Indian Railways is now the centrepiece of government's efforts to revive a sagging economy. The government's move to bring in private operators for some routes is expected to boost Railways coffers and also generate employment.
But the line dividing vision and execution tends to get stretched if the past of Railways is taken into account.
Rajesh Agrawal, former Member, Rolling Stock, Railway Board, is of the view that there needs to be an introspection of some of the methods that have been followed over the years.
He believes that Railways is essentially a rolling stock company and it would be wrong to view it as an infrastructure company.
"I am yet to see any white paper or document (on private trains project) Except for some general announcements, we have not seen any details. We should have a proper taskforce to ensure smooth implementation of the plans," he told Moneycontrol.
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He said that after his superannuation in January, all three top slots are yet to be filled.
"I believe continuity is important in steering an organisation towards a growth path. Railway has been working in a style for over 100 years. It is not a generalist organisation and needs specialists. The issue is implementing change in management style," he said.
He is also of the view that Indian companies are more than capable to execute big-ticket projects.
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"Although the government is very pro-active, there is lack of clarity. I don't think multinational companies are ahead of us. This is the time for Indian companies to step up. The problem is we lack good leaders to steer them. During my stint, the Indian companies did well and India is poised to take advantage of the situation to become exporters," he added.
He said a development order could have been given to an Indian company for the RRTS Meerut corridor project.
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