State-run Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd may end pact with Turkey's Tumas
India's Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) may end its year-old agreement with Turkish engineering firm Tumas after their partnership failed to make progress, two people aware of the matter said. The state-run company may now look for partners from other countries to replace Tumas.
RVNL and Tumas India Pvt. Ltd had tied up in April 2024 to collaborate on infrastructure projects in India, particularly in public transport. The pact aimed at fostering partnership and cooperation in infrastructure projects, including railways, metros, and related areas.
'RVNL may put the memorandum of agreement in abeyance, and nix it completely later, as it had made no progress since being signed a year back. The company will evaluate whether such partnership itself is required now, as similar collaborations are being pursued with a few other key countries also in line with company's aggressive global expansion push," one of the two people cited above said on the condition of anonymity.
Also read | Celebi case: State has plenary powers in protecting national security, says govt
The move comes in the wake of India's strained relations with Turkey, which supported and armed Pakistan in its recent military conflict with India. Earlier this month, the government withdrew the security clearance of Turkish firm Çelebi's Indian airport services arm citing national security risks, halting its operations at nine airports, including Delhi and Mumbai. Later, a few travel and tour operators voluntarily removed Turkey from their tour packages.
Queries emailed to the railway ministry and RVNL remained unanswered till press time.
RVNL, a Navratna PSU, is the listed infrastructure and project implementation arm of Indian Railways while Tumas is an engineering, procurement and construction company.
MoU insignificant now
According to the two people cited above, the MoU itself has become insignificant for RVNL, as it is now pursuing public-private-partnership (PPP) collaborations with leading global firms from the UAE, Europe, South Korea, and Spain for metro, EPC, and solar projects. These collaborations are expected to help RVNL to strengthen and modernize its own construction abilities for Indian Railways projects and other opportunities for construction of public transport projects within the country.
'Infrastructure is not just about concrete and steel, it is about sovereignty and national resilience too," said Shailesh Agarwal, partner, risk consulting (infrastructure), EY India. "Projects, especially in border regions or involving communication systems must be safeguarded to minimize the risk of external interference. While we welcome global expertise, it must come from nations that respect India's security and stand by us in moments of crisis," Agarwal said.
Also read | Turkey's Celebi to Delhi HC: Security clearance withdrawal has hurt business
'The recent conflict is a reminder that strategic autonomy begins with strategic choices including who we allow to build our future. Moreover, India today has the technical and engineering capability to execute these projects independently. From large-scale expressways to complex mountain tunnels, Indian firms have consistently delivered world-class infrastructure across challenging terrains. In fact, India firms are more competent when it comes to infrastructure execution. India's engineering sector has matured to meet global standards," he added.
RVNL has spread its wings in India's infrastructure sector, expanding beyond its core railway expertise into highways, metro systems, and international markets. As a Navratna PSU, it has been instrumental in executing large-scale, high-impact projects such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor, Chardham Highway, the first-of-its-kind Pamban bridge in Rameshwaram and multiple metro rail systems.
Also read | Dealing with 'delicate' subject: Govt to Delhi HC on Celebi petition
The company is now aggressively expanding overseas, having successfully executed the UTF Harbour project in the Maldives and actively pursuing multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects across West Asia, Africa, South America, and South Asia. It is bidding for ₹400 billion worth of projects and expanding into new infrastructure segments, including build-operate-transfer projects.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
14 minutes ago
- India Today
Did US use Indian airspace to strike Iran nuke sites? Government clarifies
India on Sunday dismissed as "fake" claims by certain social media handles that the US fighter jets used Indian airspace to launch strikes against US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran overnight, with President Donald Trump warning of additional strikes if Iran retaliates. advertisement'Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircrafts against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer. This claim is FAKE,' PIB Fact Check said in a post on X. 'Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation #MidnightHammer,' said the fact check unit of the Press Information Bureau that functions under the Ministry of Information and said that the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine had explained the route used by US aircraft during a press InMust Watch
India Today
14 minutes ago
- India Today
Operation Sindhu: First batch of 160 Indians evacuated from Israel through Jordan
