9.00 AM ONWARDS

Inaugural Session

India's Rail Transformation: Scale, Speed & Strategic Direction

Welcome address, Lamp lighting & Inaugural keynotes from senior Ministry of Railways officials.

10.00 AM – 11.00 AM

Session 1 — Finance & Investment

Who Will Fund India's Rail Expansion?

Sustaining ₹3 lakh crore annual rail capex
PPP, EPC and hybrid models – what works?
Station monetisation and transit-oriented development
Role of IRFC, private capital and global investors
Funding and scaling suburban rail networks

INAUGURAL

India’s Rail Transformation: Scale, Speed & Strategic Direction

11.00 AM – 11.15 AM

Welcome-Host & Lamp Lighting

11.15 AM – 11.30 AM

Welcome Address

Pratap Padode, Founder & President, FIRST Construction Council & Managing Director, ASAPP Info Global Group

11.30 AM – 11.55 AM

Keynote Address/Presentation

Alok Tiwari, Additional Member-Bridge, Railway Board (Ministry of Railways

11.55 AM – 12.20 PM

TEA/COFFEE & NETWORKING

SESSION 2

Can Rail Win Back India’s Freight Economy?

12.20 PM – 1.20 PM

Topics of panel discussion:

Rail vs road competitiveness in freight movement
Dedicated Freight Corridors and their impact
Multimodal logistics parks and port connectivity
Role of private train operators
Reducing logistics costs and improving efficiency

1.20 PM – 2.05 PM

NETWORKING LUNCH

SESSION 3

Building the Railways of Viksit Bharat

2.05 PM – 3.05 PM

Topics of panel discussion:

Engineering challenges in mega bridges and tunnels
High-speed rail and capacity expansion
Electrification and large-scale rail infrastructure
EPC contracting challenges and project execution
Technology adoption in construction and monitoring

SESSION 4

Smart Rails: Digital Transformation, Safety & Sustainability

3.05 PM – 3.25 PM

Special Address:

Saurabh Bandopadhyaya, Principal Executive Director- Signalling & Telecom (Development), Railway Board (Ministry of Railways)

3.25 PM – 4.25 PM

Topics of panel discussion

AI, IoT and predictive maintenance
KAVACH, signalling systems and network optimisation
Cybersecurity and data-driven rail operations
Energy efficiency and electrification
Hydrogen and alternative propulsion technologies

4.25 PM – 4.40 PM

TEA/COFFEE & NETWORKING

SESSION 5

Atmanirbhar Railways: Manufacturing & Global Opportunity

4.40 PM – 5.25 PM

Topics of panel discussion:

Rolling stock and rail components
Higher axle loads and specialised freight wagons
Standardisation, testing and certification
Strengthening domestic supply chains
Export opportunities for Indian rail manufacturing

VOTE OF THANKS

Closing Remarks

5.25 PM – 5.30 PM

Key Takeaways & Closing of the Conclave

Event Agenda