BEML Plans Made-In-India Tunnel Boring Machines To Cut China Import Dependence
State-owned engineering and defence manufacturer BEML Ltd plans to develop indigenous tunnel boring machines (TBMs) as India seeks to reduce its dependence on imported construction equipment, particularly from China. As per a report by Bloomberg, Chairman and Managing Director Shantanu Roy said the company would initially focus on smaller machines used in metro rail, hydropower, irrigation and…
State-owned engineering and defense firm BEML Ltd is set to create homegrown tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to minimize India's reliance on imported construction machinery, primarily sourced from China. According to Bloomberg, BEML's CEO Shantanu Roy announced the company's focus on smaller TBMs for metro rail, hydropower, irrigation, and water infrastructure projects initially.
The machines are planned to range in diameter from 3.5 to 6.5 meters before BEML moves towards more complex and larger equipment. An international consultant is being hired to guide the development process, with a strong focus on creating Indian-made technology rather than merely assembling imported parts.
Roy stated that BEML has already outlined its development strategy, independent of China's recent export restrictions on certain construction equipment. The company aims to maintain Indian intellectual property rights over the proposed technology. India's dependence on overseas manufacturers for specialized tunnelling equipment is evident, such as the cutter heads for India's first bullet train corridor, which were produced by Germany's Herrenknecht in China.
However, generating domestic manufacturing capabilities might be difficult due to India's ongoing reliance on imported technologies and specialized industrial components in multiple sectors.
BEML anticipates an annual growth rate of around 12% in the tunnelling equipment market, driven by the expansion of underground transport, hydropower, and strategic infrastructure projects in India. The Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari, has mentioned a potential investment of up to $9.6 billion in tunnelling projects over the next five years.
The Himalayan frontier's infrastructure development with China is also expected to boost demand. Roy predicts that India's TBM market could expand at an annual rate of approximately 12% over the next seven to eight years, almost double the anticipated global growth rate.
Despite the promising opportunities, BEML's initiatives are still in the initial stages. The company estimates that delivering its first domestically developed machine would take about 22 months post-order confirmation. BEML's plans to venture into larger machines will unfold as its technological capabilities mature.
Written by urgent.news from Free Press Journal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
