About RDSO

RDSO is the sole R&D organization of Indian Railways and functions as the technical advisor to the Railway Board, Zonal Railways and Production Units and performs the following essential functions:

• Development of new and improved designs.
• Development, adoption, and absorption of new technology for Indian Railways.
• Development of standards for materials and products especially needed by Indian Railways.
• The technical investigation, statutory clearances, testing and providing consultancy services.
• Inspection of critical and safety items of rolling stock, locomotives signalling & telecommunication equipment and track components,
• RDSO’s diverse activities have also attracted the attention of railway and non-railway organizations in India and abroad.

QUALITY ASSURANCE I & L Offices

Quality Assurance activities, including product inspection, are performed mainly through field units- located in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bhopal and Hyderabad. At the Lucknow office, mostly R&D activities and new items/ specifications development are done. In addition, online software is developed and used for better monitoring transparency and accountability.

CHARTER OF QUALITY ASSURANCE I & L

• To commence the inspection within 15 days of getting the inspection call.
• Issuing of Inspection Certificate within 7-10 working days for most of the items after inspection completion.
• Regular publication of Expression of Interest (EOI) to develop new vendors for items with added emphasis on existing vendors less than three.
• Conducting Quality Audits of Vendors to ensure consistency in quality and continuance of the firm’s name in RDSO Vendor
• Conducting Quality Audit of Railway units (Production units, Workshops and Maintenance Depots) “as per the advice of Railway Board”.
• Approval of wagon prototypes within 20 days (RDSO times) from the time of the offering of prototype wagon for inspection.

VENDOR APPROVAL

Design Directorates undertake vendor approval of RDSO-controlled items for the assigned items. All items controlled by RDSO are grouped into the following four Categories:

Civil Directorates: Bridge & Structures, Track Machine, Track Design-1, Track Design-2, Works

Electrical Directorates: Electric Loco, PS&EMU, Traction Installation

Mechanical Directorates: Carriage, Wagon, Motive Power-Diesel Loco and M&C

S&T Directorates: Signal & Telecom

However, regular Purchase Inspection of all assigned items is undertaken mainly by the QA Directorate and one field unit of the Electric Loco Directorate located at Bhopal.

Steps in Applying and Processing for Vendor Approval

1 IREPS login ID: New Vendor can get themselves registered free of charge by filling up the online registration form, which can be accessed through the New Vendors/Contractors (E-Tender) link available in the Quick Link Section on IREPS portal, i.e. https://www.ireps.gov.in.

2  Please refer to the User Manual for Registration of New Vendors & Contractors for details of the registration process on IREPS, available on the website.

3 Please ensure the following before proceeding with the submission of a request for        Registration-

• Obtain a Digital Signing Certificate (DSC) from any Certifying Agencies
• Install JAVA (JRE) on your computer.

4. Fresh Vendor Approval: Requests of ‘Fresh vendor approval’ for supply material for Indian Railways use can be submitted after login through the Unified Vendor Approval Module (UVAM) of the IREPS website.
5. If The form submission is successful, the User gets a confirmation message.

7. The User can check the status of registration at any point in time by using his request ID.
8. Fresh Vendor Registration Fee (Plus GST as an appropriate time to me) as per RDSO apex ISO Document No: Q0-D-8.1-14, Version No: 2.4 Dt.: 28.07.2022 Document Title: Vendor registration schedule of charges.                                                                                   A. Rs. 10,000/-for Micro/Small Enterprises.

B. Rs. 15,000/-for other than Micro/Smal Enterprises.

C. Rs.40,000/-for overseas firms

Fee payment shall be made through e-payment to RDsO on the IREPS website (U-VAM Portal).

