Kolkata, April 27: State-run BEML Ltd, leading manufacturer of Rail and Metro coaches, remains focused on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project as "some indigenisation" is expected, an official said on Friday.
"Whatever I understand, a total of 240 coaches would be inducted by 2023 (for the project). Of this, some numbers would be assembled (in India). Initially, I believe it is better to absorb the technology. Some particular Indigenisation will happen and that has not been decided," said company's Chairman and Managing Director D.K. Hota.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Train Project, popularly referred to as Bullet Train, is an endeavour to bring economic growth and prosperity with the Indian Railways adopting most modern technologies.
"As and when the opportunity comes and particularly, when it comes to us contractually, we would invest. There are various Japanese companies which would primarily be there and we would be talking to them," he said on the sidelines of a programme "Rail connect east, 2018".
The programme was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry in partnership with Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Indian Railways.
According to him, BEML has tied up with Japanese company Hitachi. Another public sector undertakings, BHEL Ltd, has also tied up with Kawasaki.
Hota said: "The government is extremely serious (on the high speed train project) and lot of ground work has happened. Whatever part (of the project) comes out for bidding, we would bid and try to get order.
"We have to be in sync with the government plans... We have the capacity to absorb the technology," he added.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
