Updated on: Nov 13, 2025 | New Delhi

As India pushes for a major overhaul of its railway safety infrastructure, Concord Control Systems Limited has called for greater industry participation in deploying the ‘Kavach’ automatic train protection (ATP) system across the country. The company, which recently secured an order to install Kavach on a 53-kilometre stretch of the South Central Railway for field trials, said that meeting the government’s new five-year target would require more players in the ecosystem.

Kavach — an indigenously developed safety system — automatically applies brakes when a loco pilot fails to do so, ensuring trains operate within designated speed limits and helping prevent collisions.

Push to Accelerate Nationwide Deployment

Originally, the Indian Railways had planned to install Kavach across its vast network by 2035. However, after a series of serious train accidents, the government advanced the target to five years, aiming for complete coverage by 2030.

“Given the sheer size of India’s railway network, more companies need to step in if the five-year target is to be achieved,” said Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director of Concord Control Systems. “There are around 78,000 track kilometres and over 18,000 locomotives where Kavach installation is required. Even if 50 more companies enter this space, there will still be enough work for everyone,” he added.

Lath estimated the total potential market for Kavach implementation at ₹45,000 crore, covering installations across tracks, locomotives, and signalling systems.

Current Status of Kavach

The Railway Ministry developed Kavach as a Made-in-India ATP system, designed, developed, and manufactured domestically. Field trials for passenger trains began in 2016, and it was formally adopted as India’s national ATP standard in July 2020.

Despite ongoing installations in several railway zones, Kavach is not yet operational on any live passenger route. Concord is one of six companies approved to install the system, having recently received both technical approval and field trial clearance.

Under its current 53-km trial, Concord must complete 5,000 locomotive kilometres, meaning trains will repeatedly operate over the same stretch to test system reliability and interoperability. “We’ll begin deployment and installation in a couple of weeks,” Lath said. “Depending on conditions, the trial could take as little as 31 days or extend to a few months.”

Focus on Interoperability and Integration

A key feature of Kavach’s design is interoperability — ensuring that systems from different manufacturers can communicate seamlessly across India’s massive rail network. “The architecture of Kavach ensures interoperability among all approved vendors’ systems,” Lath noted. “This is essential for seamless integration at stations and across zones.”

Industry Outlook and Concord’s Expansion

Concord, which recently acquired Fusion Electronics to expand its footprint in railway technologies, has been posting strong financial results. The company reported an 85% jump in profit after tax and a 64% rise in operational revenueyear-on-year, reflecting the growing demand for indigenous railway safety solutions.

Lath said that scaling up capacity and execution speed will be vital for meeting the government’s ambitious five-year goal. “Enhanced capacity, faster execution, and broader participation from industry players are critical to achieving early, full-scale national deployment of Kavach,” he emphasized.

Background: Why Kavach Matters

India’s railway network — one of the world’s largest — faces persistent challenges with safety incidents, including collisions caused by human error or signal misjudgment. Kavach is designed to eliminate these risks by using GPS-based technology, radio communication, and onboard equipment to automatically control train speed and braking.

Once operational, Kavach will alert drivers to potential dangers, enforce signal compliance, and automatically stop trains in case of a potential collision or overspeeding — a crucial upgrade for a network carrying millions of passengers daily.

With the government prioritizing safety modernization, industry experts agree that expanding the number of certified vendors and boosting manufacturing capacity will be key to achieving full network coverage on schedule.

---