State-owned engineering and defence manufacturer BEML Ltd plans to develop indigenous tunnel boring machines (TBMs) as India seeks to reduce its dependence on imported construction equipment, particularly from China.
As per a report by Bloomberg, Chairman and Managing Director Shantanu Roy said the company would initially focus on smaller machines used in metro rail, hydropower, irrigation and water infrastructure projects.
BEML plans to manufacture machines with diameters ranging from 3.5 metres to 6.5 metres before expanding into larger, technically complex equipment.
The company is appointing an international consultant to support its development programme, with an emphasis on creating proprietary Indian technology rather than assembling imported components.
Indigenous Technology For Tunnel Boring Machines
As per the report, Roy said BEML had already prepared its development strategy, independently of China's recent restrictions on exports of certain construction equipment.
The company intends to retain Indian intellectual property rights over its proposed technology.
India currently depends heavily on overseas manufacturers for specialised tunnelling equipment.
For instance, machines deployed for the Mumbai section of India's first bullet train corridor have cutter heads measuring approximately 13.6 metres in diameter. They were manufactured by Germany's Herrenknecht at its Chinese facility.
However, establishing domestic manufacturing capabilities could prove challenging, given India's continued reliance on imported technologies and specialised industrial components across several sectors.
India's Tunnel Boring Market Expected To Grow 12% Annually
BEML expects demand for tunnelling equipment to increase as India expands underground transport, hydropower and strategic infrastructure projects.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has indicated that India could invest up to $9.6 billion in tunnelling projects over the next five years.
Infrastructure development along the Himalayan frontier with China is also expected to support demand.
Roy estimates that India's TBM market could grow approximately 12% annually over the next seven to eight years, nearly twice the projected global growth rate.
Despite the opportunity, BEML's plans remain at an early stage.
The company estimates that delivering its first domestically developed machine would take approximately 22 months after securing an order.
BEML intends to expand into larger machines as its technological capabilities develop.
