|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
REC Limited (formerly the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with RailTel, committing to provide financial support of up to IN 30,000 crores (US$ 3.6 billion) for infrastructure projects that RailTel will execute over the next five years.
These initiatives cover data centre products and services, telecom and information technology products and services, railways and metro projects, and the Kavach Train Collision Prevention System.
The Kavach Train Collision Prevention System, developed in partnership with the Indian industry by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), is a system comprised of electronic and radio frequency identification (RFID) devices. These components are installed in locomotives, signalling systems, and tracks. They establish communication through ultra-high radio frequencies. The function of Kavach is to manage train brakes and alert drivers, based on the logic programmed that facilitates interactions among the various components. The specific data exchanged includes speed, direction, location, and identifiers (individual to train and tracks).
The REC and RailTel MoU also covers the potential funding of international endeavours related to high-speed rail and metro systems, IT networks, and the upgradation of railway networks. These ventures fall under bilateral country discussions and infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa, where RailTel is currently directing its focus.
Following the signing of the MoU, officials from both parties discussed collaboration opportunities in renewable energy, smart metering, and other projects, where RailTel and REC can collaborate.
T.S.C Bosh, Executive Director (Infra and Logistics) at REC, and Jasmeet Singh Marwah, Company Secretary at RailTel, signed the MoU. Other senior officials from both REC and RailTel were also present.
RailTel, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) wholly owned by the Indian Railways, stands as one of the foremost neutral telecom infrastructure and ICT solutions and services providers in the country. It boasts an extensive pan-India optic fibre network that covers several towns, cities, and rural areas across the country. Along with a strong a reliable network of over 61,000 route kilometres of optic fibre, RailTel has two Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology-empaneled tier-III data centres. The services offered include MPLS VPN, telepresence, leased lines, tower co-location, data centre services, project management, and IT/ICT consultancy, among others.
Established in 1969, REC Limited is a Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) operating under the Ministry of Power. It specialises in providing long-term loans and various financial products for the power infrastructure sector, which includes generation, transmission, distribution, renewable energy, and cutting-edge technologies like electric vehicles, battery storage, and green hydrogen. In recent times, REC has expanded its focus to encompass the non-power infrastructure sector, covering areas such as roads and expressways, metro rail, airports, ICT, social and commercial infrastructure (educational institutions, hospitals), and ports.
Last month, REC announced it would collaborate with the National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) on a range of ICT and digital transformation services. They signed an agreement to boost the REC ecosystem by enabling the exploration of IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data analytics, blockchain, and cybersecurity.
As reported on OpenGov Asia, through this partnership with NICSI, REC will be able to offer comprehensive end-to-end services for the deployment, hosting, core roll-out, technical support, security, system administration, and more related to NIC/NICSI software products, creating a one-stop solution.
