INDIA: Kernex Microsystems has secured a ₹66.62 crore Kavach contract from Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory to equip EMU and MEMU trains with onboard automatic train protection technology.

Kernex has won a ₹66.62 crore Kavach contract from ICF for onboard equipment, train integration, testing and commissioning.
Kernex has won a ₹66.62 crore Kavach contract from ICF for onboard equipment, train integration, testing and commissioning.

Contract covers onboard equipment and maintenance

Kernex Microsystems disclosed the domestic order on 2 August 2026. The ₹66.62 crore value includes GST, while Integral Coach Factory is the customer.

Under the company’s exchange filing, Kernex will supply and install onboard Kavach equipment, interface it with the electrical systems of EMU and MEMU trains, and complete testing and commissioning. The package must comply with RDSO Specification No. RDSO/SPN/196/2020, Version 4.0 or the latest applicable version. Warranty and CAMC are also included.

Completion is required on or before 31 March 2028. That deadline applies to the contracted work; the announcement does not say the equipment is already installed or operational.

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How Kavach will work onboard?

Kavach is India’s domestically developed automatic train protection system. It can apply brakes when a locomotive pilot does not respond to a signal or exceeds a permitted speed, while communication with signalling infrastructure and control systems supports safe train separation.

The ICF award concerns the train-side portion of that safety architecture. Fitting the equipment requires hardware installation and integration with each train’s electrical systems before testing and commissioning.

Contract sets a defined delivery stage

The order establishes execution obligations for Kernex, but commissioning remains a future milestone. Its disclosed scope combines equipment delivery, train integration, testing and maintenance support rather than a trackside-only package.

The 31 March 2028 completion date is therefore the next firm benchmark in the disclosure. ICF and Kernex did not specify how many EMU or MEMU trains will receive the equipment.

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