Ratan Tata to head Indian Railways’ Kaya Kalp council

Renowned industrialist Ratan Tata will head a new innovative council of Indian Railways, called ‘Kaya Kalp’, to suggest ways to turn around the ailing state-run rail network.

Apart from Tata Group’s Chairman Emeritus, the Kaya Kalp council will also have two railway union leaders Shiv Gopal Mishra and M Raghuvaiah. General Secretaries of All-India Railwaymen Federation and National Federation of Indian Railwaymen will also be the members of the council, according to railway spokesperson.

Meanwhile Railway minister Suresh Prabhu has set up two committees with the promises made in his maiden rail budget last month. While Innovation Council ‘Kaya Kalp’ will be headed by Tata, the other committee, under former DIPP secretary Ajay Shankar, has been set up to revamp ministry’s PPP (public private partnership) cell to get private investment.

Notably in 2009, Tata had refused to head an advisory board to suggest ways to turn around the national carrier Air India. Then aviation minister Praful Patel had reportedly approached Tata but the business leader declined.