Taking steps for ensuring a strong footing in the global rail tracks market, the first consignment of ‘rail tracks’ manufactured at Jindal Steel and Power limited (JSPl), Raigarh unit headed for Islamic Republic of Iran after being flagged off by the company’s Executive Director (ED) Pankaj Gautam here on Sunday.
“The deal with Iranian Railways which is roughly in the range of Rs700 to Rs750 crore is expected to keep JSPl busy for a span of one-and-half-years or so”, Gautam told The Pioneer on the sidelines of the flagging off ceremony.
The first order of 1,638 tonnes out of the total order of 1.50 lakh tonnes of rail tracks would reach Visakhapatnam port from where it would be shipped to Iran.
Another major feature of this deal is that it is also for the first time in India that JSPl will ship ‘head hardened rail’ to Iran.
“The company will supply 20,000 tonnes of head hardened rail tracks to Iran very soon,” he said.
According to Gautam, head hardened rail track is a special kind of rail track that is hard at its head and is used for running Metro and high speed trains.
Replying to a question about the demand of head hardened rail tracks in India, he said recently Nagpur Metro had advertised for the demand of head hardened rail tracks. The way our Prime Minister is perusing high speed and bullet trains, the head hardened rail tracks are the future, he asserted.
According to the ED , JSPl has been supplying rail tracks to Bangladesh and Iran. The company is looking forward to supply rail tracks to Indian Railways once its MoU with SAIl ends.
Sharing the future plans of the company, he said : “ In plate making, JSPl is looking to move into Defence sector. We are also pushing strongly ahead into pre-fabricated market”, he mentioned.