India accelerates indigenous tunnel boring machine production

India is advancing the domestic manufacturing of Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) to bolster self-reliance in critical infrastructure. This move follows new export restrictions on TBMs from China. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the country is now producing machines with diameters of 8 metres and 15 metres, with plans to manufacture units exceeding 16 metres.

The development is central to the construction of the 125-kilometre Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway line in Uttarakhand. This project, described by Vaishnaw as a lifeline for the region, involves navigating the complex geology of the Himalayan Young Fold Mountains. The alignment is highly technical, consisting of 12 stations, 16 tunnels, and 19 bridges, with approximately 83 per cent of the route—roughly 104 kilometres—passing through tunnels.