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French Rolling Stock Manufacturer Alstom Achieves Around 80% Localisation In India
"We are massively investing to be present in India and we would like to be treated as 100% Indian company,” Alain Spohr, managing director-India and South Asia for Alstom told ET in an interview. He said the company has invested ‘hundreds of milli...
Chennai: rench rolling stock manufacturer AlstomNSE 0.04 % has achieved 75-80% localisation at its manufacturing units in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh and plans to double capacity from 240 to 480 trainsets per annum, the company’s South Asia chief said.
“We are massively investing to be present in India and we would like to be treated as 100% Indian company,” Alain Spohr, managing director-India and South Asia for Alstom told ET in an interview. He said the company has invested ‘hundreds of millions of euros’ in India, though he did not reveal the actual figure.
Spohr said the terms of Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) funded projects were discriminatory towards foreign players and the company would very much want to be treated like an Indian player in these projects.
“We want that all the companies participating in these tenders are treated fairly and equally. It has to be open game” Spohr said. Alstom on Tuesday commenced the manufacturing of metro trainsets for Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) at its factory in Sri City.
Alstom counts Chennai, Kochi, Lucknow and Mumbai metros among domestic customers.
The company is also supplying to the Sydney metro out of the Sri City unit. Spohr said his company wants to continue its investments in the country, and will remain focussed on urban mobility.
The rolling stock major is also planning to bring its electric bus to India. It is already operational in Spain and France at present. “By the second half of next year, we will have clarity on whether we want to introduce our e-buses in India,” Spohr said.
The funding crunch in Indian markets is not limited to just the country but it is a problem world over at present, he said. “India is facing a problem which the world is facing, which is a requirement of funds,” “There is undoubtedly positive economic growth in the country,” Spohr said, adding that this was a dynamic situation and the Indian government has the ‘will and the drive’ to come out of it.
Talking about Alstom’s order from the Indian Railways to supply 800 electric locomotives, Spohr said there were issues in the past and things are coming back on track. “The second locomotive is under trial at present, and we will be able to deliver at least 10 locomotives, if not more, by the end of the current financial year to the Indian Railways.”
Source : Economic Times
