India’s 2026–27 US$30.92bn rail plan may boost Thai exports

Thai machinery and cable exporters could benefit from India’s US$30.92 billion railway investment programme for 2026–27, according to a report published on 22 October 2026 by the Thai Trade Center in Mumbai. However, procurement restrictions and contracts already awarded limit access to the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed project.

Thailand’s trade office in Mumbai identified potential demand for specialised construction machinery, electrical machinery, wires and cables, safety equipment, industrial materials and technologies used in railway construction. Opportunities could extend to construction supply chains, systems installation and maintenance, depending on actual purchasing demand, contract terms and Indian technical and safety requirements.

India’s railway investment allocation amounts to approximately 2.93 trillion rupees and covers the wider network, not only the Mumbai–Ahmedabad line. As of April 2026, the country had approved 514 railway development projects covering approximately 40,000 kilometres.

Japanese loan conditions limit access to Mumbai–Ahmedabad contracts

Japanese government loans supporting the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project carry funding-linked procurement conditions, known as tied procurement, according to the Embassy of Japan in India. Those conditions mean progress on the railway does not automatically translate into purchasing opportunities for Thai suppliers.

Work on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad line’s signalling and train control systems, telecommunications and operations control centre has already been awarded to a consortium involving India’s Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon and Germany’s Siemens.

Thai businesses considering India’s railway market need to examine individual contract status, rules of origin, technical specifications and supplier eligibility. Thailand’s trade office in Mumbai also highlighted competition from manufacturers in India, Japan and other countries, as well as import duties and freight costs that could weaken Thai products’ competitiveness.

Thai electrical exports to India provide an existing trade base

Thailand exported approximately US$1.43 billion worth of electrical machinery and equipment to India under Harmonised System (HS) Chapter 85 in 2025, up 7.9% from the previous year, according to trade figures cited by Thailand’s trade office in Mumbai.

Thai exports to India of insulated electrical wires and cables under HS code 8544 were worth approximately US$29.8 million in 2025, an increase of 13.3% year on year.

Thailand’s trade office in Mumbai sees the existing electrical and infrastructure-related export base as a foundation for further expansion in India. Businesses would still need to assess the requirements of individual railway contractors and buyers before pursuing supply opportunities.

Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed railway reaches 62.16% completion

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is implementing India’s first high-speed railway, reported 62.16% overall physical progress on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad project, according to Thailand’s trade office in Mumbai.

Construction of all 14 portal beams supporting the elevated railway in Vadodara, Gujarat, has been completed. NHSRCL has also acquired the full 1,389.49 hectares required for the project and installed viaduct girders along more than 366 kilometres of the 508-kilometre route.

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad project includes a 21-kilometre tunnel section with a seven-kilometre undersea stretch. Tunnel boring machines are being used alongside the New Austrian Tunnelling Method, with 4.88 kilometres completed using the latter method.

Breakthroughs have also been achieved in four of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad project’s eight mountain tunnels, according to the progress figures cited by Thailand’s trade office in Mumbai.

Construction of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad railway’s Sabarmati maintenance depot is 32.28% complete, compared with 17.23% at the Thane depot. Track slabs have been installed along 97 kilometres of the route, with associated cement asphalt mortar injection work to fill gaps beneath the slabs.

Thailand’s Commerce Ministry ready to help rail exporters

Thailand’s Commerce Ministry is ready to support business matching between Thai suppliers and Indian contractors, alongside registration and certification with the Research Designs and Standards Organisation, India’s railway technical standards body.

The Thai trade office in Mumbai advised businesses to monitor NHSRCL and check which procurement contracts could accept new manufacturers or suppliers. Cooperation with Indian contractors and companies, supported by the necessary product standards and certification, would help Thai firms assess their prospects for entering railway supply chains.