With Israeli airspace closed and commercial flights suspended, the Indian missions in Israel and Jordan jointly evacuated 160 Indian nationals in the first batch under Operation Sindhu on Sunday, according to an embassy missions organised the first batch of evacuation from Israel as the Indian nationals living in Israel constantly grappled with the sounds of sirens, frequently taking cover in bunkers and fortified safe rooms from incoming missiles and drones from first group of 160 Indian nationals evacuated from Israel have successfully crossed the Israel-Jordan border and are now safe in Jordan," officials told PTI. "Arrangements have been made for their return to India, with a special evacuation flight scheduled to depart early tomorrow morning," they Indian nationals reached the Jordanian border for evacuation earlier, the embassy sources told Indian embassy in Amman is looking after their accommodation and launched Operation Sindhu last week to bring back Indians from Iran and Israel as hostilities between the two nations the urgency of the situation, the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv last week set up a 24/7 control room to oversee all facets of the evacuation efforts, the source control room directed Indian nationals to register via an online portal and compiled a detailed database of Indian citizens across Israel, it priorities were determined based on medical emergencies, the presence of young children, women, and students. Embassy officials proactively contacted registrants by phone and email to confirm travel details and allocate them to specific evacuation flights," the source situation on the ground is being closely monitored at the highest levels of the government, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi actively receiving real-time updates on the safety and security of the Indian nationals, the source said."This operation underscores India's unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad. Operation Sindhu is yet another testament to India's emergence as a credible 'first responder' in international crises," a statement from the Indian mission Indian nationals scheduled to be evacuated in the first batch gathered at designated assembly points in Tel Aviv and Haifa early Sunday morning and were then taken by road to the Sheikh Hussein Bridge on the Israel-Jordan border, some 120 kilometres from completing immigration and border formalities at the Israel-Jordanian border, the group proceeded to Amman Airport, another 120 kilometres Shukla, a researcher from Hebrew University who was evacuated on Sunday morning, praised "the smooth and carefully planned process" by the embassy under "difficult circumstances", and told PTI: "I have completed the visa process and have already moved to the Jordanian side. The embassy was extremely helpful in facilitating our journey, and we were looked after well."advertisementThe Israeli and Jordanian governments extended crucial support in ensuring the safe and orderly transit of Indian nationals across the border, the mission in Tel Aviv Embassy of India in Jordan played a key role in receiving the evacuees at the border to further facilitate their onward journey to Amman Airport, it flights from Amman to New Delhi have been arranged by the Ministry of External Affairs to safely fly Indian nationals flights are also planned to leave from Egypt in the coming days, as there are many Indians living in the south of Sindhu joins the ranks of previous high-profile evacuation missions such as Operation Ganga, Operation Devi Shakti, Operation Kaveri, and Operation Ajay, which successfully brought home Indians from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Israel, respectively."These efforts reflect not only India's growing global stature but also its operational readiness and deep sense of responsibility toward its diaspora," an embassy official said."The Government of India continues to accord the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. The government will continue to monitor the situation closely. The embassy remains continuously in touch with the community to extend all feasible assistance," the official Indian mission in Israel once again reached out to its citizens on Sunday to register for ongoing updates and assistance, and provided a 24/7 helpline are over 40,000 Indian nationals in Israel working as caregivers, construction workers, students, professionals and others. Tune InMust Watch
India Gazette
20 minutes ago
- India Gazette
India can play proactive role in stopping Iran-Israel war, says West Asia strategist Awwad
New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): West Asia expert and veteran journalist Waiel Awwad on Sunday said that India can play a proactive role in stopping the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. While speaking to ANI about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Awwad emphasised that India should leverage its position to de-escalate tensions in the region. '...Prime Minister Modi has said that this era is not for war. Peace should prevail. India will be affected by the war situation in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries and the Persian Gulf. Food and oil security will be affected...7 billion dollars of Indian revenue is generated there, so India will suffer...,' he said. 'India says that it is taking a leadership position -- even the G20 was held here -- which means India can play a proactive role in stopping this war,' he added. PM Modi on Sunday spoke with the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing deep concern at the recent escalations and called for 'immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy'. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, 'Spoke with President of Iran @drpezeshkian. We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations.' He emphasised the need for a peaceful resolution and added, 'Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability.' During the intervening hours of Saturday and Sunday, the US and Israel targeted Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. Fardow is Iran's main enrichment location for uranium enrichment to 60 per cent. According to a CNN report, the US likely used six B-2 bombers to drop a dozen GBU-57 A/B 'bunker buster' bombs, also known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP), on the Fordow nuclear site, which is Iran's main location for uranium enrichment. A US official also told CNN that a full payload of bombs was dropped on Fordow. In his first public remarks following the strikes, President Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran fails to agree to a satisfactory peace settlement. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we've witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said in his address to the nation from the White House on Saturday (local time). (ANI)
