The Hindu Business Line : `Marketing our technology worldwide will be a major challenge'

The present challenge for KRCL is to market the technologies it has developed and obtain the world patent. - DR K. K. GOKHALE, MD, KONKAN RAILWAY CORPORATION

DR K. K. GOKHALE, MD, KONKAN RAILWAY CORPORATION

Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL), which created the engineering marvel of the 760-km railway line from Roha, near Mumbai, to Thokur, near Mangalore, is now on the growth path. The company's indigenously developed technologies are attracting the attention of the world. The company is also actively involved in construction activities. It has been awarded the contract for construction work on the stretch of line between Katra and Laole in the Jammu and Kashmir railway project. The company has also introduced a slew of initiatives to cater to the needs of the passenger and freight traffic segments. Dr K.K. Gokhale, Managing Director of KRCL, who was in Mangalore recently to give a presentation on the Sky Bus system, spoke to Business Line on various aspects of the company. He says that the challenge before him now is to market KRCL's indigenously developed technologies across the world.

Excerpts from the interview:

What is the major challenge for Konkan Railway?

My present challenge is to market the anti-collision device (ACD) and the Sky Bus — the technologies we developed — and get the world patent. Whoever is the MD of the company, marketing these technologies throughout India and all over the world will be a major challenge to him. We must be the only public sector company that has got a patent of this type.

With regard to the ACD, we are in the final stages of a pilot project in the Indian Railways, on the North-Frontier Railway. Certification of the first version is going on. That should be over in a couple of months.

Have you received any queries from abroad for the ACD?

We have received queries from three countries. Indonesia and South Africa and Pakistan have shown interest. But they did not pursue it.

What about the Sky Bus?

Again here, we are waiting for the final certification of the technology. The test track for Sky Bus has been commissioned in Goa. The Commissioner of Railway Safety will have to carry out the certification for that.

How do you see the performance of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd?

We have been progressing fairly well. We commissioned the railway line on January 26, 1998. The turnover, which was at Rs 60 crore in 1998-99, is now Rs 630 crore. We ended 2005-06 with a Rs 130-crore profit, against Rs 80 crore in 2004-05. I expect it to go up further in 2006-07.

If the Sky Bus takes off next year, then Konkan Railway will be growing in a much higher bracket, as we will get licensing royalty for the technology.

How is the freight movement performance, especially in the roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) segment?

Freight movement has improved tremendously. Ro-Ro was introduced in 1998-99 on an experimental basis. But it did not meet with much success. We had to put in quite a bit of marketing effort to turn it around. Now we earn Rs 60 crore out of that service. It is running very well.

In fact, the Mangalore service introduced two years ago has become successful. Now there is a demand to run one train daily between Mumbai and Mangalore, carrying only trucks.

Added to this, our lines are being used as an alternative to the north-south route. Our line has been found to be more efficient and economical. So a sustained stream of traffic is now moving on Konkan Railway's lines, which was not there till 2002-03.

Could you tell us something about KRCL's construction activities?

Perhaps we are the only public sector entity in India that runs a railway on a commercial basis and also undertakes construction work. Now construction has become one of our major activities. The Jammu and Kashmir project, part of which we are undertaking — called the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway line — is a national project. KRCL has been given the 90-km, Katra-Laole stretch of that project. It is one of the toughest sections on the route. The estimated cost is about Rs 8,000 crore.

And there, we are building the world's highest and largest single-span bridge over the river Chenab, costing about Rs 800 crore. The height of the bridge above water will be 356 metres and the length about 505 metres on an unsupported span.

How is Railotel doing?

We are encouraging private operators to build hotels next to railway stations. The idea is that people sometimes arrive at odd hours and if they find a reasonable and reliable hotel next door, it would be very useful. We have already built such hotels in Ratnagiri and Kumta, and now we have floated tenders for Madgaon.

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`Marketing our technology worldwide will be a major challenge'

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