ministry.

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The delivery schedule for supply of these rakes is — first 2 prototype rakes will be delivered in 20 months, thereafter on successful commissioning, the firm will be delivering an average of six rakes per quarter.

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