India, June 23 -- The electrification of Indian Railways may prove to be one of the most far-sighted strategic decisions taken by the Indian State so far.

At the time, it appeared to be an expensive infrastructure programme undertaken by a capital-scarce nation with more immediate priorities. India faced food shortages, foreign exchange constraints and pressing development challenges. Diesel traction offered a cheaper and seemingly more practical path. Electrification required vast investments in transmission infrastructure, substations, overhead equipment and grid capacity across one of the world's largest railway networks.

In retrospect, however, railway electrification was not merely a transport decision. It was an early exercise in ...