‘BLW uses 98% indigenous material; supports MSMEs’

VARANASI : General Manager, Banaras Locomotive Works, Anjali Goyal on Saturday said that BLW’s electric locomotive production line has 98% indigenous materials input, supporting MSMEs and domestic manufacturing sector in a large way.

Goyal was addressing a press conference in Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW). “The annual procurement of BLW in 2020-21 is Rs 3,000 crore. A substantial share of material is procured from MSMEs.”

“In 2019-20, purchases from MSMEs were nearly ₹1,400 cr. The turnover of nearly Rs 4,000 crore per annum adds to the manufacturing GDP of the economy. BLW is now in a unique position of leveraging its multipurpose infrastructure to produce multi-gauge and multi traction rolling stock towards

achieving the Government’s visionary policy of AatmaNirbhar Bharat,” Goyal said.

She further added that BLW is also working on a prestigious export order of 6 cape gauge 3,000 HP diesel locomotives to Mozambique worth ₹51.6 cr. This has been put on the fast track in November 2020. Under this order, for the first time, a 12-cylinder crankcase is being manufactured in BLW. Order for 04 locomotives worth ₹37.72 cr, for non-railway customers, are in hand. Spares worth ₹4.66 cr have already been supplied to non-railway customers during the current financial year. Order for spares to non-railway customers worth ₹5.05 cr are in hand and will be supplied soon.

She said that despite the Covid-19 lockdown, when locomotive production was nil in April and May, BLW has manufactured 200 electric locomotives up till December 2020, against 195 to end December 2019 following all Covid protocols.

The technical training centre has been developed as ‘Centre of Excellence for Skill Development’ .