With a career spanning over four decades (1971–2013) in Indian Railways, Shri Keshav Chandra led several multi-disciplinary teams, ultimately serving as a Board Member and the head of both the Mechanical and Stores departments, while also being ex officio Secretary to the Government of India. He held many prestigious positions, including Chairman of RITES, a leading consultancy organization in transport, infrastructure, and technology. His distinguished service extended internationally as the Indian Railway Adviser in Berlin, responsible for railway relations across Europe. He also held key roles at RDSO, such as Executive Director (Quality Assurance) and Executive Director (Testing).
A Fellow of the Institution of Engineers and a member of the Indian National Academy of Engineers, Shri Chandra is one of the foremost experts on manufacturing industries and quality assurance. Throughout his career, he appraised technologies, ensured quality control, and inspected over 500 companies in India and abroad, spanning more than 25 countries. He oversaw the manufacturing of rolling stock worth INR 20,000 crore (approx. $3 billion) annually, handling everything from design to prototyping, testing, and series production. His expertise also extended to product development, vendor management, indigenization, and procurement worth INR 30,000 crore (approx. $4 billion) annually, ensuring supply-chain logistics for over 1,000 metric tons of goods across various regions.
In project management, Shri Chandra played a vital role in planning, designing, and executing high-value projects. He was part of the Steering Committee responsible for the bidding and detailed planning of the Rs 22,000 crore (approx. $3 billion) Diesel Locomotive Manufacturing plant in Marora, Bihar. As Executive Director (Testing) at RDSO, he led research and testing missions for all new rolling stock in Indian Railways, and in 2002, he oversaw the initial testing and clearance of Delhi Metro coaches. In 2007, he was invited by Alstom to France during the record-setting rail speed event where the train reached 575 kmph.
On the human resource front, Shri Chandra managed a workforce of over 250,000 employees, including 2,500 graduate engineers and a large contingent of diploma engineers. Known for his sensitivity and adeptness in handling staff and union issues, he successfully navigated numerous crises.
Outside his professional responsibilities, Shri Chandra has been deeply involved in voluntary blood donation since 1976, donating over 85 times. His initiative, "At least DOIALT" (Donate Once in a Lifetime), was adopted by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 2019 to address the national blood shortage crisis and curb the practice of professional blood donation. The scheme was launched by Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, in 2019.
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