Indian Railways' Renewed Vision:Inclusive and Integrative Growth through Commercial Focus and Social Commitment

Quoting from the "Vision 2020" report published by the Ministry of Railways in December, 2009, "In the coming decade, Indian Railways will continue to keep its service focus on the underprivileged and the poor, even as it expands its services for the more fortunate", it is imperative to reflect on the fact that the Indian Railway's implicit vision has gone through a metamorphosis of late which is to deepen and broaden the agenda of inclusive and integrative growth and increasingly become aware of their role as a catalyst of social and economic change.

The phenomenal dependence of the travelling public in India on Indian Railway, which is at the threshold of a resurrection, is growing exponentially day by day. Today, it is the principal mode of transport which carries about 1.3 million tonnes of freight and 13 million passengers daily. It is the world's largest single employer with about 16 lakh employees in its payroll. In its endeavour to become an excellent rail transport network of the world, the IR has helped launch itself towards a path of gigantic growth and development combined with holistic sustainability.