India is preparing to take its indigenously developed Vande Bharat Express trains to overseas markets, with plans to develop a standard-gauge version of the semi-high-speed train. According to a report by business daily Mint, this strategic move represents a significant expansion of India's railway technology export capabilities beyond domestic operations. The export push comes as Indian Railways accelerates domestic deployment of Vande Bharat trains, with the national transporter planning to deploy 800 trainsets by 2030 and scale that number to 4,500 by 2047, including sleeper variants in addition to the current chair car models. Rahul Mithal, chairman and managing director of RITES Ltd, confirmed to Mint that the company is working with the Indian Railways on designs for a standard-gauge Vande Bharat platform aimed at export markets, with the collaboration involving close coordination between the railway ministry and the engineering consultancy to develop suitable designs for international standards.
The standard-gauge Vande Bharat coach is now at an initial stage of design development, and once the designs are approved and standardized, its production would start depending on export orders, said Mithal. The Vande Bharat programme began in 2019 with two 16-coach trainsets designed for a maximum speed of 160 kmph, with the latest versions designed for speeds of up to 180 kmph. The trains are manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala and the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli. Railway officials have positioned Vande Bharat trains as part of the government's broader Make in India manufacturing initiative, with the cost advantage making it a strong contender in global markets where most railway networks run on standard-gauge tracks.
RITES has proposed that Indian Railways deploy at least one Vande Bharat rake for trial operations in potential overseas markets to generate buyer interest and help convert discussions into long-term sales contracts. An Indian Railways official told Mint that teams from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal had visited India to assess the trains, with delegations from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal having visited India to get a look and feel of these modern semi-fast trains. "We will look for exports of these trains once the domestic demand is reasonably serviced," the official said. The official added that India could initially export the existing broad-gauge Vande Bharat trains to neighbouring countries before the standard-gauge platform is commercially rolled out, with interest already coming from neighbouring countries and also from some in Latin America and Africa.
The Vande Bharat programme achieved a significant milestone in early May when the 100th Vande Bharat train was rolled out at the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli, marking a major step in the journey that started in 2019 with only two such 16-coach, fully air-conditioned train sets. A 16-coach Vande Bharat train currently costs around ₹130-150 crore to manufacture, with the trains being touted as state-of-the-art make in India products with the potential to become a global brand. The cost advantage of Vande Bharat trains could make it a strong contender in any country that is looking at strengthening its intercity travel infrastructure, according to railway officials.
RITES has completed an order for 10 locomotives for Mozambique and is preparing to begin supplies against an order for 200 rail coaches from Bangladesh, with the prototype for the first batch of 20 coaches already receiving approval from Dhaka. The company has also secured orders for five more locomotives from Mozambique and is going on the run rate of getting at least one export order in each quarter. RITES ended FY26 with an order book of ₹9,416 crore, of which around ₹2,100 crore comprised export orders. Rolling stock exports accounted for ₹1,750 crore of that figure. Mithal said RITES is targeting an order book of more than ₹10,000 crore in FY27 while aiming to increase revenues further during the fiscal year, with the company also soon beginning to supply the two in-service diesel engines that have been converted from broad to cape gauge for exports in African markets.