8. Documents To be Uploaded (RDS0apexISO Document No: QO-F-8.1-5):

• Documents in proof of the firm’s legal status,
• Mandatory declaration/affidavit as per the format available in RDSO apex ISO Document No: QO-F-8.1-7.
• Compliance with related Specification (s), Quality Assurance Plan made by the firm,
• Copy of Factory License/NSIC/SSI registration,
• Copy of ISO & Latest Electricity Bill,
• Letter of authorization to communicate with RDSO duly signed by Director/Proprietor/Partner of the firm,
• Ownership of the factory,
• Compliance of Schedule of Technical Requirement and Specification(s),

9. Screening of Application & Capability Assessment (RDSO apex ISO Document No: QO-F- 8.1-7 & Document No: QO-F-8.1-8: After document scrutiny is found satisfactory, RDS0 officer will visit the firm’s premises for:

• STR verification and Capability Assessment,
• If non-conformity is found in STR/Spec. During CCA, the case would be closed,
• The firm may re-apply if, within six months, it would be restarted from where it closed (as a one-time exception); for Re-registration 50% fee shall be payable.

10. Initial Approval by Directorate Head (RDSO apex IS0 Document No: Q0-F-8.1-6): After successful verification for documents and Capacity & Capability Assessment (CCA) of the Vendor, approval is given by Directorate Head with status as List of Vendors for Developmental Orders for 24 months with restrictions i.e.

• Technical Clearance of Prototype/Test Samples and their approval by RDSO, if required.
• Successful Field Trials of the Specified Quantity (as indicated by the Directorate) for the item, if required.
• If the respective Specification requires a field trial, then the mandated period of a field trial of a specified quantity has to be completed before regular supply to Railways.

Testing Charges & Samples testing(RDSO apex ISO Document No: Q0-D-8.1-10 & Document No: Q0-F-8.1-14):

• Samples, as applicable, are to be offered by the firm.
• Testing of the sample (or prototype) at Film’s premises, RDSO or NABL accredited lab.
• Testing charges for testing at NABL accredited lab are to be borne by the firm.
• No testing charges for testing in RDSO.

12. Approval as ‘RDSO Vendor for Developmental Orders’ with no restriction: After Technical Clearance of the Prototype/Test sample and successful field trials as specified for items, Vendor approval is given by the Directorate Head with status as ‘RDsO Vendor for Developmental Orders’.
13. Up-gradation to Status of Regular Approved Vendor: After manufacturing and supply of a specified number of items and satisfactory performance, the Vendor shall be eligible for approval as “Approved Vendor’ as per ISO document Q0-D-8.1- 11, ‘Changes in approved status.
14. All specifications, STR, Qty. Field Trials are available on UVAM ota at https://www.ireps.gov.in, and the applicable ISo documents for approval policy for RDSO are available at RDSO https://rdso.indianrailways.gov.in.

RDSO-list items Having Less than three sources

STEPS TAKEN TO ENHANCE

“EASE OF DOING BUSINESS”

• Online Vendor registration and payment through the U-VAM website started in MAY
• 2021.
• Time for vendor approval was reduced substantially after the implementation of online Vendor
• registration.
• To simplify the procedures to ensure faster registration, a significant policy initiative has been recently taken which enables a Vendor to appear as a Developmental Source in  RDSO Vendor Directory once RDSO Official has completed the verification of Documents and Capacity and Capability Assessment.
• Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) organized 06 Vendor Meets to encourage industry participation in expanding the vendor base.
• Important focus points during these Vendor Meets:
• To encourage industry participation in Indian Railways.
• To explain in detail the process for Approval of Vendor followed at RDSO.
• Third, to encourage the participation of Micro and small industries.
• Finally, to inform about various incentives for encouraging Vendors to register.

Mega Vendor Meet at RDSO Auditorium on 20.04.22

• A list of items having limited sources is placed on the RDSO portal to encourage new Vendors in these items.
• The vendor registration fee has now been revised and reduced to Rs 10,000 by MSME firms, Rs 15,000 by Non-MSME firms and Rs 40,000 by foreign firms.
• Testing charges during vendor registration sample testing have been waived off.
• A system of video recording and involving vendors in the sample testing process has been created, which leads to transparency in the sample testing process.
• A system of periodic review and revision in RDSO ISO procedures related to the vendor approval process by a Standing committee is in place.
• ISO procedure regarding Changes in approved status was revised on 22.09.2022 to simplify the process of upgradation to Approved Status.