Two senior executives from the Nova Control Tecnologix, a deeptech subsidiary of Etoe Transportation Infrastructure, and Tata Elxsi confirmed that these companies have decided to co-develop the next generation of India’s indigenous automatic train protection (ATP) system, Kavach 4.0 as per the media reports.
Kavach Expansion In Play
Nova appears to have announced a strategic partnership with Tata Elxsi to co-develop Kavach.
With this upgrade, these companies are expecting the Indian train protection market to witness orders worth around ₹50,000 crore during the implementation of Kavach Phase-I over the period of next six to seven years.
The companies are also targeting export markets, including Southeast Asia, Africa, and West Asia, which could boost their business in the long run. Nova announced a strategic partnership with Tata Elxsi to co-develop Kavach.
This would also help in India’s plan to scale up its indigenous automatic train protection system, Kavach.
They are expecting to unlock a ₹50,000 crore market over the next six to seven years as Phase-I implementation gathers pace, said the senior executives at Nova Control Tecnologix and Tata Elxsi.
Targeting Export – A Sizable Oppertunity
In addition to this, these companies are also targeting export markets such as Southeast Asia, Africa, and West Asia, which could boost their business in the long run.
Earlier, this partnership was announced during October this year, it positions Nova as the primary OEM responsible for manufacturing, testing and integration.
On the other hand, Tata Elxsi will handle hardware and software design, prototyping, safety certification and cybersecurity engineering.
These two companies are also targeting export markets across Southeast Asia, Africa and West Asia.
This rollout presents a sizeable opportunity for the industry said Sourajit Mukherjee, director and chief executive officer of Nova.
Further adding,“The average cost of installing the Kavach system per kilometre is ₹50–60 lakh, and Indian Railways has about 40,000 km likely to be covered initially. For each locomotive (loco), the initial investment will be ₹70–80 lakh.”
Moving ahead, he said, “This means the safety segment is expected to see enormous demand for companies in the sector. Overall, Phase-I of Kavach could see investments of around ₹50,000 crore. The deployment across the network is expected within six to seven years.”
When it comes to the Kavach, it is an indigenously developed ATP system that automatically applies brakes if a loco pilot does not act within prescribed speed limits, and supports safer operations during adverse weather.
It’s field trials has already commenced in 2016, and the system was adopted nationally in 2020.
The government spending on Kavach stands at ₹2,354 crore as of October 2025, with a total allocation of ₹1,673 crore for FY26.
