NEW DELHI : The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) has taken a significant step towards the development of the proposed East–West Dedicated Freight Corridor (EWDFC) by organising a high-level Stakeholder Conference here in New Delhi, bringing together leading infrastructure developers, financial institutions, logistics companies, investors and multilateral agencies to discuss the project’s implementation and financing framework.
Held at the India Habitat Centre on July 7, the conference focused on building a collaborative roadmap for the execution of the proposed 2,316-km freight corridor connecting Surat in Gujarat with Dankuni in West Bengal, one of India’s largest planned railway freight infrastructure projects.
The conference was chaired by DFCCIL Managing Director Praveen Kumar and attended by senior officials from the Railway Board and DFCCIL.
A major highlight of the discussions was the proposed implementation of the corridor under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), aimed at encouraging greater private sector participation while ensuring balanced risk sharing and sustainable project financing.
Stakeholders deliberated on key aspects of the project, including financing mechanisms, construction strategy, implementation timelines, risk allocation and opportunities for public-private collaboration. Interactive sessions enabled participants to offer suggestions, seek clarifications and contribute to the project’s execution strategy.
The event witnessed participation from several of India’s leading infrastructure developers and EPC contractors, including Larsen & Toubro, Afcons Infrastructure, Tata Projects, IRCON International, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), RITES Ltd., G R Infraprojects, Ashoka Buildcon, Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL), Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), Kalpataru Projects International, KEC International, GPT Infraprojects, Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Pvt. Ltd. (DRAIPL), GMR Group and Hindalco Industries.
Leading logistics and supply chain companies such as Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), Adani Road Transport Ltd. and DP World also participated in the deliberations.
The conference also drew strong interest from domestic and international financial institutions and development finance agencies, reflecting growing investor confidence in India’s expanding freight infrastructure programme.
Among the key financial participants were the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), World Bank, MUFG Bank, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), Power Finance Corporation (PFC), REC Limited, National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID), International Finance Corporation (IFC), New Development Bank (NDB) and YES Bank.
Infrastructure investment firms and advisory organisations, including NIIF, CDPQ India, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, EY, PwC, CRISIL, CARE Ratings and ICRA, also took part in the discussions.
The proposed East–West Dedicated Freight Corridor will traverse six states over approximately 2,316 kilometres, linking western and eastern India through a high-capacity freight rail network. The corridor is expected to substantially enhance freight transportation capacity, improve multimodal connectivity, reduce logistics costs and transit time, strengthen supply chain efficiency, and support industrial and manufacturing growth across the country.
Addressing the conference, Praveen Kumar, Managing Director, DFCCIL, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to delivering the ambitious project through collaborative stakeholder engagement, innovative financing models and efficient execution. He also appreciated the efforts of DFCCIL’s finance and project teams for successfully organising the stakeholder consultation and emphasised the importance of continued industry participation in taking the project forward.
The East–West Dedicated Freight Corridor is expected to become one of India’s flagship next-generation freight railway projects, reinforcing the country’s vision of developing world-class logistics infrastructure and improving national freight mobility.
