changeadminAddressing investors and entrepreneurs at the Global Investors Summit 2025 in Bhopal, India’s Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw outlined Indian Railways’ vision for electrification and the adoption of alternative energy sources.
Mr Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, and Mr Rakesh Shukla, Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Government of Madhya Pradesh were also present at the event.
Participating via video conferencing from Rail Bhawan, the Railway Minister emphasized the Indian government’s goal to achieve ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions for Indian Railways, with 100% electrification slated for completion in the 2025-26 financial year.
The next objective is to maximize renewable energy procurement.
With this vision, Indian Railways has already tied up 1,500 MW of renewable energy. Further strengthening this commitment, a significant 170 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was signed today with the government of Madhya Pradesh (MP).
This milestone marks the procurement of India’s cheapest solar power at Rs 2.15/kWh and the Minister reaffirmed enthusiasm for exploring wind and nuclear energy procurement.
The Government of Madhya Pradesh, through Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Limited (RUMSL), is supplying solar power to Indian Railways from its largest solar park.
Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw commended Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Mohan Yadav for his active role in advancing state railway development. He reiterated the Indian government’s strong commitment to a sustainable and green future for the country’s transportation network.
Today’s PPA was signed between key stakeholders, including West Central Railway (WCR), represented by Dy. CEE/HQ Chetan Gulwani; RUMSL, represented by Executive Engineer Avneesh Shukla; and Waree Forever Energies Pvt Ltd, the solar power developer.
The Minister also added that Indian Railways is committed to achieving net-zero emissions and shifting from road to rail transport to promote environmental sustainability, reduce oil imports, and lower overall logistics costs.
As part of this vision, it meets its energy requirements through non-fossil sources such as solar, wind, and nuclear power. The collaboration with RUMSL is a significant step in this direction.
In addition to setting up its solar systems, Indian Railways is also securing solar power through PPA arrangements with developers. By 2030, Indian Railways’ traction power requirement is projected to reach 10,000 MW.
So far, it has secured 4,260 MW of installed solar capacity and 3,427 MW of installed wind capacity to meet its energy needs, the Minister said.
Out of 4,260 MW of installed solar capacity with Indian Railways, the majority of it comes from solar plants in Rajasthan, UP and MP, and a small chunk of 203 MW comes from rooftops of stations and railway service buildings.
On June 5th, 2021, on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Indian Railways Net Zero commitment by 2030 was made and since then a series of steps have been taken to achieve the ambitious goal.
Call for Nationwide Collaboration in Renewable Energy
Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw urged all Indian states to contribute renewable energy—be it solar, wind, hydro, or nuclear power—to Indian Railways, emphasizing a collaborative approach to sustainable energy.
He praised the successful partnership model between the Railway Ministry and the Government of Madhya Pradesh, which facilitates direct PPA agreements between the state’s energy generators and Indian Railways.
About the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power Limited (RUMSL)
RUMSL, designated as a Solar Power Park Developer (SPPD) by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), was entrusted with developing large-scale solar parks in Madhya Pradesh under the Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Projects (UMREPP) scheme of the Government of India.
To ensure efficiency and expertise in executing and operating such large-scale projects, RUMSL adopted the DBFOO (Design, Build, Finance, Own, and Operate) model.
The initiative significantly contributed to India’s renewable energy sector, increasing the country’s solar power generation capacity by 2.50%. Notably, it achieved the lowest-ever tariff awarded for a solar public-private partnership (PPP) in India, at INR 2.97 per kWh, without any viability gap funding from the government.
Recognized for its innovation and impact, the project was included in the Prime Minister’s “Book of Innovation” and was honoured with the prestigious “President Award” from the World Bank.
At the Global Investors Summit 2025 in Bhopal, Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), a Navratna Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSU) under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Madhya Pradesh for setting up 200 MW Solar Project in Dhar under the CPSU Scheme and a 1000 MWh Battery Storage Project in the state.
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