Czech company Skoda is exploring possibilities of establishing a manufacturing unit for metro rail coaches in India, the Czech ambassador in India Miloslav Stasek told EEPC India, the former Engineering Export Promotion Council.
According to a PTI report quoting the ambassador, "Skoda Transportation is exploring different locations (for the metro coach facility) and is close to making a decision."
By building coaches locally (India), Skoda Transportation hopes to price them more aggressively for the India market. These coaches are currently flown into the country in large transport aircraft. The report suggests that Skoda, which already supplies coaches for the Delhi Metro, is keen to manufacture them within India as several cities like Jaipur, Kochi, Bangalore, Lucknow and Mumbai have embarked upon metro projects.
The company is also looking at opportunities in upcoming projects like the High-Speed Railway Corridor, the ambassador has been quoted as saying.