Railways boosts innovation with “Startups for Railways” initiative

new delhi: in a novel move towards fostering innovation, the ministry of railways launched the “startups for railways” initiative on june 13, 2022. this program aims to leverage the expertise of startups, msmes, individual innovators, r&d organizations, ngos, and entrepreneurs to enhance operational efficiency and safety across the railway network.to facilitate this initiative, the indian railways innovation portal was launched at innovation.indianrailways.gov.in. as of july 2024, 1942 entities have registered on the portal.the ministry has conducted workshops, meetings, talks, and video conferences to raise awareness, resulting in 423 offers against 28 problem statements. so far, 23 innovation projects have been awarded for 15 problem statements, with a combined value of approximately rs. 43.87 crore, including rs. 10.52 crore from the railway's grant.awarded projects address various critical issues such as superior elastomeric pads for heavy haul freight wagons, lightweight wagons for transporting commodities, rail stress monitoring systems, track inspection technologies, and sensor-based fire/smoke detection systems for coaches. these innovations are expected to significantly improve railway operations, safety, and passenger amenities.