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Concord aims to position India as a global hub for advanced railway tech
Articles- Oct 30,25
In this interview, Gaurav Lath and Nitin Jain, Jt Managing Directors of Concord Control Systems, discuss factors driving demands for India’s safe, smart, and sustainable railway solutions.
How is Concord Control Systems serving its customers?
Gaurav Lath (GL): Concord Control Systems Limited (CNCRD), established in 2011, is India’s leading manufacturer of embedded electronic systems and safety-critical control solutions powering the country’s next-generation rail infrastructure. Headquartered in Lucknow, we serve as a trusted technology partner to Indian Railways and select international markets, driving innovation toward a smarter, safer, and more sustainable rail ecosystem.
As an RDSO-approved OEM, we deliver advanced electrical and electronic systems aligned with the government’s Gati Shakti initiative, leveraging state-of-the-art R&D, testing, and manufacturing facilities that meet global quality and safety benchmarks. Our focus on zero-defect production and environmentally responsible practices reflects our commitment to engineering excellence.
Our portfolio spans electrical distribution panels propulsion and traction power electronics, control and diagnostic systems, inter-vehicular couplers, and an expanding suite of signalling and safety technologies. With facilities in Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, our vertically integrated model enables scale, precision, and agility.
Strategically, we are moving beyond coach electrics into mission-critical domains like automation, safety, and signalling. Through strategic partnerships and investments in specialised rail-tech firms, we are contributing to next-generation safety programs such as Kavach 4.0.
At Concord, our vision is to position India as a global hub for advanced railway technologies, shaping the future of mobility through innovation, reliability, and sustainability.
Concord Control Systems has made significant acquisitions recently. What was the strategic intent behind these moves, and how do they align with your long-term vision of becoming a 360° railway solutions provider?
Nitin Jain (NJ): Our acquisitions of Advanced Rail Controls Pvt Ltd (ARCPL) and 46.5 per cent stake in Progota India Pvt Ltd were deliberate steps toward building a 360° railway solutions enterprise.
ARCPL enhances our embedded electronics and rolling stock control systems expertise, while Progota brings deep competence in safety technologies, particularly around Kavach 4.0. Recently, our Board approved an additional investment to increase our holding in Progota to 46.5 per cent, supporting the commercialisation and nationwide deployment of Kavach 4.0—India’s flagship Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
These moves are not just about scale, but synergy, integrating control, safety, and signalling capabilities under one roof to deliver end-to-end, indigenously developed railway solutions for India and global markets.
CNCRD is pioneering wireless locomotive control systems that Indian Railways plans to deploy widely. Could you share how this technology will change the way freight operations are managed and monitored?
(NJ): Wireless locomotive control represents a paradigm shift in how freight operations are managed and monitored. Our systems enable real-time connectivity between locomotives, rolling stock, and control centres. Thereby, creating a unified digital rail ecosystem.
Through continuous data exchange, operational health, train status, and cargo metrics are monitored instantly, enabling predictive maintenance and faster troubleshooting. This ensures higher uptime, optimised energy use, and improved asset utilisation.
More importantly, wireless interlocks and automated control functions enhance safety and efficiency, allowing for distributed power operations and longer, heavier trains. In essence, this technology redefines freight operations through intelligence, automation, and reliability.
India’s railway sector is undergoing one of the largest technology overhauls in its history. What do you see as the most transformative innovations shaping the future of railway electronics and automation in the next decade?
(GL): India’s railway sector is entering a new era driven by a convergence of advanced technologies. The next decade will see Indian Railways transition into a software-defined, data-driven network. Indigenous innovations like Kavach will scale across thousands of kilometres, dramatically improving safety and operational efficiency.
Digital signalling powered by 5G, optical fibre, and satellite communication will enable faster and smarter coordination between trains and control centres. AI and IoT-based predictive maintenance will reduce downtime, while distributed control systems will enhance network capacity without extensive infrastructure upgrades.
In parallel, advances in power electronics and green propulsion—from fuel cells to hybrid and battery systems—will make railway operations cleaner and more energy-efficient. Together, these innovations will transform Indian Railways into a model of safe, smart, and sustainable mobility.
With safety systems like Kavach gaining traction, how can indigenous R&D and public-private collaboration strengthen India’s position as a global hub for advanced rail control technologies?
(NJ): The success of Kavach is a testament to India’s ability to engineer world-class safety technologies. To sustain this leadership, we must deepen collaboration across the public and private sectors—combining research institutions, system integrators, and start-ups into a unified innovation ecosystem.
