Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh on Saturday received a major industrial boost as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone of Bharat Earth Movers Limited’s (BEML) Rs 1,800-crore ‘Brahma’ rail coach manufacturing unit in Umaria village, Raisen district. The project, spread over 148 acres, will be connected to highways, rail, and air routes, and is expected to generate over 5,000 jobs directly, besides benefiting MSMEs and small industries in the region.
Calling it a “big gift” for the state, Singh said Madhya Pradesh is progressing rapidly under CM Dr. Mohan Yadav’s leadership and has secured investment proposals worth Rs 30 lakh crore in a short time. He said the unit, to be completed in two years, will produce high-speed railway coaches and other rail products, boosting India’s transportation sector. He added that India’s defence exports have grown from ₹600 crore in 2014 to over ₹24,000 crore, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for self-reliance.
Singh also spoke on national security, recalling the Pahalgam terror attack, and vowed that India would not spare those who harm its citizens. “Our culture believes in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, but whoever provokes us will face consequences,” he said, urging simultaneous focus on industrial growth and environmental protection.
CM Mohan Yadav thanked the Defence Ministry for the project, calling it a “stream of employment” for the state. He said MP is committed to the Swadeshi movement and is rapidly advancing industrial development through regional industry conclaves, which have already seen projects worth ₹38,000 crore launched. The Brahma unit will also produce metro coaches before Bhopal’s metro operations begin, he added.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a video message, said the factory would be a “Make in India, Make for the World” success story, contributing to Indian Railways’ ongoing modernization. In the past 11 years, he said, 35,000 km of new tracks have been laid and 51,000 km electrified.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the project would make the area a major industrial hub, noting its historic representation by leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Sushma Swaraj.
BEML CMD Shantanu Roy said this is the company’s second railway coach rolling stock facility after Bengaluru, aiming to roll out its first products in 18 months, including lightweight aluminium coaches. He said the unit will also manufacture defence products in the future and serve as a hub for technological innovation and social transformation.
The ceremony was attended by senior ministers, officials, and dignitaries, and featured a film on the Brahma project, with the foundation stone laid amid Vedic chants.