ZF Begins Local Gearbox Assembly for Indian Railways

ZF, the global technology company specializing in driveline and mobility solutions, has entered the Indian railway sector with its first gearbox order, marking a significant milestone for the company in the country. The gearbox will be locally assembled at ZF’s facility in Coimbatore, supporting India’s growing rail infrastructure and the government’s “Make in India” initiative.

The order involves the supply of a new single-stage spur gear drive customized for India’s Vande Bharat Express, the semi-high-speed indigenous trainset launched in 2019. Designed to handle top speeds ranging from 70 to 170 km/h, the gearbox features a coupling and reaction rod system to support high acceleration rates while maintaining durability and efficiency. The Vande Bharat Express, which has carried over 30 million passengers since its introduction, requires advanced technology solutions to ensure faster acceleration and deceleration, reduced travel times, and improved passenger comfort.

Akash Passey, President of ZF Group India, said, “Our entry into the Indian railway sector is a significant milestone for ZF in India. Securing the first order for a local railway gearbox validates our engineering and manufacturing capabilities and reinforces our commitment to advancing India’s mobility transformation. We are now positioned to deliver sustainable, reliable, and future-ready solutions for the railway sector from within India.”

The Coimbatore facility will enable ZF to combine its global expertise with local manufacturing capabilities, offering high-performance driveline solutions that meet the technical and operational requirements of India’s semi-high-speed trains. The project underscores ZF’s strategic focus on sustainable mobility, safety, and efficiency across new transport domains.

ZF, headquartered in Germany, operates in multiple mobility and industrial sectors, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, construction and agricultural machinery, marine propulsion, wind power, and rail drives. The company employs approximately 168,700 people worldwide, with 162 production locations across 31 countries, and reported €46.6 billion in sales in fiscal year 2023.