With Indian Railways targeting deployment of Kavach on ? 13,000+ locomotives and ? 70,000 track kilometers, this will become one of the largest ATP programs globally. Such scale provides Indian companies with a platform to innovate, standardise, and export cost-efficient, reliable safety systems—positioning India as a global benchmark in rail technology.
As decarbonisation becomes a national priority, how do you view the role of hydrogen, hybrid, and battery-based locomotive technologies in enabling a greener, more energy-efficient railway network?
(GL): Decarbonisation is central to the future of railways. Hydrogen, hybrid, battery-based propulsion technologies and alternative fuels each have a critical role to play in achieving a low-carbon, energy-efficient rail network.
Battery-electric systems are ideal for short and medium-haul routes with regenerative braking potential. Hydrogen fuel-cell trains will address non-electrified routes, offering long-range capability without the need for costly electrification. Hybrid locomotives bridge the transition, delivering flexibility and reduced emissions.
Our view is that the transition must be route-specific and data-led, ensuring each technology delivers optimal lifecycle efficiency, cost savings, and environmental impact reduction. Together, these solutions will propel India toward its net-zero mobility goals.
Your ESG roadmap highlights hydrogen locomotive projects and sustainable manufacturing. What steps are you taking to integrate these initiatives into mainstream operations?
(NJ): At Concord, sustainability is embedded in our business strategy, not treated as an adjunct. Our ESG roadmap is anchored in innovation, operational efficiency, and accountability.
We are piloting alternative fuels across rolling stock deployment in real-world conditions to gather operational insights and scale up responsibly. At the manufacturing level, we are transitioning to renewable power sources, deploying energy-efficient systems, and reducing waste across facilities.
We are also implementing green procurement policies and circular economy practices across our supply chain. Importantly, we are investing in skill development to prepare our workforce for next-generation technologies. This integrated approach ensures that sustainability becomes a core operational discipline driving both business growth and environmental stewardship.
The freight segment is critical for India’s economic growth. How can digitalisation, wireless communication, and automation improve operational efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness in modern freight logistics?
(NJ): Digitalisation is transforming Indian Railways from a traditional operator into a data-driven logistics powerhouse. Through IoT, AI, and digital twins, we are unlocking real-time intelligence across the freight ecosystem. Technologies like Centralised Traffic Control, predictive maintenance, and real-time analytics are enabling network optimisation, cost efficiency, and enhanced safety.
At Concord, we view every locomotive, wagon, and signalling unit as a digital node contributing to an intelligent logistics grid. This perspective reflects a fundamental shift in railway innovation—from hardware-centric functionality to a data-driven ecosystem. Each interconnected asset in the network becomes a real-time source of insights, enabling predictive maintenance, dynamic route optimisation, and precise energy management.
By transforming rolling stock and track infrastructure into intelligent nodes, we are effectively digitising the movement of goods and people. The result is a logistics grid that learns, adapts, and responds—reducing downtime, enhancing safety, and improving overall throughput efficiency.
Initiatives such as PM GatiShakti and the National Rail Plan 2030 are further harmonising multimodal connectivity — integrating ports, industrial hubs, and railway corridors. Our role at Concord is to power this transformation by embedding intelligence into the hardware — wireless control, autonomous operations, and safety interlocks — that will define the future of freight mobility.
As India emerges as a global player in railway electronics, how is Concord positioning itself for exports, international collaborations, and participation in global supply chains? What are Concord growth plans?
(GL): India’s engineering and manufacturing ecosystem is rapidly evolving from a domestic enabler to a global benchmark in modern mobility and infrastructure technologies. At Concord, we see this transformation as an opportunity to position India at the forefront of intelligent railway systems worldwide. Our ambition is clear: within the next 3-5 years, we envision Concord contributing significantly to India’s global export footprint, with international business accounting for nearly 50 per cent of our total sales.
This is not just a growth metric, it’s a reflection of how Indian innovation is being recognised for its reliability, precision, and digital adaptability on the world stage. As railways across continents transition to smarter, greener, and more connected systems, Concord is ready to be a trusted partner shaping that future—engineering excellence that travels beyond borders, powered by Indian ingenuity.
Concord Control Systems
Indian Railways
Gati Shakti Initiative
Automation
Freight Operations
Nitin Jain
Gaurav Lath
Sustainable Manufacturing
Freight Operations
Kavach 4.0
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