DREAMS, INNOVATION, AND THE SPIRIT OF OWNERSHIP

Sudhanshu Mani, the visionary behind the Vande Bharat Express, spoke on dreams, innovation, and ownership in transforming Indian manufacturing. He also highlighted the challenge of turning ambition into reality—one he faced while leading the creation of India’s first indigenously built semi-high-speed train.

- 

Speaking at the Festival of Manufacturing in Mumbai, Sudhanshu Mani, the visionary behind the Vande Bharat Express, shared his thoughts on dreams, innovation, and the power of ownership in transforming India's manufacturing ecosystem. He set the tone with a quote from Shakespeare: "If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches and poor men's cottages, princes' palaces." This, he explained, encapsulates the challenge of turning ambition into reality—a challenge he himself encountered in the journey to create India’s first indigenously built semi-high-speed train.

THE DREAM OF A TRAIN THAT REPRESENTS INDIA

Mani spoke about his lifelong dream of seeing India design and manufacture a world-class train. "Despite having one of the largest railway networks in the world, we never really owned our train technology," he said. For years, India relied on foreign expertise to build locomotives and coaches, never truly creating something entirely its own.

This dream, he admitted, was not one that materialised overnight. "Dreams require patience," he noted. "It took 57 years for my moment to arrive." That moment came when the opportunity arose to lead the design and manufacturing of what would become the Vande Bharat Express—India’s answer to high-speed rail, designed and built entirely within the country. "Like fine wine, some dreams need time to mature," Mani reflected.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OWNERSHIP IN CREATION