DSP flags off first consignment of Vande Bharat wheels
The Statesman | 24 June 2025
Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) has achieved a landmark milestone with the flagging off of the first consignment of indigenously developed Vande Bharat wheels on 20 June, from its Wheel & Axle plant. This marks the rollout of the first-ever Make in India wheels for India’s flagship semi-high-speed train, the Vande Bharat Express.
The consignment was flagged off by Dr K Ramakrishna, executive director (works) of DSP, amidst presence of senior officials and employees from Wheels and Axle plant and supporting departments, acknowledging the collective effort behind this national achievement.
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Senior officials from RITES, the inspection agency of Indian Railways, were also present.
The entire product development phase which covered developing ultra-clean steel, forging die design for achieving wheel profile, process engineering and optimisation and testing for developing these specialised wheels were carried out using in-house technical expertise. The detailed quality assurance plan for producing such high-speed wheels was approved by RDSO, Indian Railways. With strict adherence to stringent physical and metallurgical specifications, SAIL, Durgapur Steel Plant has demonstrated its advanced capability to deliver high-performance wheels required for high-speed rail applications.
Sail’s Durgapur Steel Plant has also manufactured wheels for Kolkata Metro and has dispatched the first batch in 2018.