Managing Indian Railways: The Future Ahead

This is a unique book on management which effectively blends the aspects of management, experience and yoga. Indian Railways is the second largest system ion the world under a single management, after the Russian Railways. It carries around 14 million passengers and 1.4 million tonne of freight daily over its widely spread network of 63,000 route km. This gigantic task is achieved by running 8,700 locomotives, 38,000 passenger coaches and 2,20,000 freight wagons by the 1.5 million strong dedicated work force. Indian Railways is not only an organization but an institution in itself. It is considered as the Lifeline of the Nation. Holistic examination of such a system is an extremely difficult task. The author has made a sincere effort to examine this large and complex organization. This book covers various facets of management and human resource development, systems and systems approach; aspects of technology, research and development; various aspects of marketing and finance; Indian Railway’s myriad linkages with various organizations, users and public; and measures to enhance safety. He has also suggested a plan for the future growth of the railways. Past experiences of the author, along with his observations have been briefed in a separate chapter, which the practicing managers will not only find interesting, but of immense value. To give an Indian ethos to management and suggest the use of ancient wisdom by the managers for enhancing ethical values and increasing efficiency with reduced stress levels, an Appendix "Yoga, Ancient Wisdom and Management" has been added. Besides the need for efficiency and effectiveness in all managerial endeavours, the need for ethics has been highlighted for sustainable development. The book will not only be useful for railway managers in the country and abroad but also to managers working in other large organizations.