How is Delta Electronics serving the railway sector?
Delta has various solutions for catering to railway infrastructure, which range from lighting, CCTV, and building automation solutions for station modernisation, to power quality solutions for traction sub-stations, UPS/IPS for the power supply requirements of railways, and our automation solutions for the railway machinery and workshop requirements. We have a strong local manufacturing footprint, with the majority of the products manufactured in our three factories in India.

How are massive capital investments in railways and metros leading to an increase in demand for Delta Electronics' products and solutions?
Major growth being driven by government investment has a direct bearing on the products and solutions offered by Delta Electronics. 100 per cent electrification and an increase in sub-stations drive our power quality equipment offerings, higher production of electric locomotives impacts our rolling stock solutions (propulsion, control cubicles), station modernisation and improvements in passenger amenities impact our building management and display solutions businesses. Going forward, the net-zero target of railways 2030 can contribute significantly to our EV charging, energy storage, energy management, and solar inverter portfolio.

What kinds of changes are you witnessing in the rail transportation sector? How are these trends changing the dynamics on the supply side?
From the old paradigm of Indian Railways relying solely on mature and proven western technology, we see a shift in railway mindset with rapid adoption of new and global technology. This enables strong technology providers like us to bring their global expertise and offer solutions suited to the needs of Railways. This is complemented by indigenous development and local manufacturing. A classic case at hand is the power quality equipment deployed by Delta in the Indian mainline and metro sector, which is based on state of the art energy efficient direct-connect technology that directly connects at the 25 kV level and provides dynamic power compensation to enable meeting the power quality standards set by electricity authorities. This is based on the latest global technology, now adopted, assimilated, and manufactured in India.

How is Delta Electronics tapping the emerging trends in Railways?
We try to find the best combination of market requirements and our expertise so that we can provide solutions that add value to customers while also ensuring our own long-term viability. Delta Electronics always tries to be on the leading edge of technological development and, at the same time, agile in taking-up product development. This has also led us to develop solutions for rolling stock and traction sub-stations that aptly serve the growth in the production of rolling stock and the 100 per cent electrification plans of the Indian Railways.

What are the key challenges in the electrification of railways and the growing metro network? How is Delta helping them overcome some of these challenges?
Electrification and an increase in loads (both traction and non-traction) lead to issues with power quality, which strain the incoming grid supply. This pollutes the grid and also leads to higher charges for consumers. Delta has a wide portfolio of power quality solutions, including one based on the latest multi-level converter topology, which directly connects to the 25 kV level of the traction sub-station and dynamically addresses the power quality issues of harmonics, power factor, and voltage regulation. This creates a win-win situation, with customers enjoying a higher power quality, longer life of equipment, lower energy charges, and compliance with the regulations of the electricity authority.

What are your growth-plans to increase your imprint on the railways' sector?
In tandem with Railways focus on modernisation and related investments in this regard, Delta Electronics is also investing in further increasing its local manufacturing capabilities, to be able to have stronger supply chains and a faster response to the growing local demand. With strong R&D, we can leverage our global expertise to develop solutions that meet Indian needs.