New Delhi: RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, a Mini Ratna CPSE under Ministry of Railways, Government of India, has embarked on a significant international collaboration by signing a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Africa’s InoviTel (PTY) LTD and Tsiko Africa Energy & Infrastructure. This partnership aims to leverage Indian technology and innovations to enhance telecom, railway, and other IT/ICT sectors in South Africa and its neighboring regions.

The MoU was officially signed in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 24, 2024, witnessed by prominent dignitaries including Prabhat Kumar, the High Commissioner of India to South Africa, and Mahesh Kumar, the Consul General of India in Johannesburg. The agreement was sealed by Parag Kumar Goyal, Principal Executive Director of Enterprise Business at RailTel, Lavine Singh, CEO of InoviTel, and Pragasen Naidoo, CEO of Tsiko Africa Energy and Infrastructure.

Under the MoU, the partnership will focus on several cutting-edge technological deployments. Key initiatives include the activation and commercialization of dark fibre along railway lines and high-voltage transmission lines in South Africa. It will also cover the integration of railway signal and telecommunication solutions, digital twin modeling of railway assets for predictive maintenance, and traffic simulation.

Furthermore, the collaboration extends to Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) based Distributed Acoustic System (DAS) for both public and private rail operators in South Africa. Connectivity solutions will be developed for SA connect/Railway and private business fibre network operators, alongside IT/ICT/Digitalization Solutions aimed at propelling the digital transformation of South Africa.

RailTel, renowned for its expansive optic fibre network covering over 61,000 route kilometers across India, brings to the table a wealth of expertise in managing large-scale telecom infrastructures and implementing complex IT and ICT projects. This partnership is poised to enhance RailTel's global footprint and showcase its capabilities on an international stage.

InoviTel and Tsiko Africa Energy & Infrastructure, both 100% black-owned entities supported by the Tsiko Africa Group, stand to benefit from this collaboration by integrating Indian technological advancements into their ongoing and upcoming projects across various sectors, including telecoms and railways.

This strategic alliance signifies a robust step towards technological exchange and infrastructural development between India and South Africa.