Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RITES to overhaul logistics across its plants and mines.
SAIL runs a dedicated mini-rail network within its integrated steel plants. This network relies heavily on a fleet of diesel locomotives to move raw materials and finished steel.
maintaining these engines is becoming a niche skill. As Indian Railways transitions aggressively toward electric locomotives, the ecosystem for diesel maintenance is shifting.
Despite the national shift to electric, RITES has retained deep expertise in diesel locomotive operations and maintenance.
Under this agreement, RITES will leverage its access to Indian Railways’ spare parts ecosystem and technical manpower to keep SAIL’s fleet running. This ensures that SAIL can focus on making steel, while RITES handles the complex task of keeping the trains running on time inside the gates.
The collaboration allows both CPSEs to stick to their core competencies. For SAIL, it means reliable asset utilisation and streamlined logistics; for RITES, it’s a continued deployment of their specialized rail expertise.