New Delhi: Aiming at its advent in structural infrastructure applications, Jindal Stainless signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with Braithwaite & Co Limited (BCL), a Government of India undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, to develop stainless steel foot-over-bridges (FOBs), road-over-bridges (ROBs) etc., on the sidelines of the ongoing International Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE) in New Delhi. This MoU intends to fulfill Railways’ vision of world-class railway infrastructure in the country by synergizing the expertise of India’s largest stainless steel producer, Jindal Stainless and Indian Railways’ trusted fabrication expert, BCL. This collaboration comes at the right time as Railways is currently in the process of modernization on a massive scale. Jindal Stainless will be supplying stainless steel to BCL for developing FOBs on railway platforms, ROBs on municipal roads, smart city skywalks, road bridges, and rail bridges. Indian Railways continues to be a prominent customer for Jindal Stainless with the company holding a share of ~70% in the railway wagon segment and 60% in the coach segment.
Commenting on this collaboration, Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr Vijay Sharma said, “We are delighted to be a part of this association with BCL, which marks Jindal Stainless’ contribution in the structural infrastructure segment. It is motivating to see initiation of multiple FOB projects by the government, with many more in the pipeline. We are already working with BCL for developing railway wagons with stainless steel under-frames. I am certain that with our quality stainless steel grades and BCL’s expertise in fabrication, we will be able to develop a sustainable railway infrastructure together.”
BCL is a seasoned fabricator for the Indian Railways and has led several successful projects like the Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu projects in Kolkata, Ganga Bridge in Patna, and Jubilee Bridge in West Bengal. Commenting on the development, Chairman and Managing Director, BCL, Mr Yatish Kumar said, “It is a thrilling opportunity to collaborate with Jindal Stainless towards establishing a dynamic structural infrastructure. BCL is dedicated to improving the life cycle of bridges and related infrastructure by means of sustainable and reliable raw materials, thereby reducing any untoward incidents. Stainless steel emerges as an undisputed choice. BCL has an expertise in structural fabrication and manufacturing various models of wagons involving stainless steel fabrication. We look forward to a long-term association backed by specialized quality products and technical support from Jindal Stainless.”
Due to its inherent advantages of corrosion resistance, higher strength-to-weight ratio, and a low life cycle cost (LCC) with minimal maintenance requirement, stainless steel is gaining prominence as the preferred structural raw material for developing infrastructure. The government has sanctioned around 1,100 FOB projects, with nearly 300 in the pipeline. Fabrication of FOBs and ROBs requires specialized stainless steel grades. Moreover, grades pertaining to railway applications need approvals from Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) and Railway Board as well. As the industry pioneer and a regular supplier to the Indian Railways, Jindal Stainless is one of the key stainless steel producers for such projects and will be expected to supply nearly 80% of the requirement to BCL.
India has a coastline of 7500 km which necessitates the use of stainless steel infrastructure. High content of air-borne salts in marine environments causes rapid corrosion and degradation of infrastructure. Bridges, especially in these areas, are exposed to severe risk of collapse. As per industry data, around 1,35,000 rail bridges exist in India, of which more than 25% are over 100 years old and need immediate replacement. The first such stainless steel foot-over-bridge is coming at Bhayandar station in Mumbai next year. Though more than 1000 bridges are rehabilitated every year, there is a huge backlog in re-building these bridges.
About Jindal Stainless
Founded by Shri OP Jindal in 1970, Jindal Stainless is the largest stainless steel manufacturing company in India and ranks among the top 10 stainless steel manufacturers in the world. Jindal Stainless has an annual melt capacity of 1.6 MT and an annual turnover of US $3.2 billion (as of March’19). The company has two stainless steel manufacturing complexes in India, in the states of Haryana and Odisha, with an overseas unit in Indonesia. The Indonesian unit serves in markets of South-East Asia and nearby regions. The integrated operations, from mining to manufacturing of finished products, have given Jindal Stainless the edge of cost competitiveness and operational efficiency, making it one of the best stainless steel producers in the world. The company has a country-wide network of 14 sales offices in India with over 11 global offices across the world. It is not only the magnitude of its operations that determines the brand credibility and name of Jindal Stainless, but the company remains inspired by a vision for innovation and enriching lives. The company’s growth has been backed by excellence of its people, value-driven business operations, customer centricity, adoption of one of the best safety practices in the stainless steel industry, and a commitment for social responsibility.
About Braithwaite & Co Limited
Braithwaite was established in 1913 as the Indian Subsidiary of Braithwaite & Co. Engineers Limited (U.K.), for undertaking fabrication of Structural Steel Works. Braithwaite & Co Limited was registered and incorporated on 1st December 1976 as a fully owned Govt. of India Undertaking. The company today has three units – Clive Works, Victoria Works both in Calcutta and Angus Works (in Hooghly District), West Bengal. With effect from 6th August, 2010 the administrative control of the company has been taken over by the Ministry of Railways. Braithwaite is a leading fabricator of quality standard wagons, cranes, foundry products, and heavy structurals with three manufacturing units having been accredited with ISO 9001:2008.
