Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared his optimism about the rapid progress of the Kavach train protection system, highlighting a nearly 80% reduction in train accidents over the past decade.
He expressed confidence that the system would be fully deployed across India’s rail network within the next six years in a media summit on Wednesday.
Vaishnaw said work is underway to implement the Kavach system in 10,000 locomotives across 15,000 km of tracks.
India developed the system, and the Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) approved its Version 4.0 in July 2024. It is now on track to roll out nationwide.
Vaishnaw compared India’s efforts to the implementation in developed countries, stating, “Many rich countries took about 20 years to cover their network, and I think we should be able to do it in six years.”
Vaishnaw praised the Vande Bharat Express for its superior acceleration, lower noise, and reduced vibration compared to other top Indian trains.
He attributed this success to thoughtful design, saying, “That’s because the design has been done with a lot of thought in it.”
He further announced that the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train would launch on April 19, 2025.
Calling it a ‘big dream’ for the country, Vaishnaw praised Prime Minister Modi’s determination to complete the challenging project.
“It required tremendous tenacity, design work, and engineering inputs. It’s a very difficult project, but the PM’s political willpower has completed this project,” he added.
Vaishnaw revealed that India will likely launch its first homegrown semiconductor chip within the year.
Tata Electronics, in collaboration with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC), is developing the chip at the semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat.
Vaishnaw provided an update on the progress of the project, stating, “All the five units’ construction is going on very well. The team is setting up the plants, and at some locations, they are already validating the machinery. It’s absolutely on track to roll out the first Made-in-India chip this year.”
Vaishnaw highlighted India’s leading AI advancements, noting its high concentration of AI talent globally.
He reaffirmed the country’s progress, stating, “We are on track to build a foundational AI model within the next 5–6 months.”
He also praised India’s efforts to democratize access to AI compute power.
Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “We’ve already empaneled 14,000 GPUs, with more coming soon. This combination of talent and compute is giving a strong edge to our startups and developers.”
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