CAIT writes to Piyush Goyal asking for ban on Chinese bids for 'Vande Bharat Trains'

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had lauded the government move to ban 59 Chinese apps a fortnight back, emboldened now they have written to union minister Piyush Goyal, urging him to not allow Chinese state-owned CRRC Corporation to participate in a global tender for semi-high speed indigenous Train 18 project of Indian Railways.

The total worth of the project is more than Rs. 1500 crores for 44 Vande Bharat Express Trains. The tender is for the procurement of propulsion systems or electric traction kits for 44 trains to function as the Vande Bharat Express or Train 18.

The letter reads, "CRRC Corporation of China with a joint venture with one Gurgaon based firm is one of the six contenders for the tender for procuring propulsion systems or electric traction kits for 44 Vande Bharat Express Trains or Train 18. Since this project of Indian Railways is a part of Make in India call of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, therefore considering this fact and the current critical period, it will be most appropriate not to consider the said Chinese Company for the Rail project and rather emphasis should be laid more on Indian Companies who have been shortlisted for this project-said both trade leaders."

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"We are sure that you will be considering our humble request made in consonance of the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the vocal on local and Aatmanirbhar Bharat," CAIT general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said in the letter. 

The global tender worth around Rs 1500 crore was floated on December 22 last year by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, and was opened on Friday. It is the third such tender floated for these trains. Rolled out under the Make in India initiative, the tender was for the supply of electrical equipment and other items for 44 train sets of 16 coaches each.

A hopeful CAIT general secretary said, "We are hoping that Minister Piyush Goyal will consider our request and will take appropriate immediate action to debar Chinese Company from its participation in such an ambitious and prestigious project of Indian Railways."

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