Announcing our partnership and long-term cooperation with global railroad design and engineering major – Molinari Rail AG, Switzerland – starting with the signing of Strategic Supplier Agreement for supply of Auxiliary Power Units for 1,000 Next-Generation Locomotives to be built in India.
See press release.

In-keeping with our tradition of success through customer-focused innovations, we are happy to announce the successful verdict and performance report of one of the most valued innovations in our history – The Polyurethane Constant Contact Side Bearing [PU-CCSB].

A CCSB is an energy-absorbing device that provides stability to railway vehicles and minimizes wheel flange impact on rails by controlling the swaying motion of railcars.

The Polyurethane CCSB was first introduced in 2004, replacing Rubber-Metal Bonded CCSB, enhancing product life from 6-9 months to over 6 years & reducing failure rate from 22.34 % to 2.47 %. This resulted in a lifetime benefit of INR 19,110 per freight wagon to the Indian Railways [IR].

As of January 2016, this translates to a Cumulative Benefit of more than INR 600 Crores [i.e. Approx. USD 100 Million] to the customer. This figure is based on actual field data available with the Research, Designs, and Standardisation Organisation [R.D.S.O.] and the Ministry of Railways and was released in January 2016 after repeated investigations and verification by competent authorities.

Introduction of the PU-CCSB – a new and patented technology – in the early 2000’s did not come without its challenges. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle”. The PU-CCSB was an innovation that disturbed the status quo of the industry and faced strong opposition. Several competitors tried to derail the original patented product made with High Performance Polyurethane & technology from M/s Chemtura Corporation, USA by trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to introduce inferior quality copies made with non-standard materials and non-proven designs.

In May 2011, the same competition alleged that IR impulsively replaced the standard Metal-Bonded CCSBs with the more expensive PU-CCSB, thereby causing a loss of Rs. 69 crores to IR during the period 2004 to 2010. The allegations were investigated meticulously by the Railway Vigilance Organization as well as by the Central Bureau of Investigations. The results of the investigations, which lasted for more than 3 years, were compiled in a detailed investigation report and were submitted for review to the Court of the Special Judge, Patiala House, New Delhi.

After detailed perusal and verification of the investigation report by the court – a process that took more than 18 months – the Honorable Court finally pronounced their verdict in January 2016 conclusively holding all allegations baseless and all accused innocent. The court has clearly ruled that no wrongful loss has been caused to the Indian Railway by the introduction of PU-CCSB. On the contrary, after detailed study of data from investigation report, the court has explicitly stated in their order that the adoption of the PU-CCSB has resulted in NET SAVINGS to IR of Rs. 19,110 per freight wagon, which translates to a Cumulative Benefit of more than INR 600 Crores to IR thus far.

This long-awaited verdict of the court is valued by all at Prag and reinforces our belief in justice and the old adage by George Washington, “Truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains to bring it to light.”

#RedemptionAtLast #TruthUltimatelyPrevails #The600CroreAntiScam

Three teams from Prag Group of Industries participated in the Inter-Industrial Cricket League recently held in Lucknow. The tournament was played between the member companies of Talkatora Industrial Estate Industries Owner Association (TIEIOA) & Industrial Welfare Association (IWA), UP at the RDSO Stadium last week.

It was a wonderful bonding event for the employees of Prag group, where besides the 33 players, who formed the cricket teams of Prag Rubber, Prag Industries, and Prag Polymers, the entire Prag family was engaged in the launch of the event and in cheering and supporting their teams right through to the end of the tournament.

“We had organized the cricket tournament last year too and we noticed huge enthusiasm amongst our colleagues who participated in this tournament”, said Mohammed Yunus, President, TIEIOA & IWA UP. Two of the teams from Prag reached the semi-final stage of the tourney. Overall, it turned out to be a very well organized and appreciated event and brought in a lot of cheer and to all members of Prag Parivaar.

Rail Business, India’s the premier rail industry publication, recognized the innovation and R&D efforts of Prag with an article published in their March 2015 edition. The article talks about some of the innovations recently introduced by Prag Group and the philosophy and culture of the company that inspires its highly skilled team of engineers to constantly push the envelop of technological advancements.

Reinforcing its commitment to increase passenger safety and provide high quality and high technology products to the Indian Railways, Prag Group of Industries showcased a range of new and innovative products at the first Innorail 2014 exhibition, held RDSO campus in Lucknow, India.

The products on display included a Derailment Detection Device designed to monitor vertical accelerations and apply brakes immediately in case of a derailment, the Polspa Polymer Springs for Railroad buffing, draft gear and draw gear applications, developed for the first time in India, auto-drain and feed valves, EMD PAC & MAC Draft Gears, and Rubber & TPE components for the LHB Fiat Bogie.

At the exhibition, Prag also announced their new Technical Collaborations with M/s DuPont, USA and M/s Shandong Zhiheng, China’s largest manufacturers of Steel Coil Springs for railroad applications and the only company approved for manufacture of springs for the High Speed CRH trains in China.

Prag participated in Innotrans Exhibition at Messe Berlin, Berlin, Germany in September 2014 alongside their partner M/s Oil States Industries, USA. Innotrans is by far the world’s largest railroad industry exhibition held every two years in Berlin, Germany with close to 3,000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries showcasing their innovations.

It was clear from the number of visitors at the Prag booth that India had arrived in the global arena. With a display of products that were of international quality and met international specifications, Prag impressed every visitor at its booth.

“We can expect great things from Prag in the years to come – from being a quality supplier to Indian Railways to becoming a manufacturer of quality products that would be finding their way to markets all around the world”, said Mr. Gokul Jain, Director, Business Development.