Indian Railways has attracted a total of USD 942 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) equity inflows over the past 11 years (2014-15 to 2025-26 up to December 2025), including under the automatic route, according to the Ministry of Railways.
The FDI has supported major projects across the sector, with 100 per cent equity allowed under the automatic route for areas such as suburban corridor construction and operations through public-private partnerships (PPP), high-speed trains, dedicated freight corridors, rolling stock manufacturing and maintenance, railway electrification, signalling systems, freight and passenger terminals, industrial sidings, and mass rapid transport systems.
The information was shared by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who oversees Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics and IT, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
To strengthen technical capabilities, Indian Railways has signed MoUs with Switzerland, Germany, Russia, and Spain, focusing on high-speed rail development, freight and passenger operations (including multimodal transport), advanced IT solutions, and predictive maintenance of railway assets.
Robust ‘Make in India’ ecosystem drives rolling stock production, exports, and railway modernisation
The ‘Make in India’ manufacturing ecosystem enables the production of nearly the full range of rolling stock, including locomotives, passenger coaches, wagons, metro cars, and critical components such as traction motors, gearboxes, motorised bogies, traction transformers, propulsion systems, converters, cable harnesses, electronic cards, and magnetics.
This manufacturing base has also driven export growth. Between 2016-17 and January 2026, railway sector exports reached USD 3,355 million (around Rs 26,000 crore), with products reaching countries including the USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Mozambique, Mexico, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Romania.
The developments highlight significant progress in railway infrastructure, domestic manufacturing self-reliance, and global competitiveness, backed by government support. The gross budgetary support (GBS) for capital investment has risen from Rs 29,055 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 2.78 lakh crore for 2026-27, aimed at network expansion, safety upgrades, passenger amenities, and technological modernisation.