Monorail Manufacturers Concentrate on India’s Infrastructure Boom

April 12, 2010 Posted by India Briefing Reading Time: 2 minutes

Apr. 12 – As the Indian economy develops, the need for massive improvements in its transportation network also increases.

With Mumbai’s first monorail service about to be launched and those familiar street level cantilevered rail lines now weaving their way above the city’s roads, other places in the country have already started taking notice. All three major monorail companies – Bombardier, Scomi and Hitachi – are setting up operations in India because of anticipated demand.

Several cities have already put out tenders for monorail construction, including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Baroda, Bhopal, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Deharadun, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkota, Lucknow, Madurai, Nagpur, Noida, Panaji, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Surat, Thane, Trichy and Trivandrum.

The first stage of the Mumbai monorail should be completed in March 2011.

“We have long said that India will and is catching up with the revitalization of its infrastructure,” said Chris Devonshire-Ellis of Dezan Shira & Associates. “The demand for city monorails demonstrates that in this case. When you start to have scenarios where 25 Indian cities are all clamoring for monorail at the same time, now is the time for foreign suppliers to such manufacturers as Bombardier to get in tune with the India market and see how they can assist.”

The time is ripe for second tier manufacturers and suppliers to come to India and start servicing their global clients, Devonshire-Ellis added.