25-Oct-2026 09:52:33
India Develops Homegrown Tunnel Boring Machines Amid China’s Export Curbs
India is expanding domestic manufacturing of tunnel boring machines (TBMs), with 8-metre and 15-metre machines now being produced locally and models exceeding 16 metres planned soon, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The push comes after China announced export controls on tunnelling equipment, raising concerns over infrastructure supply chains. Indigenous TBMs could reduce reliance on imports for railway, metro, highway and power projects, including the 125-km Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line, where around 83% of the route runs through tunnels.