Italy’s Lucchini RS and SIMEST invest €28 million in Jupiter Tatravagonka Railwheel Factory

Kolkata, India (Rail & Metro Today): Italy’s rail industry is strengthening its manufacturing partnership with India, with Lucchini RS and Italian government-backed SIMEST investing approximately €28 million for a combined 25% stake in Jupiter Tatravagonka Railwheel Factory (JTRWF).

The investment is expected to support the development of an integrated Indian manufacturing platform for railway wheels, axles and wheelsets, while strengthening capabilities in forging, metallurgy, machining and assembly.

JTRWF is an Indian joint venture between Lucchini RS Holding and Jupiter Wagons Limited. The partnership is also supporting the development of a new greenfield manufacturing facility in Odisha, alongside JTRWF’s existing manufacturing facility at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.

New Railway Manufacturing Hub in Odisha

According to SIMEST, its investment is being provided through Fund 394, managed in agreement with Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The financing is intended to support JTRWF in establishing the new production facility for railway wheels, axles and wheelsets.

The proposed Odisha facility is expected to create another important manufacturing base for the railway sector while strengthening the international footprint of the Lucchini RS Group.

The investment reflects Italy’s strategy of supporting the internationalisation of its industrial companies and expanding the presence of Italian technology and engineering expertise in strategic overseas markets.

For the Indian railway industry, the facility is expected to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities in critical rolling-stock components, particularly wheels, axles and complete wheelsets.

Combining Italian Technology with Indian Manufacturing

The partnership brings together the specialised metallurgy and rail engineering expertise of Lucchini RS with the manufacturing capabilities and market presence of Jupiter Wagons.

Lucchini RS has expertise in the development and manufacture of railway wheels, axles and wheelsets, while Jupiter Wagons provides an established Indian industrial platform and access to India's expanding railway market.

The combined manufacturing platform is intended to cover a wider value chain, extending from forging and metallurgy to machining and final assembly.

This integrated approach can support greater localisation of railway component manufacturing while creating a platform capable of serving both domestic requirements and international markets.

SIMEST Supports India Expansion

SIMEST said the investment aims to support the growth of Made in Italy products in foreign markets, diversify the geographical footprint of the Group's activities and leverage Italian technological expertise in a strategically important sector.

India represents one of the world's major railway markets, with significant investment in railway modernisation, rolling stock, freight transportation and high-capacity rail infrastructure.

The creation of manufacturing capacity for wheels, axles and wheelsets in India therefore aligns Italian industrial expertise with the country's growing demand for critical railway components.

Mrs. Mamta Shah, MD & CEO, Urban Infra Group, said, “The Lucchini RS–Jupiter Wagons partnership demonstrates how international collaboration is increasingly moving towards integrated manufacturing rather than simply technology supply or component sourcing. Combining Italian expertise in metallurgy, engineering and wheelset technology with India's manufacturing scale and growing railway market can create a strong industrial platform for both domestic requirements and global opportunities.”

The Odisha investment also adds another dimension to India's efforts to develop a stronger domestic railway component ecosystem. Locally manufactured wheels, axles and wheelsets are critical to railway rolling stock and require advanced metallurgical processes, precision machining, quality control and specialised testing.

The development of the Odisha facility alongside JTRWF's existing Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar operations could therefore create a broader manufacturing footprint for the joint venture.

India-Europe Railway Cooperation Expands

The investment is also indicative of a wider evolution in India-Europe industrial cooperation. Rather than limiting collaboration to equipment procurement or technology transfer, international railway companies are increasingly establishing manufacturing and engineering capabilities within India.

For Italy, India provides access to a large and rapidly developing railway market. For India, such partnerships can bring advanced manufacturing processes, engineering expertise, technology and access to international supply chains.

The JTRWF investment combines these elements through an Indian production platform focused on strategically important railway components.

With the new Odisha facility planned alongside the existing Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar operation, the partnership could strengthen India's capabilities in wheels, axles and wheelsets while creating a platform for the international expansion of Indian-manufactured railway products.