Ashwini Vaishnaw signals new track for innovation with 'Rail Tech portal' launch

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addresses a press conference at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.

• New Rail Tech Portal links startups, industry, and railways
• Portal boosts grants for innovation and prototype development
• New digital solution to streamline Railway Claims Tribunal cases

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In a move that will integrate both railways and technology, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday unveiled a 'rail tech portal', where the Indian Railways will engage with innovators, startups, industry, and institutions to promote innovation.

Vaishnaw, who holds both the railways and the Information Technoology portfolios, said the entire focus will be on trying out new technologies that will help meet challenges currently faced by the Indian Railways.

"Startups should be able to connect with railways in a very systematic way. People who are doing research should also be able to connect with railways...There is no barrier and anybody can connect with railways. A railtech policy has been started with this aim. The entire process will be digital."

Hon’ble MR Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw unveiled the new Rail Tech Portal to promote innovation and give impetus to startups, industries and institutions. pic.twitter.com/s896oFW1ID

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) February 26, 2026

According to a report in the Times of India, innovators can submit their detailed proposals on the rail tech portal, which will have a user-friendly interface. The grant to help take promising ideas or projects from small-scale testing towards wider use or commercialization has been boosted to more than three times. The maximum grant has been doubled for prototype development and trials.

While giving a detailed presentation on the rail tech portal, Vaishnaw listed several challenges the Indian Railways is facing and called for innovation in these areas.

These include AI-based Elephant Intrusion Detection System (EIDS), AI-based fire detection system in coaches, drone-based broken rail detection system, rail stress monitoring system, sensor-based load calculation device on parcel vans (VPUs), solar panel on coaches, AI-based coach cleaning monitoring system, obstruction detection in foggy environment and AI-based pension and dispute resolution.

Apart from the rail tech portal, Vaishnaw also unveiled a citizen-centric reform and a digital solution designed to streamline and modernize processing of court cases in Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT).

It aims to improve efficiency, accessibility, and transparency in all 23 RCT benches to be connected digitally across India. It will benefit litigants to file their cases from anywhere electronically easily with 24/7 availability.

Last month, Vaishnaw had convened a meeting with senior railway officials, during which he unveiled a roadmap to introduce 52 key reforms over 52 weeks in 2026.  The “52 Reforms in 52 Weeks” initiative is intended to bring structural improvements in efficiency, administration, and service standards.