RailTel Receives MEA Work Order for Data Centre Project in Ethiopia

RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. a Navratna CPSE under Ministry of Railways, has achieved a major milestone in its international expansion journey by securing a prestigious overseas project from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India for establishment of a greenfield Data Centre for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa. This project is a crucial element in India’s support to Digital Ethiopia Strategy. The project marks RailTel’s growing footprint in delivering world-class digital infrastructure solutions beyond India. The project is scheduled to be completed within one year, followed by three years of comprehensive Operation & Maintenance (O&M) support after go-live.

Expressing gratitude on the achievement, the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD),  RailTel, stated “RailTel sincerely thanks the Ministry of External Affairs for entrusting us with this prestigious international assignment. We remain fully committed to delivering this project with the highest standards of professionalism, quality, and reliability. This engagement further strengthens RailTel’s role as a global digital infrastructure partner aligned with India’s development cooperation objectives.”

India is increasingly positioning itself as a global leader in technology‑driven development, with a strong focus on enabling digital transformation across emerging economies. Aligned with this national vision, RailTel has articulated an ambitious international expansion strategy aimed at taking India’s proven digital models to partner countries across the globe. Leveraging its deep experience in executing large‑scale, mission‑critical ICT projects for the Government of India, RailTel is actively participating in international competitive bids. A recent example is its participation in the Unique Identity (UID) project in Sri Lanka, supported through funding from the Government of India.

Beyond individual projects, RailTel’s approach focuses on replicating India’s end‑to‑end digital transformation journey in emerging economies—adapting solutions to local needs while retaining the robustness, security, and scalability that define Indian platforms. With its integrated capabilities spanning connectivity, cloud, data centres, and managed services, RailTel is well positioned to serve as a trusted implementation partner for friendly nations seeking to strengthen their digital foundations.

RailTel’s global offerings are centered around key priority areas where India has demonstrated leadership and impact like Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Sovereign Cloud and Data Centres ,AI‑enabled solutions in Healthcare and Education, Rural and Remote Broadband Connectivity, Secure Government ICT platforms etc.

RailTel is also exploring strategic partnerships with global OEMs to facilitate technology transfer, promote Make-in-India manufacturing, and support localization of advanced digital technologies. In parallel, the company is keen to contribute to capacity building, including skill development initiatives, specialized training programmes, and the establishment of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in partner countries.

Geographically, RailTel is actively scouting opportunities across the Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, South America, South-East Asia and Australia. As part of this outreach, RailTel has recently invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from firms and agencies with global presence to collaborate on international projects.

RailTel formally embarked on its international business journey in 2024.The company’s first international project was the Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning (SITC) of Electronic LED Scoreboards at the iconic Sabina Park Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica. Funded by the Government of India, the project was successfully commissioned by RailTel and received appreciation from the High Commissioner of India in Jamaica as well as the Jamaica Cricket Association. Subsequently, RailTel has been awarded another MEA-funded project for the supply of Make-in-India laptops with three-year warranty support for school students in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago—further reinforcing RailTel’s commitment to inclusive digital development.

With the Ethiopia Data Centre project, RailTel has firmly positioned itself as a credible global CPSE partner for delivering secure, scalable, and impactful digital infrastructure solutions. The company’s growing international portfolio reflects not only its technical capability but also India’s rising role as a provider of trusted digital public infrastructure for the Global South.