German national railway company Deutsche Bahn delegation visits IIIC in Kerala’s Kollam
The 13-member delegation from Berlin included senior representatives from Deutsche Bahn, its subsidiaries such as DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH and DB Rail Academy, as well as key industry suppliers and project partne
A high-level delegation from Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany’s state-owned national railway company, visited the Indian Institute of Infrastructure and Construction (IIIC) in Kollam district of Kerala to explore international collaborations in skilled workforce development. The 13-member delegation from Berlin included senior representatives from Deutsche Bahn, its subsidiaries such as DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH and DB Rail Academy, as well as key industry suppliers and project partners. As one of the world’s premier railway operators employing nearly 3,00,000 people globally, DB manages Germany’s extensive passenger and freight networks, infrastructure maintenance, and international railway projects.
The visit comes in the wake of Germany launching an ambitious €100-billion railway modernisation initiative scheduled through 2029. To execute this massive infrastructure upgrade, Deutsche Bahn anticipates recruiting approximately 22,000 skilled technical professionals. “Recognising India as a vital hub for high-quality technical talent, the German railway giant has been surveying leading skill development institutions across various States, with a strong focus on Kerala, to establish sustainable recruitment pipelines,” said IIIC officials.
To fulfil the requirements of this proposed partnership, the IIIC plans to construct a dedicated 150-metre German railway track model on its campus. This specialised infrastructure will offer trainees hands-on, industry-aligned practical instruction tailored to European railway standards. The collaboration is set to unlock extensive international career opportunities for a broad spectrum of technical personnel, including civil, mechanical, electrical, and safety engineers, building information modelling (BIM) professionals, quality technicians, electricians, plumbers, and excavator operators. The proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Deutsche Bahn and IIIC is expected to formalise this strategic alignment.
Published - July 24, 2026 07:39 pm IST
Source: The Hindu — National
